“Take a back road under KC lights” sounds like a cliché country song; for Taylor Urich, it’s just another day at the office.
In the fourth episode of ‘Riding Shotgun,” Urich partnered with Arizona Game & Fish Department’s Michael Colaianni for a drive along the pine-lined Woody Mountain Road. This trail just outside Flagstaff shows off what matters most to Urich: accessible trails to beautiful scenery, courtesy of responsible and ethical off-highway vehicle (OHV) drivers.
At KC HiLiTES — yes, those smiley-faced yellow lights — adventure is at the heart of what they do. Urich explained how safety fits like a glove with OHV fun: responsible drivers ensure that the trail, the vehicles, and the land access will stay usable for generations to come.
“These trails are here for not only us to use, but for future generations to use, too,” Urich said from behind the wheel of his side-by-side.
Preserving both access to and maintaining OHV trails themselves are hugely important to Urich’s (and KC’s) mission of supporting drivers to come. Urich used the example of a Leave No Trace (LNT) principles: Travel (and camp) on durable surfaces.
Where LNT-savvy hikers might preach preserving a trail’s integrity by sticking to the switchbacks and not creating shortcuts between, responsible OHV enthusiasts know that avoiding a puddle midtrail can detrimentally widen the road, leading to greater environmental impact.
In fact, Urich points out, the most responsible move that a driver could make in this puddle scenario would be to cross directly through the puddle. The mud and ruts created from that cross-puddle travel are significantly less impactful to the ecosystem than trampling more land, avoiding the puddle altogether.
When it comes to being a friendly neighbor, Urich said there’s no better advocacy for the OHV community.
“There’s a lot of different land ownership in areas like this,” he said. “We want to make sure that we are respecting traffic, landowners, and wildlife.”
That advocacy looks like driving with due regard — from checking your vehicle over before you hit the trail, to slowing down well before a curve, and doing your research on weather and terrain ahead of time.
Of course, as well-prepared as you might be, you can’t control acts of nature. Wildlife is abundant around Arizona’s trail systems, and rapidly changing weather can turn a sunny jaunt into a flooded journey home.
“Take a look not only immediately around you, but 10-20 miles in front of you, too,” Urich said. Keeping your surroundings in mind at all times can make the difference in safe and effective OHV driving. And, it may keep you from an untimely rescue.
The best accessories to have for your OHV adventures? Urich believes lights make all the difference.
On his side-by-side, he explained to Colaianni that low-watt amber lights are installed in both the front and the rear of the vehicle.
These lights allow drivers to see their vehicles better in dust, dusk, and low-light scenarios. They act as guiding lights for other drivers in his group to stay on-course, much as he hopes to lead more drivers into this OHV sport.
For more information on OHV safety practices, precautions, and keeping trails accessible, visit AZGFD’s website.
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