SWEETWATER COUNTY – A group of off-road enthusiasts in Rock Springs make it their hobby to help people get unstuck—whether it’s in town or high in the hills.

Tyler Mullen, Chris Kendall, and Kyle Ogden (pictured below with their rigs) are administrators for a Facebook group called Stuck! RS-GR.
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Mullen started the group two years ago, originally to help off-road enthusiasts get help with recovery when they needed it.

“We got tired of not knowing anyone to call when we got stuck. Everybody has thought about a page like this. I just happened to finally make one,” said Mullen (pictured below).
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He and his group have put years of work modifying their trucks to handle rough terrain. They sport swapped axles, big tires, lifts, and redundant rescue equipment like air compressors and battery chargers.

When the first of the big snowstorms hit this winter, the guys decided to open it up to anyone who gets stuck and needs help. The group has gone from 800 users to more than 1,700 in the last month.
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“I included everything from jump starts to getting pulled out of your driveway,” said Mullen. “I wanted to bring the community together, that was my whole goal. Pay it forward.”

The three have collectively gone on hundreds of runs over the last few years, and it’s increased tremendously with the recent storms. Mullen said he’s gone on around 40 runs over the last month.

Kendall said he did four rescues in three days last weekend. “A couple were bad ones. All-nighters. Got home at 2 or 3 a.m.,” said Kendall.
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Mullen has helped so many that the off-roading group decided to pitch in so he can do it even better.

“He always helps people, like all the time,” said Kendall. “Three or four days before Christmas, we surprised him with a brand new winch so he can assist people better.”

Mullen, Kendall, and Ogden aren’t the only ones in the group rescuing. There are about 20 people who will do it regularly, which is helpful since the group has more than doubled in the last month. They said they haven’t seen snow like this in a long time.
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The group’s recent popularity has come with some challenges, such as keeping the mood civil when people get stuck. One strict rule is no trash talking, which includes telling someone they got stuck because they drive a Ford. That also includes telling someone he or she is lazy.

Mullen said many people came here with the oilfield boom and don’t have anyone to call and don’t know how to deal with the snow.

“This one lady from California was stuck on a little patch of ice on the street in front of her house and she was taking a taxi to work for two weeks. She finally posted on the page and said ‘I can’t afford to do this anymore. Can somebody help me?’ We shoveled out the snow around her parking spot and got the ice chipped off the ground. I got in the car with her and we did some laps around town to build her confidence up. She just needed a little practice is all,” said Mullen.

The group is simply there to help each other. Kendall recalled helping to gently fish a 2017 Ford truck out of a ditch recently, which they were able to do without hurting the brand new truck.

“I had been stuck out there the week before doing the same thing he was. Nobody is perfect,” said Kendall.

Finally, it’s a rule that you can’t ask for money when you assist someone. “If they offer, it’s up to you,” said Ogden, but the point of the group isn’t to make money.
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The three off-roaders said the scariest part of rescuing is the bitterly cold temperature.

“If it is -20 degrees, your skin can literally freeze. If you have enough people that you can switch out and go sit in your truck, that’s best,” said Kendall, pictured above with all his emergency equipment laid out. He keeps a propane heater, coveralls, air compressors, and tools. He can repair an axle in the field, if needed.
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The craziest rescue they can recall was when they hooked 10 off-road jeeps together to pull out a one-ton truck that had sunk to its headlights in river silt.  Ogden said they were calling everyone that had off-road vehicles and cables. They didn’t get home until 1 a.m. that night.

These trucks are outfitted such that sometimes they can get to people when a tow truck cannot. A couple winters ago, the group came upon a tow truck trying to get to a 2-wheel drive Toyota truck that had gotten stuck on White Mountain.

“We saw there was no way the tow truck was getting out there. They are big and lumbering and don’t go through ditches very well. We had him send the tow truck home and got him out,” said Mullen.
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They enjoy helping people and they enjoy trekking out of town when it’s needed.

“We like doing that stuff for fun, so it’s not a big deal,” said Ogden. “It’s a reason to go out and play.” Paying it forward, but also having fun.