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Road Trippin’ Easter Jeep Safari
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Pat Harrison
Photos by Max Langridge
Doing a road trip to a wheeling specific destination is a right of passage for an off-road enthusiast. When the destination is the mecca of off-roading, and it is timed to take in one of the biggest Jeep gatherings in North America, then you have an irresistible combination. You don't get much more ' enthusiast ' than Max Langridge who works at North Shore Offroad in North Vancouver and is a member of a few local four wheel forums including BC Jeep Club. He drives a heavily modded two-door JK that he isn't afraid to ride hard and put away wet. You also don't get much more ' mecca ' than Moab Utah and you certainly don't get much bigger than the annual Easter Jeep Safari, now in it's 47th year running. Local authorities virtually shut down the main drag in Moab to accommodate the 900 plus vehicles that attend the week long event which has become the place to see all the new products, builds and even Jeep concept models, which are gathered together at the Spanish Trail Arena. The big name players in the aftermarket Jeep modding industry like to roll out their brand new builds and put them to the test on the slickrock trails while parts manufacturers show up in full force to pimp the latest in everything from shocks to lighting, showcasing the newest upgrades in the ever growing market.
Max is no stranger to the mother of all Jeep gatherings having travelled there last year. This year he set out on March 21st with his buddy Austin Barnes, who was also piloting his own new two-door JK. The pair of rigs made the drive in two days, overnighting in Boise Idaho to break up the 26 hour asphalt assault. With Austin's brother Nick Barnes joining them stateside, the trio checked into the Apache Inn and took in the spectacle of the event by visiting the display booths, shaking hands with industry luminaries and signing up for some of the organized runs that are the trademark of Moab gatherings. The area has literally dozens of rated trails to run, which range from stock accessible right up to hardcore purpose-built buggy specific.
The organizers post the ratings of the trails and a sign up board, encouraging participants to take in as many group runs as they can, at rating levels they are comfortable with and capable of. Cliffhanger and Hells Revenge were two of the trails the boys signed up for and ran with large groups, which makes for some good crowds at the more interesting spots like ' The Hot-tub ' where you can watch vehicles drop down into a bowl that has a butt clenching climb to exit. You can count on some long line ups and a slow day of wheeling with that many Jeeps invading the area, so Max and the Barnes brothers made sure to get out on a few less populated runs of their own as well as take in the spectacular views and challenging terrain that have made Moab the irresistible wheeling destination that it is.
So if a road trip is on your bucket list then stick a pin on the map for Moab. If a large Jeep gathering is something you'd like to experience, then the Easter Jeep Safari is something you'll want to mark on the calendar. If wheeling with Max and the boys is something you think you'd like to do, you can find him at the North Shore store. Just don't expect an easy day out, and don't say I didn't warn you that these guys don't mind taking a long trip, a rough trail and a hard line.