OCTOBER 2019 jpmagazine.com Jp 33
Part 2: The 4th annual
Jp Dirt ’N Drive
Presented by Jeep
offered off-road thrills
and more on its way
through New Mexico,
Arizona, Colorado,
and Utah
By Stuar t A. Bourdon
[email protected]
Photography: Stuar t A. Bourdon,
Traci Clark, and Trenton McGeeThe last time we talked,
100 Jeeps filled with a couple
hundred or so Jp Dir t ’N Dr ive
participants, and a dozen Jp staff and
sponsor Jeeps, were all moving in a
northerly direction in a big hurry. We
had left Cortez, Colorado, at the crack of
dawn (well, maybe a few minutes later)
and needed to cover the nearly 200 miles
of highway to Montrose, Colorado. There
were plenty of pleasant distractions along
the way, including some awe-inspiring
scenery as well as a number of Poker Photo
Challenge stops, but the bottom line was
getting to Montrose, where we would
meet the Western Slope 4 Wheelers for an
afternoon of spectacular Jeeping on their
favorite local trails.
This was the third day of the 2019 Jp
Dirt ’N Drive Presented by Jeep, during
which 100 Jeeps, their owners, and some
of their family and friends were invited to
join us for an off- and on-road adventure
through the scenic backcountry of America
on our way to Moab, Utah, for the annual
Easter Jeep Safari. The first day had been
filled with final registration, tech and safety
inspection of participant vehicles, check-
ing out each other’s rigs and engaging with
fellow Jeep enthusiasts, and getting the
goods on new products from our Jp Dirt ’N
Drive sponsors that included Jeep, General
Tire, JKS Manufacturing, KC HiLites,
and Rugged Radios.
An enjoyable and sometimes challeng-
ing (most big obstacles had go-arounds) day
of Jeeping with the CliffHangers 4-Wheel
Drive Club in their Farmington, New
Mexico, backyard off-road trail network
had filled the morning of our second day.Montrose Trail Moments
Arriving at the Montrose County
Fairgrounds and Event Center, Jp Dirt
’N Drive participants lined up behind the
leaders for the different trails we were to
explore that day. Trail choices had been
made the night before based on the type of
Jeep, its build, and the level of its driver’s
skill and experience. The trails ranged from
2 to 9 on a scale of 10, and most high-rated
trails (6 or higher) offered route options for
major obstacles. Some had grip-clenching
names like Calamity Canyon (6-9) and Die
Trying (8-plus) that came with warningsEverything—from hardcore trails to dirt-road cruises—was available
for 2019 Jp Dirt ’N Drive Presented by Jeep participants, depending on
their vehicles and the drivers’ skill and experience levels. Chris Durham
and his 2014 JKU/Gladiator conversion with 6.0 LS power successfully
navigated a challenging section on the Calamity Canyon trail.for overzealous drivers like “tow rig recom-
mended” in the trail descriptions. Other
trail options had scenic signatures such as
Escalante Canyon (2) and Smith Mountain
(3) and were easily handled by almost any
vehicle. Tabeguache Trail (5) was a good
combination of high-elevation assorted
pi ne cou nt r y, ca nyons, a nd open ra nge,
with a few solid challenges to test driver and
Jeep. Participants were sure to get whatever
they wanted—a roller coaster ride or a nice
little run through the hills.
Wit h Jeep li m its set at 15 or 20 per
group to keep things manageable for
the members of the Western Slope 4
Wheelers, who were guiding Jp Dirt ’N
Drive participants that day, the entire
group split up and went their separate
ways for a handful of hours. Some had
clean runs all day; some had troubles and
others helped out (that’s Jeeping). In the
end, ever y si ng le Jeep made it back. Most
importantly, everyone had a great time.
After a long afternoon on the trails,
participants met back at the Montrose
County Fairgrounds and Event Center,
checked in with Jp event staff stationed
at the Four Wheeler Network trailer,
and enjoyed unlimited amounts of pizza
courtesy of the City and County of
Montrose and beverages courtesy of JKS
Manufacturing, who was kicking off its
30th anniversary celebration. Full of food
and sustenance, everyone headed to nearby
hotels to get ready for the next day.Headed to Moab
T hose who have been on Jp Di r t ’N
Drive know about early mornings. It’s