Father Knows Best

Lots of good guesses on this week’s Wordless Wednesday photo. Yes, it’s a snow-covered volcano in central Oregon—one of many that surround my parents’ tiny town outside the city of Bend. I honestly don’t recall where we were on the trip when I snapped that photo, which is one of my favorites from my vacation.

A highpoint was a morning that I had begun to believe might bring about my literal downfall.

As my 70-year-old dad was outlining the various trails we could take on opening day at a county-owned ATV park, my sisters and mother sat me down and warned that I (a) stood a good chance of crashing; (b) should stick to easy trails; and (c) must wear multi layers in case I smashed into sharp rocks or was knocked off by low tree branches. I remember my mother, all serious-like, concluding with this gem: “If it looks really bad, do not try to save the ATV. Save yourself, Anne.”


As someone who values the environment, I have mixed feelings about ATVs. They have a reputation in southern California for destroying some pristine places. But Henderson Flat is designed specifically for this activity, and it’s not so large as to greatly displace wildlife or trash the trails’ immediate surroundings. This part of the Pacific Northwest is sparsely populated, and I discovered man and beast coexist fairly well out here.



I took everyone’s advice and bundled up in my mom’s skinny jeans (a true triumph since she weighs far less than me), sweat pants, ski jacket and gloves. With my helmet and goggles, the only surface exposed were my cheeks, which were wind-burned red by the end.


One sister warned my father to stay on the No. 10 trail, one of the easiest and most scenic. And Dad did so until both he and I gained some confidence in my driving skills. Then he announced we were going to take some side trails labeled as “More Difficult.” Along the way he pointed out the sites of various major crashes and twice tried to hide from me so he could sneak up behind me and give me a scare. The second time, I played along—and immediately ran into a tree.

Occasionally a rock or tree root would catch on a tire and pull the steering bars out of my hands. Each time it scared me out of my complacency. Once, I lost complete control and the ATV tilted onto the two right wheels, and I thought for sure I was a goner. But common sense had me shift my body left until all four wheels were on terra firma and then brake slowly. From then on, I kept it in granny mode on all further steep downhills, especially those involving perilously close cliffs.

When we finally had to head back home, my dad told me I did much better than my sisters. I think he was surprised and I also think he tells every one of his children the same thing. Of course, two days later he took my sister and her boyfriend, visiting from Virginia, to the same place and she careened out of control and required assistance from strangers. So, maybe with me he really meant it.