Moab Jeep Jamboree
- Thread starter 6Pins
- Start date
Lumberjack
Adventurer
I have done the Moab Jam and can't recommend it. It is very expensive for what it is. To many people on just a few trails, trails paved to make them easier, did I mention too many people...
Jeeps Unlimited used to have a group get together every year, great fun with trails for everyone. We would meet in the morning, decide which trails we would like to run and head out, anywhere from 5-10 groups with 5-10 vehicles per group. The group was diverse enough to run trails rate 2 to 4+++. At night everyone would get together and talk about the days events. Unfortunately the group is now to big and falls under a planned group meeting and requires approval, insurance, ect.... $$$
Maybe we should try to get an unofficial run going here? Officially it would be just a group of friends getting together to run some trails, unorganized other than meeting up at City Market to decide what trails to run. Keeping the groups small is the key, trails are much more fun with smaller groups.
I would recommend you pick up a Charles Wells book, plan the trip and go. Post here when you are headed out and see if anyone else is up for adventure.
Good Luck!
Dennis
Jeeps Unlimited used to have a group get together every year, great fun with trails for everyone. We would meet in the morning, decide which trails we would like to run and head out, anywhere from 5-10 groups with 5-10 vehicles per group. The group was diverse enough to run trails rate 2 to 4+++. At night everyone would get together and talk about the days events. Unfortunately the group is now to big and falls under a planned group meeting and requires approval, insurance, ect.... $$$
Maybe we should try to get an unofficial run going here? Officially it would be just a group of friends getting together to run some trails, unorganized other than meeting up at City Market to decide what trails to run. Keeping the groups small is the key, trails are much more fun with smaller groups.
I would recommend you pick up a Charles Wells book, plan the trip and go. Post here when you are headed out and see if anyone else is up for adventure.
Good Luck!
Dennis
Black Dog
Makin' Beer.
Sounds like the burning man festival. Someone decided they wanted to make it super formal and publicize it and make a buck off of it.
Lumberjack
Adventurer
Pretty much sums it up,
Actually a few of them aren't bad, when they had the one in Illinois it was all on private land, pretty much one of the few places there to wheel. The club had a waiting list a mile long and has since turned it into their own event...
The Rubicon isn't to bad either, lots of guidance, helicopter flies food, supplies, grand piano in all day... although they do pave the trail
and can be good for anyone who has never ever been off the pavement before...
BUT
Moab though always has groups leaving from city market, the Wells book is a very good guide, and you will almost always run into people out on the trails. Best fun is with 2-4 vehicles, you can cover a lot of ground, still have plenty of time to take in the scenery, have lunch in gorgeous spot
With big groups its seems like your always stopped and if someone has trouble over an obstacle it seems the rest of the group will have trouble to. The mindset sets in if he can't make it nor will I... gets old after a while.
6 Pins, when do think you want to head out there? Maybe we could get an expo group together for an adventure? I haven't been there since I broke my leg in 08'...
8 Pins signing off,
Dennis
ox4mag
Explorer
What do y'all mean by "paving" the trail? I've attended numerous Jamboree events all over the country and have never seen or heard of such a thing. If you mean "mark" the trail then possibly so. But "paving" doesn't sound right to me.
I'll be at the Rubicon event this year so if any of you are attending, shoot me a PM or post it up here.
Enjoy the Moab trip.
I'll be at the Rubicon event this year so if any of you are attending, shoot me a PM or post it up here.
Enjoy the Moab trip.
Lumberjack
Adventurer
When I was there, lots of rock stacking going on, the Rubicon is a whole nother animal from other Jamboree events. They send stock "Trail Rated" Jeeps through with drivers who have never seen so much as a gravel road. Chrysler execs, Car & Driver reporters, and so on, hence paving the trail... wish I had pictures of the carnage:elkgrin:
Not that the trail still isn't a challenge. I did Hole-In-The-Rock trail one week after picking up my TJ, 1,816 on the odometer, Jamboree rated 9 Trail. NO DAMAGE! Went home, put a lift and bigger tires on, run out of time and $$$ for sliders, thought it would be like Utah... haha Long story short - sliders are a must for the Rubicon or a tremendous amount of patience and a great spotter. Both rockers were nicely clearanced after the trip... had fun though!
After that I did a Colorado Adventure with Bill Burke, http://www.bb4wa.com. Never did a Jamboree again. Being out with a small group was a blast and even though this was a trip and not training, Bill gave me the confidence to tackle almost any trail and the smarts on when not to challenge my luck:sombrero:.
Maybe it just comes down to the fact I don't like large groups. I like to wheel medium and fast yet take time to stop and smell the flowers
. As I get older I realize trip time is to precious to waste a minute of it waiting in line. When I lived in Illinois it was a 2 day drive to Moab and 2 days home, 4 days of vacation spent just pounding pavement, that makes a Jeep Jamboree a pretty expensive 3 day weekend.Jamborees are fun, but I have more fun on my own for less $$$, except for this little incident,
, still paying for that one though, funny, sitting there waiting for help I couldn't stop thinking how beautiful the Colorado was...
Have fun at the Rubicon, drop me a line when your in town, I now live a half hour away.
Dennis
SAR Jeepster
Observer
Having worked for JJ and actuality being the clear jeep on the Rubicon for a season. I don’t want to say that there is any thing wrong with Jeep vehicles I feel they are the most capable off-road production vehicles made. The clear jeep would leave before the participants and insure the trail was clear of obstacles. We would move large rocks with the jeep and fill in holes to get the stock Jeeps though with the least amount of damage. In the past the Jeeps would make as many as 20 trips through the Rubicon. I don’t agree with the practice of paving the trail but it was part of the job and I was paid to spend my summer driving a new Jeep through the Rubicon. It seem that every job has a few bad things that need to be done I guess it can’t be all fun. This and other questionable practices have led me to part ways with JJ.
XXXpedition
Explorer
i'd go to moab for sure. spring and fall are ideal - for my tase when the snow is gone, or not yet there...
but i'd do it off season and have the trails literally to myself. (though it is a few years ago and i did it in summer and was all alone - great!)
but i'd do it off season and have the trails literally to myself. (though it is a few years ago and i did it in summer and was all alone - great!)
Black Dog
Makin' Beer.
It would be really cool to find an all off highway dirt roads route to Moab. Only get on pavement enough to restock on food and fuel and stuff. I think the hardest part for me would be finding a way around some of those huge ranches in Colorado and Wyoming, those places that are thousands upon thousands of acres in size with no roads. I guess if a guy could figure out who the land owners are though he could get special permission to drive across..... :smiley_drive:
LilKJ
Adventurer
Go for it... you'll have a great time. Not sure why so many people feel the need to hate on the big gatherings. Yes, it's crowded.... yes, it takes some patience. You do get to meet a lot of fun people though and can see lots of cool rigs. It would be hard to not have a good time....
I'll be hitting Moab in mid-June this year with my kids (16/14). We'll be there for the week of 13-19th. There will be another Jeeper with younger kids (7/4). We'll be hitting a lot of trails that have overlooks, some obstacles, etc.
I may head back out there in September as well alone. For the last 2 yrs, several club members go in September. We usually hit the the more harder obstacle trails then.
I may head back out there in September as well alone. For the last 2 yrs, several club members go in September. We usually hit the the more harder obstacle trails then.