By the time you read this, you may be on the way to Moab for the Red Rock 4 Wheelers 39th Annual Easter Jeep Safari, or you might just be picking this issue up in the City Market in downtown Moab. Either way, Moab will be a bit different this year. Yes, the trails will be just as good, the hospitalityof the town will be just as spectacular, and the Jeep Safari Exposition on Thursday and Friday promises to be the best ever. But what you will notice is the increased law enforcement presence, due to the great influx of off-road vehicles that really shouldn't be on the road or trail. And that's a good thing.
I highly doubt that any of the fine police officers in town are going to hassle you about your tires sticking out a little bit from under the fenders, but they will be cracking down on unlicensed, unregistered, or unsafe vehicles and drivers. Simply put, the locals love us coming to Moab, but not the arrogant jerks who think that anything goes in town or on the trail, including gross vehicle violations or, particularly, drug, alcohol, and environmental abuse. And we wholeheartedly agree.
Of course we can't say we've never bent the rules in any of those situations, but blatant violation of laws, common sense, and courtesy will be dealt with in a much harsher fashion, and it's good for the area, as well as our sport.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for having a good time in Moab, but last year there were many situations in town and on the trail that precipitated the new crackdown. It's like anything else: A few bad apples can ruin it for the rest of us. And this relates to the rest of the nation and the ever-increasing loss of public and private lands that limit our enjoyment of wheeling. Even the rock-racing craze that has swept our sport has both hurt and helped us. The technological advances of that industry trickles down to the average wheeler much like NASCAR racing did in the early days. But overzealous promoters and those who are indifferent to environmental and safety concerns have raised the awareness of the rest of the wheeling sport to the point that government regulators and environmental activists gain the upper hand in closing down open wheeling areas. Holding the UROC Supercrawl event at a man-made venue ("Insane-O Crawling," Mar. '05) is a great step towards lessening the negative impact of this sport, and is to be applauded. But we still have much to do to keep our trails open.
So what can you do? First off, make sure your rig is somewhat street-legal while you're on any public road or off-road area that requires it. Also, don't drive like a yahoo with no consideration for others on the trails we all share. Pick up your own litter, and even that which some inconsiderate bastard may have left behind. Especially after a rollover, pick up your debris and any fluid that may have leaked out onto the ground. And don't even think about taking a crap anywhere near a camping spot or trail, unless you have the ability to properly dispose of your property. Spider Lake on the Rubicon trail has been shut down for just this type of carelessness, turning the area into a white-paper-strewn eyesore, not to mention ruining the water and land. Stay on the trail, instead of blazing a new path just because the current one is too hard or too easy. Is that too much to ask? How about leaving the heavy boozing until you're back at camp instead of through town and trail? And finally, join a 4x4 club that fights for our rights to use public land. You can start by checking out the United Four Wheel Drive Association (800.44.UFWDA, www.ufwda.org) for more information. By making a better image of ourselves in the public's eye as well as heading off the extremists on the legal front, we can make a difference. There are a lot more of us than there is of them, but we need to band together on a united front to keep the few nincompoops at bay. Just do it, or lose your land.