The DND/N4W Sedona run was great fun. The Greasy Spoon trail was low on pinheads but Broken Arrow made up for it.

Boycott Pink Jeep Tours!

did the pink panthers threaten to have anybody arrested? I hate those bastids they think that because they are charging people to take them on tours of public land, that they own it.

______________________________


If It's A Jeep Thing I Don't Want To Understand.

The pink jeeps sic'd the forest service on us! Two officers showed up and started asking a lot of questions and preaching to the choir.

Turns out, the pink jeep guys called in a false report saying that we were going off the trail, etc... which we were NOT. We were on the trail at all times. Apparently, they were NOT happy having 9 non-pink vehicles on "their" trail.

One memorable quote.. Stone overheard a lady in one of the pink jeeps ask if "all those trucks were another company". He promptly replied "No, we're *real* offroaders."

I would like to go back and hassle them again. This time, with 20 vehicles, spaced apart about 30 seconds each. Then congregate at Chicken Point for a 2 hour lunch. Two can play at their game.

IMO, the trip to broken arrow was well worth it. My friends thanked me over and over afterwards for giving them the opportunity to go. My friend Steve shot quite a few rolls of film up there.

----------------------------
BEEFYJames Fabrication - Custom Fabricated for Use and Abuse
M.E.S.A. - Modified Easterly Swanky Associates

They sicced the National Park Service rangers on us in a lame attempt to intimidate. The rangers were actually in a Pink Jeep when they stopped each truck and accused us of driving off trail. Everybody stayed cool but did not back down, We politely and respectfully asserted our rights to legally drive-on and enjoy public land and correctly informed them that the report that we were off trail was false. Everybody needs to decide right now that they will go to Sedona, get a Red Rock pass, drive Broken Arrow, and enjoy our PUBLIC lands whenever they want too. The lesson here is if we get upset and decide to never return to Broken Arrow or any of the Sedona trails, then they've won. I live up here and I'm not going to give them that satisfaction. I think I'm going to buy my own 4X4 and go enjoy Broken Arrow whenever I want, and everytime friends or relatives come visit from out of town.

John (Senior)
Cottonweed, AZ

hey dad! BTW, the new mini-Z looks good in the living room.

----------------------------
BEEFYJames Fabrication - Custom Fabricated for Use and Abuse
M.E.S.A. - Modified Easterly Swanky Associates

Datz--glad you guys got back to PHX okay. Check out our first lines--that's scary isn't it? How was the drive from Jerome? Another point about the pinkos, I was over lurking on the AZ Virtual Jeep Club board. Based on their Broken Arrown run reports, they've been hassled in exactly the same way when they go up as a group. I say go back again and take lots of trucks. It was a beautiful trail and well worth the hassle. You're right--two can play the game.

John (Senior)
Cottonweed, AZ

There has to be something that can be done about those a holes, we should contact the ASA4WDC, and get some firepower on our side.

______________________________


If It's A Jeep Thing I Don't Want To Understand.

DL said that shes going to write a multi-page letter that we can all send off to the various agencies and people-in-power.

The pink jeeps have as much right to be there as we do. But, its their attitude toward the non-pink folks that miffs me. There were SO many things they did yesterday that were just plain *wrong*.

----------------------------
BEEFYJames Fabrication - Custom Fabricated for Use and Abuse
M.E.S.A. - Modified Easterly Swanky Associates

Dad, the drive through Jerome was great. We left Jerome just as it got dark. We caught the shortcut to Hwy69 and made it back into town by 8pm. We rolled into the pavillions around 8:20 or so and looked around a bit before exhaustion set in and we headed home.

*writing as I enjoy a big plate of cheesy eggs*

----------------------------
BEEFYJames Fabrication - Custom Fabricated for Use and Abuse
M.E.S.A. - Modified Easterly Swanky Associates

I just sent this off:

"Hey, I here that some of your group have been filling false reports w/ the NPS about other offroaders on "your"( public lands) roads in the Broken Arrow area.
BElieve it or not there are folks that are resposible and can respect( staying on trail/ not littering) the wilderness as( i hope) you do.

YOu folks don't own the road.

Get over it- some folks don't need your cheesy tour."
SPam them here>>
reservations@pinkjeep.com
(or give them an earfull)
1 800 873-3662

.....................
'98 FAD FrontyKC
152,000 miles
Packin ARB'd 9"(5.00)& Tornado w/ Dual Remotes;-)

There's an article about Sedona in the Travel section of this mornings Arizona Republic. The author takes a jeep tour and comments on the "exclusivity" of some of the tours. The tour operators DO pay the NPS a hefty licensing fee for the right to drive for hire on NPS land. QUOTE "Evidently, "exclusivity" did not aply to individuals. It's just a claim a tour company makes when handed a permit by the U. S. Forst Service to conduct tours on its roads. This may or may not be the case in the future in Sedona. Tour companies that do not have a permit have filed a legal challenge to this practice. Meanwhile, private individuals can rent a jeep or drive their own through the trail." UNQUOTE I think that some of the drives actually believe they DO own the trails based on the permitting process by the forest service. However, none of that applies to private individuals traveling forest service roads for their own private enjoyment. The best way to assert our rights is not to hassle the tour companies--this is big bucks to them and I'm sure they have deep pockets and the legal means to bite back--rather keep driving these trails and enjoying them--whenever we want to, safely, with as many of our friends who want to go along.

John (Senior)
Cottonweed, AZ

Another thought. Keep in mind the forest service could have the last word by restricting access to some of the more popular trails--just like they've done at the Grand Canyon. Limit the number of vehicles that can access a given stretch of forest service roads at any one time. If you've been to the ditch lately, you'll notice tour buses get waved right through while the rest of us wait in line at the toll booths. Same thing could happen on the heavily traveled NFS trails that are heavily commercialized.

John (Senior)
Cottonweed, AZ

My letter will be lengthy and will get sent to both the Pink and Yellow jeep tour companies (have to find the right name information), to the Forest Service, to the Mayor of Sedona, to the Governor, to any other state official (of which I've talked with in the past), to the ASA4WD club, and to any other Tom, Dick or Harry I can think of. I can NOT believe the way we were treated.

The forest service ranger was nice. After he did his talk I asked him specifically if the complaint was on our group - and he said yes. So, then I told him what really happened - that the jeeps refused to move over (there was only 1 jeep at first and 9 Nissans) so, we were able to get a few Nissans through and then there were 3 more jeeps. The jeeps decided that they weren't waiting any longer as we were informed they were on a time schedule. So, they just started bullying their way down the trail. Of course, it was the least built rigs that still had to join us. If it was DR or John - we'd have played chicken with our bumpers and we'd have won!

I am just embarrassed as we had guests from New Jersey out here to witness the rude treatment these jeep tour companies portray.

Apparently, while I was on the CB yelling about how we weren't getting out of any of theirs way again and how I couldn't believe they lied to the FS and saying a few more choice words, Steve was driving by 2 jeeps and they heard the whole conversation. I bet those were the 2 that didn't wave to us.

I'm going to take my time on this letter. I will most likely post a copy here as well.

And, you guys are right - after I calmed down - we will continue to go up there and do these trails. From now on, I will make sure to have paper and pen available as any jeep that gives us crap will get their number written down and another letter written. I'll be damned if they're going to win! These are our trails too! And, we probably do more for land use issues than even 1 of their drivers!! The drivers probably care less as they're just making a paycheck.

And - EVERYONE tell EVERYONE you know - do NOT ever use the jeep tour companies in Sedona! If you want to go see trails in Sedona - you get ahold of us and we'll take you - FOR FREE!!



If you love something set it free.
If it comes back, it will always be yours.
If it doesn't come back, it was never yours to begin with.

But, if it just sits in your living room, messes up your stuff, eats your food, uses your telephone, takes your money and doesn't appear to realize that you had set it free.....
You either married it or gave birth to it !!

Oh - and next time - it might be a good idea to have a video camera rolling the whole trail - that way we can have PROOF that we didn't do anything. They were driving off trails. I wonder how many customers on those tours are appalled at the way the drivers treat other off road enthusiasts.



If you love something set it free.
If it comes back, it will always be yours.
If it doesn't come back, it was never yours to begin with.

But, if it just sits in your living room, messes up your stuff, eats your food, uses your telephone, takes your money and doesn't appear to realize that you had set it free.....
You either married it or gave birth to it !!

Yep.. we'll take you for FREE.. and not to mention, we have a shuttle service from the Phoenix metro area.

DL, I think most of the people that go on those tours have never seen any offroad enthusiasts before.. They have no idea that the average person could go and do this on their own, and thats exactly what the Jeep tour companies WANT them to believe.. They want the money and will do what they have to do to demonize anyone else they see on the trail. If the jeep riders see every "freelance" offroader on the trail getting busted or called in, seriously, what is the chance they will bring their own vehicle out and try it for themselves? Slim chance.

The Pink (and other) Jeep tours want the consumer to believe their trails are "exclusive" and only available for that hefty fee per seat. If the riders see that anyone can easily go out and see the sights on their own, the tour operators feel that their market is reduced.

The Jeep tour trade is a major money making operation.. but its mostly fluff. They are tryign to make an unpredictable sport such as offroading into a pre-packaged timesliced deal.. which doesnt work very well. Most of the thrill of offroading, for me at least, is the unpredictability of it. You dont know what you will run into, or who you will run into. Someone might break down, or a flopped truck may need to be recovered. Sometimes theres a lot of people out there, sometimes you (and your group) are the only ones. THATS how it is with such a sport, and that, in and of itself is the pure essence of it. Adventure cannot be pre-packaged. Its an experience that is unique for each trip, for each adventurer, for each season, and for every day of your life you spend doing this. How can you fit that into a neat little package deal? They are trying, but they are fighting the very nature of the beast.

----------------------------
BEEFYJames Fabrication - Custom Fabricated for Use and Abuse
M.E.S.A. - Modified Easterly Swanky Associates