This bare-bones buggy made...
This bare-bones buggy made Potato Salad Hill look like child's play all afternoon. A good example of why lighter is better for Moab's terrain.
Moab, Utah is arguably the greatest destination for wheelers anywhere, with its mix of difficulty levels and varied terrains. The legendary town in eastern Utah has played host to the annual Easter Jeep Safari for 43 years now and despite a major economic downturn and some unseasonably cold temps, those who heard the call loaded up their rigs and pilgrimaged out to spend a week in a wheeler's paradise.
In addition to all of the local Red Rock 4-Wheelers' club-hosted events, aftermarket vendors from all over the country sponsored trail rides, and Jeep was once-again present and in full force with projects from the Mopar Underground and a major unveiling. We also noted the disproportionate number of JKs to any other type of vehicle in town. During the week, Moab seemingly became the sole destination for every JK Wrangler sold to date, reminding many observers minds just how important wheeling remains is to all of us.
Although the town seemed a little quieter from previous years, there was more than enough activity to keep the restaurants and businesses in town busy, especially at the end of the day when hungry wheelers descended upon the main drag. As always, attention turned toward the Spanish Trail Arena on Thursday and Friday, where scores of companies set up booths to show the latest products available.
Check out some of the images we captured during our stay in and around Paradise City.
 Mopar's Big Red and our own...  Mopar's Big Red and our own Project Trailhugger get a photo op out at the dunes. |  We were there when Dave Schlossberg...  We were there when Dave Schlossberg from Poly Performance attempted Potato Salad Hill in the shop JK. |  Proof that anything you can...  Proof that anything you can think of can, and probably has, been taken up Potato Salad Hill. |
 The Spanish Trail Arena was...  The Spanish Trail Arena was full of companies showing off their products; 4-Wheel Parts supported the event with its big rig. |  AEV was on hand to introduce... AEV was on hand to introduce its new AEV J8 MILSPEC, as well as to do a full JK Hemi conversion in the parking lot of the Moab 4x4 Outpost. |  Jeep's annual display was...  Jeep's annual display was as good as ever, chock-full of concept vehicles, parts, demonstrations, and even the unveiling of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. |
 Despite a busy week, we found... Despite a busy week, we found a little bit of time to take Project 'Con Artist out on the trail before we headed home. |  Famous wheeler Walker Evans...  Famous wheeler Walker Evans takes time to pose for a photo with old friend Tom Wood, owner of Tom Wood's Custom Drive Shafts. |  Matt Hodges of West Texas...  Matt Hodges of West Texas Offroad piloted his '70 Unimog 404 with style and grace. We love seeing old vintage 4x4s like this on the trail. |
 Sometimes the right line isn't...  Sometimes the right line isn't always obvious. This driver thought he found a better line through the beginning of Britney Spears trail. |  Jason LaLiberty of Poland,... Jason LaLiberty of Poland, Maine, spent the week piloting his '00 TJ sporting a 7.5-inch Rubicon Express lift on 42-inch Pitbull Rockers. |  Mopar's Lower Forty was by...  Mopar's Lower Forty was by far the coolest JK we have ever seen-and they let us drive it! No lift, 40s, manual trans, Hemi swap - sign us up! |
 This first ever attempt at...  This first ever attempt at "Dick's Squeeze" obstacle on Area BFE's Lockjaw trail proved that even the most experienced of drivers can have troubles in Moab. |  We got our very own Keith...  We got our very own Keith Kangaroo from Light Force and promptly took him out on Hell's Revenge - check out more about Keith Kangaroo's Off-Road Alliance at www.lightforce.com. |  Wheeling entrepreneur Adam...  Wheeling entrepreneur Adam Shoemaker brought out his root beer brown Jeep AEV Brute on 39-inch Pitbull Rockers to conquer Lockjaw trail in Area BFE. This rig is a rolling example of the work his guys are capable of at Unlimited Offroad Center in Fenton, Michigan. |
 Pat and Jan Gremillion of...  Pat and Jan Gremillion of Premier Power Welder fame are regulars during Easter Jeep Safari week. This year Pat unveiled his latest creation, a fully independent Jeep buggy on 40-inch Goodyear MT/Rs. Sporting the same bright orange paint scheme found on his previous rigs, onlookers couldn't help but stop to feast their eyes on what may just be the future of trail suspension technology. |  Dustin Chernoh of DC Customs...  Dustin Chernoh of DC Customs thrashed for six weeks to complete this super clean Jeep CJ-8 in time for Easter Jeep week. Sporting 40-inch BFG M/Ts, Walker Evans beadlocks and shocks, a Mopar fuel-injected 4.2L, NV4500, Stak Dana 300 and full-width 1-ton axles along with a whole assortment of armor from Blue Torch Fab, Gen-Rite and Hanson Off-Road, this gorgeous Scrambler got attention everywhere it went. |  Huntington Beach, CA resident...  Huntington Beach, CA resident Ryan Hagel commissioned the build up of this beautiful '69 Jeepster so that his wife, Terra, would have a rig of her own to drive. The "Terra Crawler" was built by the capable hands at Off-Road Evolution in Fullerton, California. Sporting a GM 6.0L engine, Dynatrac ProRock 60 axles, ARB Air Lockers, MasterCraft seats, PSC steering and a Warn winch. This unique creation blurs the lines between clean original restoration and state of the art competition buggy. We especially like the rear Evo Lever coilover suspension setup. |
 As clean as they come, and...  As clean as they come, and with a no-fear driver to match, this well-built buggy was one of the only rigs we've seen complete the super steep, and highly inadvisable left side knob on Potato Salad Hill. |  The back-door entrance to...  The back-door entrance to Britney Spears trail at Area BFE is not for the faint of heart. Despite several attempts, this stout buggy was forced to retreat, defeated by the massive boulders. |  Unfortunately, his outside-the-box...  Unfortunately, his outside-the-box thinking left his buggy upside down in the middle of the trail. A short winch session and a quick hand from a group of onlookers got the rig righted and back on the attack, though the next attempt was a little less off-camber. |