The world’s most famous Jeep, a mostly-stock Wrangler that got stuck on a narrow bike trail on a mountain ridge in California, has a very interesting tale to tell.
It’s probably way more insane than you anticipated. Assuming it’s true, of course.
First, a bit of context: earlier this week, photos of a Jeep Wranglerabandoned on a mountain ridge outside Loma Linda in California emerged online, on several off-roading communities. The driver had taken it on a very narrow dirtbike / hiking trail and had left it there once it became stuck halfway, with the passenger side dangerously hanging off over a deep ravine.
The Wrangler was eventually recovered by a local 4x4 rescue group, after someone from Ford reached out to the owner to offer recovery free of charge. Despite what everyone assumed, no helicopter was needed, with the good folks using instead a lot of manpower, several other 4x4s, winches, ropes and plenty of patience.
The owner has been identified as local Ricky Barba. In an interview with The Drive, he offers his version of events and, let’s just put it this way, if you assumed this was a dumb driver overestimating his skills, the story is a bit more nuanced than this.
Ricky says the Wrangler was his – and a brand new acquisition, as well. However, it was his brother at the wheel and he’d never driven a Jeep. The off-roading adventure started as a chat after a family barbecue, with the two brothers deciding to go for a quick ride in the area, so the brother could see how the car handled.
“We ended up driving farther and farther and farther, and he liked the way it handled so he'd say ‘Let me try this, let me try this’,” Barba tells the media outlet.
The mountain ridge is actually not that far off a main off-road path for cars and – get this – the newbie driver was actually able to get across it. However, once on the other side, being pitch dark, they weren’t able to see where they could go next, so the brother decided to reverse all the way across the ridge. That’s when the Wrangler got stuck and Barba fell off into the ravine as he tried making his way out of it, when the two had finally realized they couldn’t get the car out.
The adventure, Barba says, ended up in the early hours of morning, with the brothers making their way home on foot. They returned the next day to secure the Wrangler, preventing it from falling off, while they considered options on how to proceed next.
We know the rest: the photos were posted online, went viral and prompted a call from Ford and then the actual rescue mission by fellow off-roading aficionados. Luckily, they had more experience than Barba’s brother – and more common sense than to go at it after sunset.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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