Spring is here – time for adventures in the Great Outdoors. That’s when Chris and his shared living providers venture deep into the White Mountains, camping and riding all-terrain vehicles.
As Chris says, they’re “just cruising around in the woods, having fun.”
Chris’ ATV excursions take him through hills and mud pits from Maine to New Hampshire.
“We go everywhere,” he said. “I don’t know which one we’re going next.”
He says his shared living providers surprise him, and he especially enjoys when the surprise includes mud bogs.
“It’s better. It’s dirt,” he explained. “With dirt, you peel out a little bit with the tires.”
Braving rocky, muddy trails on ATVs is nothing new for Chris. His father taught him how to drive them when he was just 5 years old.
“He brought me up with it,” Chris said.
Chris learned early the importance of safety. He observes posted speed limits, which are 20 to 30 miles per hour. He rides along approved paths and makes sure to wear his helmet and gloves.
When he’s not on his ATV, Chris is making sure that others stay safe on theirs. He is as a security guard at Mountain Mud Run Terrain Park in Warren, N.H. – a 63-acre park with 12 miles of trails. Working security for two years, Chris makes sure that others follow the rules.
“Sometimes, I have to run around, check people, make sure people don’t have alcohol,” Chris explained. “Tell them to dump it out.”
That happens a lot, Chris said.
“We always have to catch them,” he said. “Everybody listens to me. I give them a warning – if you don’t dump it out, you’re going to get kicked out.”
The park owners appreciate his service.
“Sometimes, we get a cookout or something to thank us,” Chris said.
Chris encourages all ATV drivers to put safety first.
“People should learn how to ride right and obey the orders on the roads,” he said. “A lot of people ride rough on the road sometimes. Sometimes, you have to watch out for other cars when they come by. There are other cars on the road sometimes. You have to be careful.”
Chris has advice for anyone who is interested in learning to drive ATVs.
“Just use a lot of safety gear, and learn how,” he said. “Let your father or someone teach you how to drive before you hop on it.”
He said riders should also obey posted speed limits.
“You can’t go faster than that, or you flip over, and that’s not fun,” he said.
Staying safe will help Chris enjoy riding ATVs for years to come. As he says with a smile, he wants to “just keep riding.”