Archived Was EJS less crowded?

[jsudar]

Did EJS seem less crowded this year? Besides UHP, it seemed like there was less of... everything.

There just wasn't as many people on the trail, in the hot tub, at the restaurants, etc... Not that that is a bad thing, but there seemed to be less excitement too. Everything seemed laid back and just didn't have that hyper spastic this-is-the-coolest-EJS-evar feel to it.

Maybe I was in all the wrong places. It felt a lot different than last year. I miss the way it was 10-15 years ago. But I do have to admit my perspective has changed a bit since then (I grew up?)

 

[Cody]

If you don't count a rr4w group that was leaving an area we were entering, I bet we came accross less than a half dozen vehicles on the trail between Friday and Sunday. I'd say 6 vehicles, 5 motorcycles, and 5 mtn bikers. It was great.

 

[Bart]

I heard registration for the RR4W runs was up 3%, but did notice a drop in crowds around Moab. Wondering if the closed trails for RR4W is making an impact. It was a zoo on Pritchett on Friday.

 

[ChestonScout]

It was different this year for sure. I think I saw Vacancy signs on hotels everyday this year! There was open camping sites everywhere.

It wasnt dead by any means but it was nice

 

[Cody]

Maybe if it continues to become less of a cluster **** I might go back somewhere down the road.

When we finally hit Moab on Sunday about 5, we fueled up at Walkers and I couldn't believe how empty the drink coolers and cigarette dispensers were. Looked like things were still pretty crazy, but it's great to hear that some of the riff-raff is opting out of EJS.

 

[Herzog]

It did seem a little less crowded this year... but then again while I'm down there I tend to avoid those crowds. The vendor show seemed like it had a good showing of people. All of the trails we ran were nice and peaceful for the most part. It was a good time.

 

[Rot Box]

It seemed less crowded everywhere I went too. I didn't have to wait to get into a restraunt, our "taken every EJS" campground was open, and we didn't have hardly any traffic on the trails we ran

One thing didn't change though. It was the usual blur--over too quick--and now I'm back to work

It was a zoo on Pritchett on Friday.

I figured thats where the crowd was I'm glad I talked myself and my group out of that one Friday... It would have been a really long day from the sound of it :-\

 

[broncomitch]

i would say it was less crowded for sure.

and did anyone else notice that there where a TON of jeeps on 39's to 42's??

 

[Cody]

39's are the new 35's

I guess that makes my 35's the new 31's

 

[BOB-CAT]

It was the local police.
I have never attended the EJS I always go in May. Do they always harass the aftermarket rigs on EJS. They should announce that they will be ticketing you for big tires and no mud flaps.
I actually had a good time but man I never expected that kind of harassment.

 

[Cody]

It was the local police.
I have never attended the EJS I always go in May. Do they always harass the aftermarket rigs on EJS. They should announce that they will be ticketing you for big tires and no mud flaps.
I actually had a good time but man I never expected that kind of harassment.

I thought they did announce it? Isn't the law sufficient announcement anymore lol.

Moab isn't immune to the law. They may turn their head to some of the rigs, but if you built a trailer rig that doesn't belong on the road then you should accept the possible consequences of driving it on the road.

 

[solidfrontaxle]

It was the local police.
I have never attended the EJS I always go in May. Do they always harass the aftermarket rigs on EJS. They should announce that they will be ticketing you for big tires and no mud flaps.
I actually had a good time but man I never expected that kind of harassment.

 

[BOB-CAT]

I thought they did announce it? Isn't the law sufficient announcement anymore lol.

Moab isn't immune to the law. They may turn their head to some of the rigs, but if you built a trailer rig that doesn't belong on the road then you should accept the possible consequences of driving it on the road.

See that is my problem. I would expect on EJS that you would not need to trailer your rig to the trail head. I am glad I had the Jeep instead of my Toyota's.
I talked to a guy who had to trailer his buggy from his hotel in Moab to potato salad hill so he could try it then put it back on the trailer and then parked in the field next to his hotel.
He spent the year on this project.

 

[Jinx]

Isn't the law sufficient announcement anymore lol.

sorry but this is an a$$hat comment...

 

[solidfrontaxle]

sorry but this is a an A$$hat comment...

It's Cody!

And I thought he was being pretty easy on the guy, considering that Cody usually pulls out some good ones, especially since he was asking for it.

 

[Cody]

sorry but this is an a$$hat comment...

No need to be sorry, but what's asshat about that? Don't you think the local police have some incentive to keep rigs that aren't street legal off the streets? If nothing else, enforcement should go UP during EJS.

I don't think they should start ticketing every jeep with a mudflap problem or fender flare issue, but there are a lot of people that drive unlicensed, unregistered, and uninsured trailer queens all over during EJS and I think that is BS. If one of those trailer queens (that I doubt has any collision coverage--if insured at all) were to be involved in an accident while on the road, the person getting hit would get the shaft. What's the point of driving it around anyway? To show off? People obviously brought them down with a street legal rig, so they don't have an excuse.

I had a buggy-ish jeep once. I knew it wasn't street legal, so I didn't drive it on the street. Trailer too and from the trail. On the few rare instances I did hit pavement in it, I was fully aware that it was illegal and would have paid the fine without complaining about it.

I also don't have mudflaps....or fender flares. But if I get ticketed for them I don't really have any room to ***** because I know better.

 

[Greg]

sorry but this is an a$$hat comment...

But it's true. People are under the impression that the Moab police are lenient on illegal vehicles during EJS. I don't think it's that they are being lenient, but that they are simply overwhelmed and many people get away with driving around in vehicles that would normally be considered illegal to drive in their own town. Someone gets busted, gets a ticket and whines about their illegal vehicle being ticketed.

I had the pleasure of watching a certain Jeep that was on the cover of the last Crawl Magazine getting pulled over by the Moab PD. It was very illegal, no reason it should have been on the road IMO.

My TJ was plated in CO, insured and legal to drive here... but I kept it on the trailer going to and from the trail head in Moab. You have to be smart about it, if you know it's illegal or even questionable, you need to be prepared for the fact that you may be ticketed while driving around Moab. If it's questionable and you don't want a ticket, keep it on the trailer.

 

[Coco]

It did seem a little less to me too....UHP SURE WAS LEINANT THIS YEAR!!!!! My dad got pulled over three times last year, and was told his jeep needed to be street legal for this year. So needless to say it has ugly flares on it now, and mudflaps, and all over the place the big non street legal rigs were everywhere!!


Potato salad hill still seemed to be the same though

But yes, MPD is VERY leniant. Because EJS pretty much keeps this place alive, if they start cracking down, then ppl will stop coming, and the town will start to stuggle more. They tolf UHP last year to be leniant, but obviosely were not...this year, I saw one truck get pulled over, with a trailer.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

...But yes, MPD is VERY leniant. Because EJS pretty much keeps this place alive, if they start cracking down, then ppl will stop coming, and the town will start to stuggle more. They tolf UHP last year to be leniant, but obviosely were not...this year, I saw one truck get pulled over, with a trailer.

The actual Easter Jeep Safari event is and always has only been open to licensed and insured vehicles, thus their registration likely wouldn't be harmed by increased enforcement. Would the towns influx suffer? Hard to say, I'd guess non-street licensed buggies make up 20% of the rigs in town, and lets assume 75% of those are comfortable trailering them to and from the trails. So would the town really notice a 5% loss in food/fuel/lodging sales? I would say no to lodging as its likely others would fill the spots. Food, fuel? Mabey, but it would be hard to differentiate from year to year.

The EJS event does "grease the wheels" of Moab, but 75% of that is due to RR4W and their donations and permit fees paid to the BLM, S&R, Police, library, etc. I'm in no way saying the non-official participants are not contributing to the local economy, just not to the degree the actual event is.

Who told the UHP to be more lenient? I would love to hear more about this.

 

[BroncoMama]

See that is my problem. I would expect on EJS that you would not need to trailer your rig to the trail head. I am glad I had the Jeep instead of my Toyota's.

Why would the law change during EJS? A rig that isn't legal has no more business being on the street during EJS than other time of year.

I talked to a guy who had to trailer his buggy from his hotel in Moab to potato salad hill so he could try it then put it back on the trailer and then parked in the field next to his hotel.
He spent the year on this project.

If he didn't want to have to deal with the hassle of loading and unloading, why didn't he keep it street legal?