Desert Rat's Off Road Rides

Turkey In The Dirt

Turkey In The Dirt is a long-standing tradition of the Desert Rat group. It is by far the biggest Desert Rat event of the year. Many years ago some of the Desert Rats and their predecessors decided the typical 4-day weekend was too good an opportunity to waste on stuffing themselves at the in-laws'. Rather than put on extra pounds at the turkey table, they chose to lose a few through vigorous off-road exercise and make the turkey feast unique a desert event.

Turkey In The Dirt is more than just a cute name for a Thanksgiving outing. The turkeys are actually cooked in the dirt, like the pig at a Hawaiian lua. The feast is held on Friday evening to allow those who have more traditional commitments for Thanksgiving Day to participate in both. The main course is, of course, Turkey. Early Friday morning a pit is dug and filled with wood and charcoal. Once the coals are ready, the birds, wrapped in aluminum foil and burlap, are stuffed into the coals and the whole pit covered over with dirt. Somewhere around 4:00 pm the birds are dug up and carved and served along with a bodacious potluck dinner. If you plan to come, please contact Gary.Tuttle to sign up for the potluck and let us know how many of you there will be so we make sure we have enough turkeys!

Over the years the event has grown from a few of the Desert Rat regulars more than 150 people. In 2004 there were 142 RSVPs and about 175 people showed up. We cooked 11 turkeys that year.

Since this takes place in late November, be prepared for inclement weather. Most years the weather has been pleasant, but there have been times when heavy rain, snow, and high winds have also been our guests. So be prepared. Bring warm clothing and rain gear. Better safe than sorry.