If you are a true Jeeper and you missed this year's 40th Annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, you better have had a good excuse. Every spring, the Red Rock 4-Wheelers put on this amazing event, and as every year passes, new stories and experiences unfold. This event is unique because the entire town of Moab puts its normal way of life on hold and caters to the caravans of thousands of hungry wheelers stopping in town for a week of dirty fun, leaving only when their rigs can't take any more trail abuse. For many wheelers, this event marks the beginning of the warm-weather wheeling season.
Although the majority of vehicles on the trail during this week are Jeeps, the Red Rock 4-Wheelers make it clear that all of their organized trail runs are open to any vehicle make and model capable of tackling the terrain. The club holds over 30 organized trail runs throughout the entire week, ranging from easy to very difficult levels. If you've never traveled to Moab or attended this event, mark your calendar right now for next year's Easter Jeep Safari.
On top of all the great wheeling, throughout the week many vehicle and aftermarket manufacturers set up vendor booths and displays showcasing their latest goods for the off-road masses. What better place to show off a new suspension system than during one of the nation's largest off-road events?
Moab also offers a multitude of outdoor activities boasting breathtaking vistas and amazing terrain. Driving down Main Street, you will come across stores geared for kayaking adventures, Jeep rentals, guided hiking tours, mountain bike rentals, hang-gliding, river rafting down the Colorado River, skydiving, and so on. The town and its surrounding areas offer enough photo ops to fill several albums. Bring the family to Moab and never worry about little Johnny complaining that he's bored.
Our entire staff doesn't often get the chance to attend the same event together as we often get spread thin on our various assignments, but because of the size and scope of the EJS, there was more than enough to keep us all busy. While one of us was wheeling Metal Masher, another would be tearing it up at the Primedia Area BFE event, and someone else would be in town discovering the latest and greatest coming soon from the vehicle manufacturers.
So spend a few minutes checking out our coverage in these pages and then hop onto www.4wdandsportutility.com for even more.
 A number of off-road-related...  A number of off-road-related companies hold their own trail rides throughout the week. We found ourselves on an adventure early Monday morning with the guys from American Expedition Vehicles. They brought along a few of their Hemi-equipped Jeep Wranglers, a modified Jeep Commander, and a unique righthand-drive Wrangler with a swapped Liberty CRD diesel engine inside. With over 25 vehicles on hand, we decided to take on Metal Masher, a moderate to fairly difficult trail in certain sections. |  With a mere 3 inches of lift...  With a mere 3 inches of lift and 33-inch Goodyear MT/R tires, our AEV trail-rig-for-the-day thoroughly impressed us, making light work of everything we threw at it.The new four-wheel-drive ESP system present in the Jeep Commander worked flawlessly when combined with bigger feet underneath. |  This is a common sight in...  This is a common sight in Moab during the EJS event: large groups of four-wheelers having a great time on the trail, watching their friends push their vehicles' limits. Mike's Hemi-equipped Wrangler dominated the most difficult obstacle of the day, Rock Chucker. |