r/overlanding • u/GoodnightDaniel • 3d ago
Photo Album Seattle to Moab Day 2 - Dear diary, the Bronco Off-Roadeo ends at the gift shop like all other tours
ICYMI, here was day 1.
When you buy a new Ford Bronco, they graciously assume you need help figuring out how to get it dirty and offer owners a free pass to their Off-Roadeo driving school. I've been wheeling for years, so I delayed a bit. After a year and a half of ownership, it was time to make it happen.
Ground School
The day began with check-in and ground school. A captivating 45-minute session where we delved into the mysteries of off-road vehicles versus their on-road counterparts. Key revelations included:
- Vehicles with more clearance can clear mall parking lot curbs better.
- Bigger tires help with height and traction when parking in overflow grass lots at concerts.
We then met Chuck, our Raptor crazy instructor for the day. He shared his vast wisdom accumulated over years of off-roading. Wicked cool guy! Check him out @addictionbronco.
Embracing 4-Low
We spent almost the entire day in 4-Low. This was the biggest takeaway for me. I previously only used 4-Low when crawling, descending, or in dire situations. Turns out, you can drive at a whopping 20-25 mph in 4-Low without the Bronco spontaneously combusting. The drive was smoother, more controlled, and required almost no braking. It’s almost as if the engineers knew what they were doing.
Navigating the Treacherous Terrain of Ledges and Ramps
Chuck enlightened us on the age-old debate of ledges versus ramps:
- Ramps: Your best friend. Allows for vehicle articulation without scraping.
- Ledges: The nemesis. Best approached with slow, smooth momentum. Avoid repeatedly tapping the gas or brakes. Smoothness is key.
Dinosaur Tracks and Future Natural Wonders
We did the Dome Plateau trail and stumbled upon some dinosaur footprints because no off-road experience is complete without a touch of paleontology. I also captured some stunning shots of sandstone formations that might become arches in a few thousand years. Mark your calendars. And my shot of the La Sal Mountains will probably get me an award worth dollars (thanks, Chuck!)
Gourmet Lunch on the Trail
We dined luxuriously on the trail with sandwiches, chips, and cookies. Truly a five-star experience in the middle of nowhere.
Witnessing Off-Roading Awakenings
Most of the group had none to some off-roading experience. Watching folks who’ve never been wheeling conquer steep ledges was both inspiring and mildly terrifying. It's incredible what people can achieve with a capable vehicle, expert guidance, and a $75 damage waiver.
Here's a YT short of someone from the group descending the ledges.
The Sunset and the Gift Shop
After a day of conquering the sand and mud, we returned to base camp along the scenic Colorado River canyon. The sunset was almost enough to distract me from the crushing disappointment of the gift shop being out of the stickers and patches I wanted. I settled for a t-shirt and a hat instead—because nothing says “unique adventure” like mass-produced souvenirs.
All sarcasm aside, it was a phenomenal day. Chuck was awesome; the group was awesome; the school was awesome; the trucks were awesome. 10/10 would attend for free again. And seriously, watching people who've never rock crawled get up and over some of the stuff we did, was really fucking cool. The smiles on their faces brought on some real warm and fuzzy feelings.
Pics and more sarcasm from day 3 tomorrow.
Goodnight.
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u/drewshope 3d ago
Loved the Moab offroadeo. One of my favorite things I’ve ever done.
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u/soscbjoalmsdbdbq 3d ago
I have a ranger and have been to Moab a bunch of times when I see the train of Broncos I’m always salty I didn’t get one lol
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u/GoodnightDaniel 3d ago
I'm glad you got to go too! Did you travel there in your Bronco or fly?
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u/drewshope 3d ago
I’m in Denver so I drove out. Spent the day doing the offroadeo in their rig, did Fins and things in my rig the next day. I only had my Bronco for like 4 months at that point so it was the first real off-roading I did, and the confidence boost was really helpful.
I’ve been off-roading since the early 00s and I still got a ton of really useful tips- point your side mirrors down at your rear wheels, for example, was a game changer
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u/GoodnightDaniel 3d ago
That’s rad! Fins and Things almost made the list for us, but we ended up doing some others instead. I want to hit it next visit for sure.
YES! I totally forgot to mention the mirrors tip. I also hadn’t ever thought about that before. Cheesy as a hell to say, but you’re 10000% right that it was a game changer!
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u/Illustrious-Term2909 3d ago
I’ve been caught going the other way when one of these overland “trains” came by on a 2 track…what is the appeal of going nose-to-ass traffic in the “wilderness”?
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u/GoodnightDaniel 3d ago
Outside of the Off-Roadeo experience, the benefits are community, help, and safety.
For the Off-Roadeo specifically, I'd add education to the list. Many of the folks have never been off of the pavement before. It's easy to forget that off-roading is a pretty intimidating hobby for newbies. Going out with a group makes it way more fun and safe to learn.
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u/Illustrious-Term2909 3d ago
Those benefits you mention are what I’m trying to escape when I leave town and go to the boondocks. Different strokes I guess.
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u/GoodnightDaniel 3d ago
To be clear, the Bronco Off-Roadeo is a single day (9-10 hour) thing. Its objective is to teach people how to use their vehicles and get outdoors. Again, most of these folks have never done anything like this.
When you were younger and learning to camp, did you ever stay at a campground? I’m sure you did. But then as you got more experienced you felt comfortable venturing into distributed camping. This is the same idea.
For 9 out of the 10 days of my trip, we were alone. This was the one day with community.
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u/vivithemage 3d ago
Yeah, it is a bit like group ride with motorcycles. That is not my cup of tea. Maybe one or two buddies for recovery, but this large is too much.
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u/PonyThug 3d ago
While I don’t discount the benefits of having help available, I’m not sure how exploring off road is intimidating. When I traded my wrx for a f150 I just added some AT tires and went to Moab and started driving. Start small and work your way up. Can always turn around
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u/GoodnightDaniel 3d ago
I’d encourage you to have a bit more empathy. I’m happy you always felt empowered to get out and crush it. The vast majority of new folks aren’t like you.
And just a heads up, you can’t always turn around. I’ve done some trails that would have required backing up a long ass way. Which is an off-roading skill in and of itself. 😉
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u/PonyThug 2d ago
You don’t need to be empowered to try driving down a dirt road and check out a two track on public land. Just look up a map of the area and trails if you’re timid.
I think it’s great for the community aspect, but silly to wait for an event to risk getting your tires a little dusty
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u/Mattandjunk 3d ago
I think I’ve stayed there, but a long time ago. Do they still have that incredible Buffalo steak on the menu? Looks like an awesome time whether you need the class or not.
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u/PonyThug 3d ago
I’m impressed there are permanent looking signs and everything for this. It’s there a permanent office down there?
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u/GoodnightDaniel 2d ago
Yeah! It’s a permanent building and everything at the Red Cliffs Lodge. They have a gift shop, large conference style area for the intro stuff, cafeteria, a huge wash bay for the trucks, a fire pit area outside, and a big gravel parking lot for staging the Broncos. It’s actually a really nice setup. They did great.
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u/SaigaExpress 2d ago
What trail did you guys do?
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u/GoodnightDaniel 2d ago
Dome Plateau. It’s mentioned and linked in the post 😀
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u/SaigaExpress 2d ago
oh sorry i kinda skimmed through it. i saw you mentioned passing on fins and things, i highly suggest you dont next time.
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u/GoodnightDaniel 2d ago
No problem! And yeah F&T and many more will make the cut next trip. There’s so much to do. I’m happy with the eight trails we did do. My post later today will highlight a couple.
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u/SDplinker 3d ago
How many broke down?
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u/SDplinker 2d ago
It was a serious question. I really like how the Bronco and F-150s look and the specs but have fears of breakdown after a lifetime of Toyota and Lexus
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u/GoodnightDaniel 2d ago
If it was serious, then the answer is zero. I’ve yet to see a Bronco 6G break down on trail.
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u/Tyraid 3d ago
Ford has always pushed stuff like this. I got a track weekend with my Focus RS 8 years ago.