Puddles of mud aren’t normally something you look forward to encountering when driving, walking, hiking or biking around outdoors.

But that all changes when you’re on an ATV! The bigger the puddle, the messier the adventure and more thrilling the ride. Perhaps it was with a bit of luck that on my last ATV adventure a torrential downpour occurred just after getting suited up. I was prepared though, with a mighty fine looking trenchcoat keeping me dry on my ride.

The guys at Bear Claw Tours were pretty awesome, outfitting us with all the right gear to stay warm and relatively dry. It was also pretty sweet that they had a fleet of brand new Honda ATVs. No falling apart clunkers here, these were slick riding machines that were a real pleasure to drive.

The rain that accompanied us for most of the 1/2 day adventure was surprisingly accommodating too, as when we had a little snack break overlooking a nearby lake, it stopped to let us enjoy the view.

Riding along the trails, bouncing over rocks and scrambling around trees was great fun. But the best parts were 1) the puddles and 2) letting loose and going all out on the flat trail, just to see how fast we could go!

Not knowing what lurked beneath the murky water, some puddles were smooth and easy riding, while others had us lifting our legs up, so not to get flooded, while bouncing over some unforeseen submerged rocks. It was fun riding and I managed to avoid getting stuck in any mud holes! I was happy I had some big, bad rubber boots though.

The slippery, muddy and wet rock conditions did challenge me a few times. I underestimated just how much an ATV will “slide” on the mud when you’re doing sharp turns. They do turn sharp, but I still ended up having to do a couple of 3-point turns to get myself around the steep, sharp corners on the muddy trail.

An added bonus of the rainy day ATV ride? Less mosquitos! The few times when we’d stop and it wasn’t raining, the little buggers would descend on us in the forest. But when it was drizzling (or pouring), it kept them away, allowing us to enjoy the ride, scenery and adventure that much more.

Now, I may be odd in that I don’t mind walking in the rain and getting soaking wet. I’m not one to duck for cover at the first sign of bad weather. But when it comes to being outdoors in the rain, most sports and activities just aren’t as much fun. I can’t really think of anything else that embraces the “let it rain” attitude better than ATVing. Sometimes it is just too fun to get dirty and splash around, so next time you’re wondering what to do on a rainy day – think about how you can get dirty, instead of staying dry – I guarantee you’ll have a blast if you head out on an ATV.

Editorial note: A big thanks go out to Bear Claw Tours in Sequin, Ontario and Explorer’s Edge who had me racing through the woods on a special “Quintessentially Canadian” tour.