2004 Easter Jeep Safari

story & photography by Chris Collard

In any sport or activity, there is a singular event that exemplifies that sport.

The weather in Moab can change quickly. The thunderstorm brewing in the background turned our sunny day to a torrential downpour in less than half an hour.

Greg Cochran trailered his ’89 YJ all the way from Arkansas to take on Moab’s slickrock. Stability comes from a 108-inch wheelbase and flexy Rancho leaf springs mounted over the axles at all corners. Receiving power from a Vortec 350/ 700R4 combination, an Atlas II spins a Detroit locked high pinion Dana 60 out back, and an ARB’d Dana 70 up front.

At only 14, Logan Cochran is one of the best junior-drivers we’ve met. Ian and his dad, Greg, started their latest project with a Bruiser Chassis and finished it off with meticulous attention to detail. A pair of Unimog axles elevate the bellypan from harm’s way, while a custom four link, coil-over setup keeps a set of 40-inch MTR’s on terra firma.

After a major New Year’s meltdown, Ned Bacon’s Killer Bee was back in action. What was left of the fiberglass body was scrapped for sheet metal panels jacketing a tubed inner framing.

Showing off for the crowd, and the girl, this guy spit his driveline out the side and had to get pushed off the Dump Bump by his buddies.

”We see more tube’d buggies on the trail these days. This guy found himself between the proverbial “rock and a hard spot” after slipping off the last waterfall on Upper Heldorado.

The Golden Crack, on Golden Spike Trail, is the connecting route from Poison Spider Mesa and the Gold Bar Rim Trail. During the Safari, a pretty good crowd gatherers to watch the show.

A reliable winch is a necessary piece of equipment on most trails in Moab.

Wheeling Moab’s slickrock is different wheeling than other parts of the country. Approach and departure angles are a key ingredient when traversing abrupt ledges or crevasses like this one.

In any sport or activity, there is a singular event that exemplifies that sport. It is usually a comprehensive gathering of enthusiasts and industry leaders participating in their favorite pastime: it is an enterprise by which all others can be measured. In auto racing, we have the Indianapolis 500, baseball gives us Spring Training, and if you’re an aviation buff, your Mecca is the Reno air races or Osh Kosh. These icons of their respective activities draw fans, players and industry to a common place to stay, play, and indulge. For off-roading, the event that has emerged as the mother of all four-wheel-drive events, is the Red Rock Four Wheelers Easter Jeep Safari. The Easter Jeep Safari is no secret today, but upon its conception in 1967, the terms Jeep and Safari only generated rumblings of Africa, the Kalahari, and possibly a raised eyebrow from the Land Rover crowd. This spring, we headed to Moab and the 2004 Easter Jeep Safari, to check out the latest gizmos, trick new suspension technology, and enjoy some of the country’s best four wheel drive trails.

Back in 1967, the Moab Chamber of Commerce created a small family get-together; a Jeep ride and picnic to take place the day before Easter. Back then, there was only a smattering of participants, just one trail and no registration fee. In fact, you just showed up on Saturday morning and off you went. Working with the local BLM office, a route was chosen and access improvements were made. That inaugural run took on the challenges of the Behind The Rocks Trail. The following year, the Moab Rim Trail was added and one of the highlights was a lunchtime flyby from the local airport and an airdrop of frosty ice cream.

Much has changed since those days. In the early eighties, the Chamber of Commerce turned the event over to the Red Rock Four Wheelers, which was formed from the then-current local organizers and trail guides. Today, the Easter Jeep Safari has become the annual spring gathering, a literal who’s-who in four wheeling. The one-day event has now grown to a full week with 30 individual trail rides, and now averages about 1700 registered participants. In 1995, BFGoodrich lead the way for about a dozen vendors who rolled in for the first trade show. Today, dozens of fabricators, manufacturers, event promoters and land-use agencies sport their wares in a large arena and spill out to the surrounding parking lot. The boy scouts sell tickets for their annual BBQ and a huge raffle sends lucky winners home with tires, winches and armfuls of cool stuff.

Additionally, the Easter Jeep Safari couldn’t come at a better time of the year (aside from the occasional torrential thunderstorm). It comes about the time we’ve been cooped up in the office for too long and are ready to pull our winter projects out for an inaugural run. It also provides a touch of sanity and a glimpse of sun for those still digging out from a late spring snow. If you didn’t make it this year, start making plans for next year’s Easter Jeep Safari. In the meantime, check out these pages for some great wheeling from one of off-roading’s premier events. For more information about the Easter Jeep Safari, surf the web to: www.rr4w.com.

The second obstacle on Upper Heldorado Canyon is not for the faint at heart. You can quickly find yourself in a pickle as it removes paint, sheetmetal and anything protruding from your vehicle. When the dust settled, this guy was due for a trip to the body shop.

One surefire way to reduce body damage is to leave it at home. Unfortunately, removing the doors and fenders didn’t keep this guy from grenading his front differential.

Now this is a beautiful thing, Swampers, Goodyears and BFG’s staged for a day on the Rusty Nail Trail.

Even wheels equipped with an outer bead lock can be susceptible to loosing and inner bead. A reliable source of air, such as a Quick Air Power Tank is an invaluable part of your tool kit.

Near the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers, the terrain west of Moab makes a fantastic backdrop for a day of wheeling.

Meandering through slickrock fins beneath the La Sal Mountains, the Hell’s Revenge Trail is defined by a thin ribbon of tire marks.

We caught up with Soni Honegger, one of the early innovators of high-tech suspensions, in his OD green diesel powered Scorpion.