Rally on the Rocks 2015

Rally on the Rocks 2015!
Walking into our first ‘Rally On The Rocks’ we assumed to know what was in store. Our first item of business was check in, we were thinking this will be chaos and it’s going to take forever! It was the exact opposite, the Rally staff was organized, knowledgeable, helpful, and courteous, and they even had free fresh bagged popcorn for people while checking in! We were very impressed with how organized everything was. Everyone had a huge smile and we couldn’t have felt more welcomed. We can’t thank Lanse, Jared, and their crew enough for all of their help and the great time that our first Rally on the Rocks turned out to be.

The organization didn’t end at check in, the rides were the same way, all were well marked with the trail’s name & all participants were lined up single file with a guide at the front and a guide at the rear. No one was confused, lost or missed. There was an average of around 25 to 30 UTV’s on each ride. More impressive was that all of the rides left on time! The Rally offers a wide choice of trails & trail difficulty levels. Riders can choose simple trails that keep mostly gravel roads and land mark sites, or trails that are far more difficult and include lots of challenging rock obstacles. The variety of trails and terrain is nothing short of spectacular. The scenery is beautiful and serene, sometimes even humbling. The weather was always changing and added to the overall adventure! Be sure to come prepared for anything. During our time in Moab we saw everything from hot and sunny, to wind and rain, even thunderstorms and a little hail! We were even jokingly told by a BLM official “There is no bad weather here, just bad gear”.

The Arena Venue was a great Rally headquarters for both Rally participants & vendors. The arena grounds provided plenty of tow rig parking and dry camping space, with plenty of extra space left for ride line up & departure. There were Vendor rows both inside, and outside of the arena. It is even possible to bring your UTV inside the arena for service or installation of any parts you may buy from the many different vendors. The list of vendors was incredible, from aftermarket companies like Assault ind., STI tire and wheel, GBC and more to the major manufacturers like Yamaha, Polaris, Arctic Cat, Kawasaki, and even Cub Cadet.

We arrived on Wednesday afternoon and were quickly checked in, within minutes we were off on our first ride; it was the “Ride for Wally”. A large line of UTVs headed out on “Hells Revenge Trail” and we were introduced to one of the most iconic of Moab slick rock routes. After an awesome & breathtaking ride we stopped at the trail’s end on a gorgeous bluff overlooking the Colorado River hundreds of feet below. Many of Wally’s good friends were on the ride and everyone gathered to share some kind words & funny stories for their friend Rick ‘Wally’ Wallace. Wally was an avid all around off roader and UTV enthusiast and recently lost his long hard battle with cancer. Wally obviously touched a lot of hearts, and made many friends within the UTV community. We never had the pleasure of meeting Wally but he sounds like a great and all around fun guy. It was an honor to be on the ride and share in the memory of him.

The next day we were led by the infamous Kent “the Moab Cowboy” Green. Kent took us out on the ‘Monitor’ and ‘Merrimack’ trails, along the way we stopped off at ‘Determination Towers’, a famous & familiar land mark in the world of TV commercials. Kent also led us on 3-D trail and out to ‘Tushar Tunnel’. Tushar Tunnel is an incredible natural tunnel carved through solid rock by the forces of water. It is approximately 125’ long & is easily accessed by a short 200′ hike. Passing through the dark tunnel is an easy mostly level walk and once you reach the other side it opens up to a beautiful wide canyon. The canyon is rimmed in tall colorful sand stone cliffs and cannot be seen without passing through the tunnel, it was definitely a site to see.

The following days we went on ‘Moab Rim Trail’, ‘Kane Creek Trail’, and ‘Cliff Hanger Trail’. The Cliff Hanger trail was a rare find with trails that wrapped around the enormous sand stone cliffs and had sheer drops in some spots of 600 feet or more with only the width of a UTV trail! Navigating the trail around the ledges, cliffs & canyon rims was definitely a thrill! Once we reached the trails end it was a short walk to the edge of the final bluff. At that point we were standing atop an incredibly high cliff overlooking a majestic expansive valley with the mighty Colorado River winding its way through below us. The incredible and expansive view was well worth the ride, and its risk!

The ‘Kane Creek Trail’ was full of lush vegetation and trees with Kane Creek crossing the trails path as you go. The multiple water crossings added adventure to the ride and at the time a chance to cool off and even splash your buddies in their UTVs. In some sections the canyon was so narrow the creek itself was actually the trail. Some of the trails were fast, smooth & easy. Some were challenging, including some very difficult rock climbing. For the toughest trails, a well guarded UTV & expansive operator experience was a must. However the Rally offered slower paced and easier trail rides as well. Every Rally on the Rocks attendee we spoke with was happy and enjoying the great times regardless of the trails they chose.

We recommend ‘Rally on the Rocks’ to anyone who is a UTV enthusiast and looking for a beautiful and eventful adventure vacation! For those who don’t wish to haul their UTV to Moab there are plenty of UTV rental companies ready to provide you with one. Moab Utah is a huge playground for UTVs, ATVs, Jeeps, Mountain bikes, and so much more. Moab has a population of just over 5000 people but provides a vast array of amenities. Everything from Hotels and Motels to RV campgrounds & even more primitive tent camping is available. Moab is well prepared for tourism, with more than fifty hotels, motels, condos, and bed and breakfast inns. There is also a vast array of restaurants and markets as well. Be sure to plan your adventure to Moab and Rally On The Rocks! This is a ‘can’t miss event’ and registration filled up early this year so don’t delay after registration opens. We promise that you won’t be disappointed and the beautiful sights and high adventure of all of the events shouldn’t be missed!