|
UPCOMING EVENTS |
U4WDA
WINTER
CONVENTION & OFF-RODEO
JANUARY
25, 2003
COME JOIN US FOR A FULL DAY OF FUN ACTIVITIES.
STARTING WITH:
BREAKFAST @ 8:30 AM AT MELLOR'S HIDDEN MEADOW BANQUET HALL (877 N. 100 E. IN LEHI)
WE
WILL HOLD OUR OFFICER ELECTIONS AND GET PREPARED TO HEAD OUT TO 5-MILE PASS OHV
AREA.
COST
IS $10.00 FOR BREAKFAST (KIDS ˝ PRICE),
COST
FOR THE OFF-RODEO IS $5.00 per vehicle.
MUST RSVP BY 1-20-2003 TO DAYNENE SNYDER : PHONE 801-963-1913 OR ROCKHOPPER91@MSN.COM
February 23rd
Little Sahara, fun in the sand. Come have fun or just watch the breakage.
Meet at 8:oo a.m. at the Flying J at 12300 south and I-15
March 16th
Little Moab, more details to come.
April 13th-20th
Easter Jeep Safari. Ideas for a club ride on Thursday???, Golden Spike, Rusty Nail, Metal Masher. To be decided at one of the next meetings. Be sure to be there and help decide which one.
Wilderness Vs Easter Jeep Safari
What is the Easter Jeep Safari really all about? Is it challenge trails? Is it scenery? A combination of the two? Do we need to create any more trails or challenge routes along existing trails? Originally, as now, the Easter Jeep Safari was to show off the magnificent beauty that abounds in the area surrounding Moab to the few that were able to drive their rigs on the challenging trails left over from the Uranium prospecting days. 35 years ago, all the challenge needed was just to get through the trails. Now it seems, even though some of the trails are more difficult, some folks have developed their skills and rigs to the point that they need more of a challenge than the designated trails can provide.
The practice of finding new challenge routes along existing designated Easter Jeep Safari trails is jeopardizing the very existence of the event. By creating these routes, those that want to see these types of events shut down get the necessary ammunition they need to show that impairment is being caused to the surrounding terrain. It also detracts from the reason the Easter Jeep Safari was started.
There is another reason that these trails need to be kept in original form. If we don't, we loose the classic nature of the trail. In other words, back when the trail was created either by mining exploration or as in the case of Golden Spike, which was to connect two existing trails with the cooperation of the BLM, we lose a part of history by deviating from the original route.
If the trend of creating new routes continues, only a few will know the original routes and the entire area surrounding Moab will be a maze of interconnecting trails that do nothing but scar the land and detract from the beauty of the area. Is it not the Red Rock 4-Wheelers who should decide if a new trail, route or obstacle is warranted? After all, this is their territory and with the help and cooperation of the BLM, they should be the ones creating anything new.
What harm does it do to drive over non vegetated slick rock? I will give you an example of a recently contested route. When I first drove through Hell's Gate, it was two pristine slick rock chutes connected by a short sand covered ravine. There were no marks on the walls or tire marks. Now, there are numerous scrapes and deep gouges in the sides of the slick rock walls from vehicles tipping over and in some cases being winched out. These gouges will take thousands of years to erode out of the sandstone. ( I may be sounding like an environmentalist here but should we all not be considered environmentalists since we are the ones using the land and trying to protect it? I would also like add that I would love to have this “route” be “designated” so we can legally use it, it's a blast!) The tire marks only encourage others to follow. This route did not exist 5 years ago and was not part of the original Hell's Revenge trail. Whoever started this optional obstacle did not bother to check the regulations since the area is designated travel to existing routes only and therefore Hell's Gate is an illegal route. Since then, everyone that followed, including myself, thought it was OK to drive there. This is not to imply there are no optional obstacles along Hell's Revenge or any of the other Easter Jeep Safari Trails. There are many traditional designated options. The Red Rock 4-Wheelers have spent considerable time and effort working with the Bureau of Land Management to designate the proper routes of the Easter Jeep Safari Trails. It is our responsibility to stay on these designated routes whenever we drive them. This is especially true when we drive these trails at times other than the Easter Jeep Safari. The Club is making every effort to mark the designated trails so that anyone can stay on the proper path.
With the abundance of old mining roads throughout the Moab area and the concerns of environmentalists, there is no reason we need to go off trails to find more challenging obstacles or entirely new trails. There are plenty of areas in the Utah and other states that have public land that we can propose new and challenging trails in. If you really want to prove you are a BIG DOG join ARCA (American Rock Crawlers Association) and compete.
