The Other Side of Technology, and Then Some!
Off-Road.com Covers the 2001 Moab Easter Jeep Safari
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Reach for the sky...
Even this TJ's Skyjacker suspension wasn't enough to keep the tires
planted on the Dump Bump. Short wheelbase and a heavy throttle made
for an afternoon of tailstanding action. |
OK, enough snickering Ann......sheesh! ;-) Y2k was my first year in coming to the rockcrawler Mecca known as Moab, and while I'm no expert in only my 2nd year here, I'm smart enough to ask a question or three. I'd noticed the influx of desert-derived technology in 2000 - a year which saw the sport of rockcrawling take one quantum leap after another in both technology, and the caliber of vehicles it produced. But 2000 was very much a "shake-out" year. Some of this ubertech set the sport on a forward track, other aspects just flatly didn't work.
Now a full year later, and thanks in large part to sponsored and competitive 'crawling events, these good ole' boys have a pretty fair idea of what it takes to take on the worst that the Earth Goddess herself has to offer - and it has literally changed the face of the sport.
For years prevailing wisdom said that short wheelbase rigs like the flat fender Willys Jeeps, CJ 5/7s and just about anything by Suzuki were the hot ticket for fun in the rocks. Their high maneuverability, light weight, and moderately low center of gravity all contributed to their success as a vehicular platform.
My, how times change. First they went wider, now they're going…..
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Feels like the first time
All Pro's Chris Geiger takes his first run up "The Esclator", one
of Moab's primere obstacles. While he escaped without damage,
bossman John Bondurant added some fresh dents to his shiny new
paint job - and crushed a bumper - and shattered a tail light -
and.... |
The Wheels on the Truck Go Round and Round…
Another battle continuing to rage is the one concerning the "ideal" (as if there ever is such a thing) tire diameter / tread pattern. While Jeeps like Avalanche Engineering's "Bruiser", (a 3 linked travelmonster equipped with full-width Dana 60s) were shod with 42 in. Super Swampers, and saner vehicles sported 33's, the prevalent diameter hovers around 35-36 in.
Tread patterns are a different story. Once the rage, directional tread patterns like the TSL Bogger and M/T Baja Claw were far outnumbered by non-directional tires sporting "side biting tread designs". TSL "SSR" and the heir-apparent Goodyear's M/TRs were noted with great frequency.
Travel and Adventure
While massive articulation can make even the most mundane driver look like a rock star (pun intended), it does have it's drawbacks. While it's most likely that cost is the major factor in keeping coilover 3-4 link setups out of everyone's garage, some of the biggest names in the sport have concluded that yes Virginia, you really can have too much of a good thing.
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WWISD - What Would Ivan Stewart
Do?
Not exactly - pretty "cold" tub for those who dared. Among them was
this 4wd Toyota prerunner who went head to head with the trickest
trucks in Moab. High gearing proved a hinderance, but big travel
has some advantages.... |
Driven to Succeed - Human Tech
Along with advances in state of the crawling art hardware, there have been great strides made in the area of driver ability. With the influx of new wheelers to the sport able to buy and build vehicles beyond their ability to drive safely over the past couple years, the sport has dodged a very large bullet.
Fortunately, thanks to the various safety courses, clubs, and fellow wheelers willing to take the time to teach proper driving skills and techniques, we're starting to see a more responsible breed of off-roader on the trails. Doubtless there are still a few idiots out there with a beer in one hand and a low-range box in the other, but increased enforcement of the legal and peer variety has gone a long way toward keeping the brain dead in check.
Eco-Tech, or Lack Thereof
The 2001 Moab Easter Jeep Safari will be among the most notable in that it even took place at all. In light of the Greens recent political losses in Washington, groups like the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and SUWA launched an all-out assult on the EJS trying to get the event permits pulled with falsified claims of environmental damage, habitat destruction, and the usual litany of sheer horsepucky.
It is to the credit of the citizens of Moab and the entire off-road community that the Greens were stopped dead in their tracks through our participation in the process, and the voicing of our opinions.
Whereas last year, mention of "environmental issues affecting off-roaders" got as many blank stares as it did looks of anger, this year's event saw a far more informed 'wheeler. Nearly everyone we spoke to was well aware of the "Moab situation" along with a good-many issues now in play across the southwest.
Once again the off-road community has proven it's ability to beat the enviro-nazis at their own game now that we have a level political field to play from. As more and more of us wake from our slumber and realize that we can, and we do make a difference, the tide continues to turn. Perhaps it took the threat of losing one of off-roadings greatest treasures to move us to action. Perhaps it was just the endangered straw that broke the endangered camel's back. In retrospect it matters little. What does matter is that after all these years, the Enviros have awoken the anger within the off-road communiry - and to their great dismay we'll never again be caught a'nappin.
Be sure to check back tomorrow as we bring you coverage from Pritchard Canyon and beyond as Off-Road.com continues it's look at the 2001 Easter Jeep Safari. And here's a hint - it isn't just for Jeepers anymore. That's something I think we can all understand.
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