Member
Spotlight:
Paul & Mary Thompson
From the June 2003 Issue of Trail Tales
by Joan Wolf
Sometimes
even the most innocent-seeming trail run can turn into an adventure, as the
Thompsons found out in September 2001. They were winding up a long Labor Day
weekend trip in the Silverton area. Having said goodbye to friends from the
NM4Wheelers and Las Cruces Four Wheelers who’d just headed home, the Thompsons
had one more day on their own. They took off in their YJ for a 2½-mile,
easy-rated morning drive on a trail off of Picayne Gulch in the San Juan
Mountains.
They didn’t think too much of going off alone for a morning drive in their well-equipped Jeep. Paul is a veteran driver and Mary is a veteran rider/good sport. The scenery at the 11,000’ + level was magnificent. As they ascended the hill, Paul slowed down for a side slope that didn’t seem all that bad. But the loose gravel caused them to slide sideways into the bottom of the ditch. Then the Jeep just flopped over.
Unhurt, they crawled out the driver’s side. After determining they couldn’t right the Jeep by themselves, they walked down the road two miles to Animas Forks and then caught a ride into Silverton. There they found a tow truck--and State Farm even covered the towing charge! The damage to the Jeep was superficial; the lessons learned were long lasting. Paul says, “Take someone along and watch out for situations that can catch you by surprise.” What did Mary take with her from the incident? “We’re never going on that trail again!”
Thus went one of the Thompsons more memorable outings. But it didn’t dim their enthusiasm for four-wheeling and staying involved with NM4W. The Club becomes such a part of people’s lives that it’s hard to remember the beginning. Paul thinks they joined ten years ago. He heard about the club from neighbor and former member, Gary Brown, and from off-road shop manager, Derren Owen.
Paul currently holds the office of Program Chairman. He keeps the members supplied with club t-shirts, decals, etc. The club gets half the take from the $1 raffle tickets he sells at the meetings. His efforts will net the club treasury approximately $500 this year.
Paul’s
white 1990 YJ has become quite the sturdy rig over the years. Modifications
include a springover, ARBs, 4.1 transfer case, and 35” tires. Paul admits he
wasn’t into auto mechanics until getting the Jeep but has done about 2/3 of the
modifications himself. Of course, a trail Jeep is never done, so future
modifications might include a stronger front axle, V6 engine, and
automatic transmission (does Mary know about these possibilities or is she
shrieking “Thompson!” at this very moment?).
Mt. Blanca is Paul’s favorite trail. “It’s scenic, a fun outing with the club, and challenging,” he notes. Another favorite is Hole-In-the-Rock, which he’s run twice. And yet to come? The Rubicon, Paul hopes.
Maybe it’ll be easier to schedule Rubicon after retirement …which Paul insists will be soon. Paul has been an Electrical Engineer at Sandia National Labs for 36 years. He’s worked mainly in three organizations: satellite hardware, radar signal analysis, and systems analysis/radar imaging.
Theoretically, Mary retired from her job as pre-school teacher at St. Luke’s but she still substitutes up to four days a week. Early in her career Mary did secretarial and accounting work. After her children grew up, Mary returned to the workforce as a pre-school teacher. She beams, “I found my calling. I love the four-year olds and seeing the joy they find in every single day!”
Although Albuquerque has been home for 36 years, the Thompsons hail from far away. Mary was born in Pendleton, OR and grew up in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Paul was raised on a farm near Beresford, South Dakota. They met in Phoenix when Paul was attending Arizona State University and Mary was working. Her cousin was Paul’s fraternity brother and fixed them up on a blind date. Two years later they married.
After graduating from ASU, Paul was hired by Sandia National Labs. He’s modest about the fact that SNL covered his expenses for advanced degrees—his Masters is from UNM and his PhD in Electrical Engineering is from Stanford University.
The Thompsons are close to their adult children. Son, Scott, is a Lutheran pastor in Chandler AZ. Scott “inherited” Paul’s Pathfinder, so he, wife Jana, and 6-year-old Jacob sometimes join Paul and Mary for camping trips. Their daughter, Karen, is the head athletic trainer for both boys and girls sports at a Baytown TX high school. Karen was recently spotlighted in a local newspaper article about the emergence of women athletic trainers. And what do their children think of their four-wheeling? “That we’re a little nuts,” admits Mary, “but they love it that we do our own thing!”
Other pastimes for Mary are knitting, crafts, walking, going to the gym, and house remodeling. Paul is serving as President of his Kiwanis Club this year. The club participates in a multitude of civic projects including Special Olympics, school science fairs, and selling daffodils for Presbyterian Hospice Healthcare.
So why does such an obviously busy couple as the Thompsons stay active in NM4W? Mary said, “It took awhile for me to get interested because there weren’t many women when we first joined. I think there’s a lot more social stuff than there used to be, and we need to keep that going. It’s a diverse, family-oriented group, and that’s a big part of the appeal.” Plus, as Picayne Gulch proved, you never know what adventure lies ahead.
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