East Coast Bronco - 4 Word

As you sit down with this issue of 4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility, it is sometime around the end of October 2001. In terms of real time, the year is winding to a close. In the accelerated world of magazine publishing, I'm already working on the Feb. '02 issue. Either way you look at it, winter is here.

This time of year is always fun because it means I get to work on our annual winter special. Four-wheeling through the snow in often miserable weather seems to bring out a wide range of interesting characters doing unbelievable things. And it provides us with a host of photo opportunities that really capture the spirit of things. Have you ever seen Jeeps 'wheeling on ice with tires that are running 3-inch spikes? How about organized trailruns through below-freezing water that reaches chest-high? You'll see all that and more in next month's issue.

This month, you will find that we leaned very heavily on trail coverage from around the country. We kick things off on page 32 with a great story on the East Coast Bronco Roundup, which was staged in Tellico, Tennessee. This part of the U.S. seems to pull in more great events every year, and it offers some world-class four-wheeling. On page 58, you'll find a beautiful piece on All 4 Fun, which was held in Salida, Colorado, this year. If you've never been four-wheeling in Colorado, you owe it to yourself to go. You'll find some of the most stunning scenery a 'wheeler could ask for. I normally look forward to going out every year, but since my tech editor, Christian Lee, hadn't been before, I sat in the office and let him cover it. On page 72, you'll find some extensive coverage of the third leg of the 2001 ARCA series with all the latest standings. As always, the competition was fierce and the courses were savage. It was great. Finally, we wrap up our trail coverage in this issue with a purely Toyota trail ride. Highway to Hell is actually the upper end of the Woodpecker Mine Trail just outside Phoenix, and it lays down some of the toughest rockcrawling anywhere in the Southwest. Take a look and see what you think.

As we prepare to launch ourselves into the new year, we have a lot of interesting plans and ideas that I think you'll get a kick out of. We are always looking for new stories to fill these pages with, and it requires a lot of creativity and ingenuity to pull off month after month. But in the end, it's a lot of fun, and we're looking forward to seeing what the new year brings.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or ideas, drop us a note. We're always happy to hear from you.