Last winter,
Miloli Ridge Road, Kauai
Rented a 4wd. Apparently it had rained for a while before we arrived. The gate was open, and we were excited for the view at the end. We start along the road, and the road doesn't seem too bad at all. After a couple minutes we hit some nice bumps, and I'm thinking now I understand why you need a 4wd. Then we get to a decline with a crack/ mini ravine going diagonally across the road. I'm driving along when suddenly the car slides and spins sideways because it lost all traction due to the mud. I don't live in an area with snow, so this is my first experience with completely losing control of my car, and my initial reaction is of confusion mixed with a healthy dose of fear. Then I react and and compensate by spinning the wheel the other way, and the jeep then spins the other way. Finally I get it straight and realize the wheel is stuck in the crack in the growing like we're on a track. So I kinda guide the jeep along in the track and it slides down with a few sideways jerks till we get to the bottom. I proceed thinking/hoping that's the worst of it. When I see there's more of that, I realize I can't keep going and have to turn back. So I go down another hill, sliding and spinning 90 degrees both ways to the bottom till I could get to a clearing with enough space to turn around. Basically the car won't go up the hill-too much mud. I tried slowly to get max traction, i tried backing up then accelerating and it won't go past a certain spot - I even put petal to the metal and it would on lurch and spin sideways . We finally give up, abandon the car, and hoof it back to waimea canyon road in the light rain (luckily we brought disposable ponchos) and hitch a ride back to the rental place by the airport. They call a tow company and are told it would cost 1200 minimum. (My insurance says they wont pay because the car didnt break down.) And they wouldn't try retrieving the jeep for another week. I'm getting nervous that I would have to buy a new car, When they remember mom and pop shop tow company, and they said they will do it for 600 right away and we exchange info and he goes to get the jeep. Luckily, the rental place agreed to give us another car meanwhile, and we make it back to the hotel just before Shabbos. We got back home on Sunday, and haven't heard from the tow company since.
