- In its inaugural year, Turn 14 Distribution’s Ultimate Easter Jeep Safari Experience presented by ARP saw 40 invitees with 19 vehicles conquer a one-of-a-kind adventure in scenic Moab, UT.
- Invited guests spent the day navigating the rough tracks, ever-increasing altitude, and daunting obstacles of the picturesque Metal Masher trail.
- The experience included an unforgettable Oasis Pop-Up Lunch presented by Mishimoto featuring heated shelter in blow-up tents, various seating options, hot chef-prepared food, and a multitude of beverages.
- This hospitality experience is an industry first for the Easter Jeep Safari week, and guests were buzzing after participating.
- Supporting partners included MBRP, Powerstop, and Torrix.
LET’S TALK ABOUT MOAB, BABY
Because I was so closely involved with planning Turn 14 Distribution’s Ultimate Easter Jeep Safari Experience presented by ARP (after our announcement earlier this week), members of the T14 staff and I arrived a day early for setup. I had never been to Moab, UT, and I can tell you the views from the town roads are so spectacular and otherworldly that I began wondering why people even bother going off-road here. The straight-open highways carve through the red rocks so beautifully that keeping eyeballs on the road ahead is tough. Millions of years of water erosion are visible in varying unbelievable patterns, colors, and depths in every direction of sight. I think younger whippersnappers would call it a vibe, but I’d call it breathtaking.
LIKE A WELL-BEHAVED H2OI FOR JEEPS
Easter Jeep Safari (EJS) is an annual weeklong gathering of Jeep enthusiasts set in the dramatic scenery of Moab, UT. An aftermarket Jeep expert would scoff at my interpretation of EJS, but I’m here to tell you it’s similar to H2Oi. For this one week, the off-road crowd overruns the town of Moab with all generations of Jeep vehicles (and some random Ford Broncos). Attendees might not quite find the same chaos as H2Oi — in fact, there is no chaos at EJS — but the enthusiast takeover of a small town is reminiscent. Similar to H2Oi’s car show festivities, a vendor midway is set up late in the Moab week each year, showcasing new products for the Jeep market. Finally, the way the community bands together to form activities on its own is my last comparison to the beach-side Volkswagen event.
THE MORNING MEETING
On the morning of Turn 14 Distribution’s Ultimate EJS Experience presented by ARP, just after sunrise at the designated starting coordinates (yes, the meeting spot was noted by latitude and longitude coordinates), the Turn 14 Distribution registration booth welcomed the exclusive invitees with fresh-brewed hot Keurig coffee and donuts from a local shop. Easygoing, kind staff was on-site to take attendance and hand out special tactical backpacks emblazoned with the T14 Ultimate EJS Experience logo and filled with snacks, water, and a few logo-imprinted Red Kap apparel pieces. Brett Davis, the trail leader and experienced Moab off-roader, gathered drivers to discuss the schedule for the day and remind everyone why we were there — to enjoy ourselves responsibly!
ELIMINATING ALL DOUBT
With the drivers’ meeting concluded, everyone piled into their respective off-road rigs and set foot onto the Metal Masher trail. At this point, I was still wondering why we needed to go off-road because even the views from the starting point were great; soon into the journey, however, I saw that Moab had even more to offer. Now on the trail, the ride got bumpier, the pace slowed, and we started to envelop ourselves in the surrounding mountains. Our group of Jeeps paid their respects on the base of the Gooney Bird Rock. Each touched a tire to bring good luck to the crew for our journey ahead. As we climbed the first semblance of elevation up the side of a cliff, my entire perspective shifted. Staring out across the town of Moab, with the snow-capped Rocky Mountains visible in the distance, it all became clear why we had to off-road here. The elevation change heightens the views and entire experience into unforgettable territory!
IN THE THICK OF IT
The Metal Masher trail is a 7/10 in terms of off-road difficulty rating. It’s not for the timid beginner but it isn’t impossible in a lifted Jeep Rubicon rental (raises hand). The rocky, dirt paths themselves were manageable for any off-roading vehicle, but there are obstacles on these Moab trails, and that’s where skill becomes necessary. The obstacles are essentially three-foot-plus tall rocks that trail goers must traverse to continue. They require studying, a plan of attack, knowledge of weight-shifting, and courage to attempt. Each Jeep in our queue made it through all the obstacles without incident. A few were extremely impressive in their ability to tackle them relatively simply.
As we continued higher, we were removed further from nearby society until we popped out on a knife-edge cliff that directly overlooked our starting point below. To quote the kids again, “views”. Looking back to my previous breathtaking claim earlier, I had to recant — this view was breathtaking in a whole new way. As in, I was so scared on the cliff’s edge that I couldn’t breathe until I walked away, but it was also one of the most impressive scenes from the trip.
OASIS POP-UP LUNCH PRESENTED BY MISHIMOTO
Now, I’m not a seasoned off-roader, and I’d never been to Moab before this trip, but veteran EJS’ers told me that the typical lunch provided on sponsored EJS trail rides consists of soggy bread and some questionable lunchmeat choices amidst the dusty wilderness. To combat this stereotype, Turn 14 Distribution worked with partner Mishimoto to outfit the Ultimate EJS Experience with an unreal Oasis Pop-Up Lunch in the middle of the trail. Oasis is the perfect way to describe the massive inflatable tent shelter, which appeared about a half-mile away as if it were in your imagination.
The weather was rather inclement for traditional Moab in April, resulting in a 30-degree temperature drop on the day of our trail ride. Refuge from the cold wind within the structure would have been sufficient. However, adding multiple propane heaters, comfortable seating, and hot chef-prepared food upgraded the experience to an extraordinary tier. Guests of the Ultimate EJS Experience had their choice of charcuterie and salad appetizers, Foccacia, hot tomato soup, steaming-hot tri-tip steak, and warm mashed potatoes. Having spent hours on the trail, sucking down Nature Valley bars and dust all morning, the elite lunch affair raised everyone’s spirits and capped off the morning’s festivities. Everyone I talked to during lunch discussed how much a chef-prepared lunch was a complete departure from the EJS norm and how excited they were for whatever Turn 14 Distribution was doing next.
After equipping the buzzing ‘Experience attendees with cold refreshments, homemade brownies, and snack bags of chips for the remainder of the trail ride, we rounded everyone up for a quick group shot before heading in one of two directions back to civilization — the straight shot or the scenic route.
GRATEFUL FOR THE SCENIC ROUTE
Naturally, you know, being a photographer and all, my coworker and I elected to take the scenic route back to town. I expected more of the same off-road trail views we had experienced earlier but with a longer duration. Instead, some of the most unreal settings I had ever experienced completely floored me. There was one part where we drove under a fallen rock like a tunnel! It was incredible. As we reached the bottom of the trail and our day had concluded, we filled our tires back up with air and bid our farewells.
As we exited the dirt onto the pavement, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the experience I shared and all of the people integral to the triumph. Tallying together the memorable sights, delicious tastes, pleasant camaraderie, and establishing a new normal for off-roading in Moab, this excursion was indeed the Ultimate Easter Jeep Safari Experience!
I have to thank Turn 14 Distribution for organizing the entire adventure, presenting partner ARP for headlining it, Mishimoto for the unforgettable Oasis Pop-Up Lunch, MBRP Exhaust, PowerStop Brakes, and Torrix Off-Road (namely, Dana and Ranch) for all their support throughout the entire event, and all of the guests for attending, including Brett Davis, our knowledgable trail guide, and our co-pilot Mike Hallmark for getting our little rental Jeep through the tough stuff.
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OFFICIAL PARTNERS
OFFICIAL PARTNERS
