By Quinn & Heather Thomas

We had been talking for years about going to the Moab Easter Jeep Safari. In November at the run planning meeting, the suggestion of Moab was made. After talking about it for a while,

we decided to go. Finally, after years of talking about it, we were going. The months leading up to Moab had a lot of ups and downs for all of us. Most of the problems were job related and a few of us almost couldn't make the trip at the last minute. Once all of the planning was over, we ended up with eight vehicles going to Moab.

We brought our ’97 Jeep TJ and our ‘64 Willys CJ5. Getting there was half the battle. Heather towed our tent trailer behind the TJ. Between Heather, our son Mitchel, and myself, we managed to fill the trailer and both Jeeps with plenty of gear. Driving my CJ5 all the way to Utah, and back, was an adventure! I knew that the TJ would have no problem with the trip so very little time was prepping it for the trip. I spent what little spare time I had getting the CJ5 ready for the 1800 mile round trip.

We left early on a brisk Saturday morning. We had planned on arriving in Sedona, Arizona on Saturday around noon so we could do some sightseeing. Also traveling with us was my mom, Lynne, and my step dad, Steve Rayner. They were driving their ‘90 Jeep Cherokee. Keith Graham made the trip in his Jeep CJ7 towing a 18' travel trailer (most of the way). Everyone else was going to meet us in Moab. We left almost 2 hours late. That should have been a good indication of how the rest of the trip out was going to go. All was well until we got out side of Barstow, CA. Keith’s CJ7 started to have problems. The CJ7’s motor was cutting out under the heavy load. We replaced the fuel pump and filter and started on our way again. We made very slow progress on our way to Sedona. Finally, after deciding that we had no idea what was wrong with Keith’s Jeep, we switched the travel trailer over to my CJ5. This was the only vehicle left which wasn't towing a trailer. Wow! That was an experience! A short wheelbase CJ5 towing an 18’ travel trailer! After switching the trailer over, Keith's Jeep seemed to run fine empty. We proceeded to Sedona, the rest of the way was mostly uneventful. We even managed to do the speed limit, even on the grades. We finally pulled in to camp around 5:00 p.m. After setting up camp, we hurried out to explore Sedona, Arizona until it got dark. We would have liked to have had more time there. We are planning to go back there someday.

The next morning we started for Moab. I pulled Keith's trailer up all of the grades on the way out of Sedona. Once at the top we switched the trailer back over to Keith's Jeep. The rest of the way to Moab was slow. We tried all the way there to fix Keith's Jeep, but had no success. We finally made it to Moab around Dark. We Tried to get a hold of Dean to find out the plan, and were they were camped. Keith got him on the CB out in the distance with a very weak signal. We then had Dean switch over to Ham Radio. WOW! What a difference. With two-5 watt handheld on simplex, we could hear each other just fine. It seemed that Dean and Vern decided to take a night run to the Moab Rim Trail. They were at the very top when we were talking to them! On the radio we made arrangements for the next morning. After setting up camp, we all took showers and climbed into bed for some well deserved sleep.

Monday morning was the big day. We had to get registered for the Safari and arrive at the meeting place for The Golden Spike Trail, all by 8:00 am. Registration opened at 7:30 a.m. and was on the opposite side of town. We had to move fast. At registration we met up with Dean and Beth , along with Beth's sister Janet. After we all registered, we drove over to our meeting place. Once there we saw our friends, Frank in his old Willys Jeep, and Cal in his Willys pickup. They were running near the back of the group with 4Play.

It was finally the time we had all been dreaming about. Here we were on the Legendary Golden Spike Trail. Rated a four plus, it’s a premier trail. Including us, there were 5 vehicles in our immediate group. These include: our almost bone stock ’97 Wrangler, (with Heather driving), Our "built CJ5" with a locker in the rear, fuel injection, low gears, and 33" BFG tires. My parents drove their almost bone stock Cherokee. Their only modifications being 31" BFG tires, 3" lift, Boulder Bars, and NO lockers. Dean and Beth in their CJ7 with 31" tires and ARB Air Lockers both ends. Keith in his CJ7 with an ARB Air Locker in the back and True-Trac in the front, all sitting on 33" tires. Wow! What a variety of vehicles to have on the 4+ rated Golden Spike!

The Golden Spike trail as covered by the Easter Jeep Safari is a long one! It covers Poison Spider Mesa, Golden Spike, and Gold Bar Rim trails. Once we started up the trial, it took us all awhile to get used to the terrain. It was very different to drive on the slickrock. I learned early on that my short wheel base CJ5 hates all of these steep slickrock ledges. I had to take a few bypass routes after almost rolling over! Twice! What else is new, right? Heather on the other hand, driving the TJ, had a blast. She was really having fun seeing my built Jeep have trouble. She made the Trail look EASY in the TJ. The TJ equipped with its coil suspension and 31" tires was just about unstoppable in Moab. It was a real surprise to see how well the TJ performed on the trail! Heather maneuvered it around all day like the TJ was locked up. I was just trying to keep my Jeep upright! Another surprise was how well the Cherokee did with it's open differentials on the trail. My parents were glad that they were equipped with their new Cherokee Boulder Bars before we left! These help protect the rocker panels. To run the Golden Spike you really need to have good ground clearance. These Boulder Bars really helped the Cherokee and the TJ keep their rocker panels intact. Without them, there would have been some body damage to both vehicles! They were both just a tad low.

We relaxed as we traveled on the easy terrain of the Poison Spider Mesa trail. We climbed many tall switchbacks and some sandy hills. We all had fun on obstacles like the Launching Pad. Dean was enjoying his dual ARB Air Lockers. Keith was enjoying a trouble free day. After wheeling through to the beginning of the Spike, we finally made it lunch. We had less than a mile to go until the Golden Crack! We enjoyed our lunch even though the wind was blowing and it was very cold. We had all of that time to think about the Golden Crack. It was going to be very interesting to see if we could get all of vehicles across. I have heard stories and have even seen some pictures that were very scary. Once lunch was over, we packed up and started on our way.

We continued over more slickrock, and made our way the legendary Golden Crack. When we got there, it looked a lot different in person. I guess the angle you always see in the pictures makes it look really different. At this point the sky was dark and the snow was starting to come down. One by one we watched the vehicles go across the crack. It didn't seem as bad as the pictures. The vehicles that had most of the problems were the ones with 31" tires. A 31" tire falls all the way down to the bottom of the hole, making it hard to drive across without getting really sideways. Most of the vehicles ahead of us made it. There were a few that had to have a spare tire placed in the crack, and a few that had to be pulled across with a tug of the strap. Of our group, Dean and Keith drove right across, no problem! My parents in their Cherokee got their front wheels across no problem, but had trouble getting the rear wheels through. They needed just a little tiny bit more grab from the tires. After a few different lines, we put a spare tire in the crack, and all they needed was about a six inch tug to get across. If they had one locker in the Cherokee, or 33" tires, it would have been a breeze! Still, taking a close to stock Cherokee over this trail was a accomplishment in itself! Once they were through, it was Heather's turn in our TJ. She pulled up and drove into it like a pro. The first try was just a little short of pulling it off. With the 31" tires, the wheels dropped all the way into the crack! Just not enough tire to grab the sides of the crack! After the first try, Heather backed up and gave it one more attempt. This time she had a different line a little to the left. She had the perfect line. With all of the suspension on the TJ flexing, tires grabbing, she drove across the crack! Open diffs and all! Everyone was cheering! Check out the pictures! Next it was my turn. My wife just went through in our almost stock TJ, I had to get through or I would never here the end of it! All of my friends and family went through with longer wheelbase vehicles. Here I was in my short CJ5. I slowly approached and watched my spotter. I was just about to enter the crack. I reached down and pushed the button to my ARB locker. I wasn't going to take any chances on getting stuck, especially with the peanut gallery looking on! As it turns out, my Jeep went right across the Golden Crack with no problem. For once, my short wheelbase did great were some longer wheelbases had some trouble! Once I was across there were still a few more vehicles to go. Frank came up to the crack almost strait across, instead of the more common 45 degree angle. With his airbag suspension, he drove across the crack with no problem. His tires never left the ground. Not many vehicles have the travel to do that. And last from our club was Cal in the Willys pick-up. Of course with his long wheelbase and lockers, he drove right across. We all waited inside our vehicles for the rest of the group because it was cold and the snow was drifting down.

Once everyone was passed "The Crack," we continued on. We wheeled across more slickrock and over more obstacles. One of these was the Golden Steps. This climb was up some offset stair steps. Just the wrong size for most wheel bases. Dean went right up with his dual lockers. Steve & Lynne in the Cherokee had to make a couple of tries at it. Keith also had to work at it a little; love those carburetors! I really had to work at it in my short wheelbase CJ5. My wheels were in the wrong spots. I just couldn't get any traction, even with a locker. It took me forever to get up that sucker! Heather even had a little trouble but got up on the second try. At the top we continued on. There were so many names of obstacles that I can't even remember them all!

One of the last obstacles was the Double Whammy. As its reputation holds, not many people were successful at getting up. The two successors were long wheelbase Toyota trucks that drove right up. The two that made it up, were Vor-tec powered extra cabs, with lockers both ends and 33" tires. They made it look easy. Others tried, but no one was successful. The last person to try was Cal in his Willys pickup. He had his front wheels up and just started to climb when............BOOM, CLANK! His front drive shaft sheared off, just after that the rear let go also. Once safely back on flat ground, Cal and Frank, (using Frank's on board Premier Power Welder), welded the front shaft back together in no time. After welding the front, they replaced the straps on the rear u-joint and were back on the road in 30 minutes! We started descending down the slickrock just behind the Double Whammy. We had some magnificent views of Utah's backcountry! This is where we started on the Gold bar Rim trail.

The Gold Bar Rim Trail was easy, compared to the obstacles from the Spike. We moved along viewing things like Gooney Bird Rock, and some of the most spectacular red ledges and cliffs that I have ever seen. Once we started to descend we could see the hi-way off in the distance. As we were coming to the end of a wonderful day of four wheeling, we all reminisced about the wonderful experiences and the excitement of the days events! After we regrouped at the hi-way, we started back for camp to get some dinner and much needed sleep. The Golden Spike - What a trail! Even though we can't write about the whole week, I can tell you that it was a blast! The Easter Jeep Safari was incredible! I would go back in a second! There was so much to do, it could take years to do it all. I look forward to when the Dirt Devils can return to Moab someday. C-YA for now!