by Matt Konkle
Torque Editor-in-Chief
MOAB, Utah — One of the things I’ve always admired are those hardcore Jeep enthusiasts out there who never seem to have a top on their vehicle — no matter the temperature.
You know the ones. Like the mail service — neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night will keep them from using a top. Perhaps half doors on the Jeep sometimes, but never windows. Or a top. Sitting inside bundled up in the winter with a ski hat on, gloves, thick jacket and rolling along like it is the most normal thing ever.
Well, Saturday morning here in Moab, Utah, Quadratec YouTube Personality Rob Jarrell and I somewhat joined that ideal as we piled into our 30th Anniversary YJL, along with social media coordinator and photographer Brooke Smith, and headed north of Moab for Sevenmile Rim. Siri cackled that it was a balmy 35 degrees in Moab as we pulled on to US 191.
Along the way, we stopped at Outlaw Jeep Rentals and met up with owner Jeremy Rowan, Rock Slide Engineering Vice President of Marketing Kevin Smith and his daughter, as well as one of our influencers Matt Nelson , who came out to Moab from Colorado for the weekend with his buddy. Two JL Rubicons, a built JKU and our YJL. Not a huge traditional EJS trail group, but a lean one with a single purpose — to get the YJL on a trail, evaluate its performance, see its camera presence and have some fun. So, yeah, that’s more than one purpose. Did I say it was cold?
Brooke piled in with Jeremy and we all whipped north out of Moab, over the Colorado River, past Arches National Park where maybe a mile-long queue of cars were waiting to get through the gate, and past a dinosaur museum as well as several camping and RV areas.
We didn’t build YJL to simply be a shiny, burly show vehicle that has some of the best equipment a vehicle could ask for installed on the thing. We built it as much for performance in the red rocks, as we did for the red carpet. Dirt, mud, rocks, snow — all things to be admired. Not feared.
Sevenmile Rim is roughly 12 miles of highway driving north of Moab and grew up around a uranium mine. Over time, all the activity around that mine spawned a bunch of core-drilling roads and what remains now are some of the most interesting of those roads. There is lots of sand, two track dirt roads with considerable washout areas, plenty of uneven slickrock (it is Moab after all) and sidehill driving, and some decent rocky ledge obstacles.
The trail is also near the Moab Fault, which is a geological fracture that left many rocks in the Canyonlands standing higher that those of the surrounding Morrison Formation. Simply put, the views are just as inspiring as the trail itself.
For us, besides looking forward to the scenery, we felt all of these trail conditions would be a good initial test for the vehicle’s Teraflex 3.5” Alpine RT3 suspension kit, as well as its Teraflex Falcon 3.3 Fast Adjust Shocks. The uneven trail would also allow us to swap between hard and soft mode on those shocks. Plus, we got to run the YJL’s Mickey Thompson Baja Boss M/T tires over all those surfaces as well to evaluate traction.
Spoiler alert — we pretty much knew how they would fare, but sometimes the fun in research is performing said research even if you reasonable know the conclusion.
And perform the research we did. For science.
Once we reached Sevenmile Rim, the temperature started heating up, but the YJL remained cool and unfazed by anything the trail put in its path. The adjustability of those Teraflex Falcon Shocks allowed us to blow over wash bottoms at speed like simply driving on the highway. Either shock setting seemed to work well on those washout areas.
The Baja Boss tires never lost traction no matter what surface we rolled over, and chewed through trail dirt or sand like it was simply air.
Needless to say, both the Teraflex set up, as well as Mickey’s Baja Boss tires, absolutely left our group raving about their performance.
One of our evaluation goals of the day was also to drive all the way back to Wipe-Out Hill and send the short wheel base YJL down, and back up the obstacle.
Wipe-Out Hill is a short, but steep drop with irregular rocky ledges and two abrupt turn downs that can leave a vehicle somewhat close to vertical at times. Especially smaller two-doors. If the right line isn’t picked, you could find yourself ‘wiping out’ a rocker panel or fender flare — or worse.
With Jeremy from Outlaw Adventure Tours spotting, Rob carefully attacked the obstacle like a seasoned surgeon looking for just the right place to cut. He found the line with his tires and slid the YJL’s front end over the first drop-down ledge maybe 5-6 feet until they touched bottom. As the smaller two-door’s back end started to raise, Rob applied just enough throttle to move forward and somewhat level off before becoming dangerously vertical.
The second, steeper, drop is almost immediately after the first. So applying that throttle pushed the YJL directly into the second drop. Jeremy made a quick tire correction and Rob, as anyone should do when a spotter gives instructions, followed without question.
Again, YJL’s front end dropped down though a bit further this time, perhaps seven feet or so, and as soon as the front tires hit dirt, he applied the throttle and calmly rolled forward to allow the back end to successfully drop into place without incident.
In fact, everyone in the group successfully met the obstacle’s challenge. Rock Slide Engineering’s Kevin Smith even let his young daughter navigate the descent. There were a few white-knuckle moments from her as their JLU tipped forward on a vertical angle, but she followed Jeremy’s instructions and overcame.
Once a trail group completes the downward run through Wipe-Out Hill, it can continue forward deeper into the Utah desert, or turn around and head back up, climb some uneven slickrock and find a nice spot between Merrimac Butte and Monitor Butte for pictures.
Of course, Wipe-Out Hill does have a harder section of the obstacle anyone can attempt that is a bit different than the decline. So up Rob went.
Not only was the upwards climb trickier, but it also was a bit more narrow with a more vertical ledge that required perfect tire placement and a solid ‘Moab bump’ to get the rear tires over once the fronts succeeded. Those who miss on the initial attempt could slide back and crunch a passenger flare or rocker panel, so throttle control is essential. After that first steep ledge, the incline turns left about 30 degrees so immediately after climbing the initial stage, it is a medium driver turn and throttle to power over several uneven rock ledges looking to grab you and stop that momentum.
It is here the short wheelbase YJL excels and doesn’t really give any of those a chance to high-center the vehicle. Rob bumps over every one of them and you’ll be able to watch the video on our YouTube page in the near future.
Soon, we’re sitting comfortable in the sunlight between Monitor Butte and Merrimac enjoying some lunch and catching up with friends, old and new. A short distance away, the YJL sits on an angle in front of Monitor— its khaki metallic paint standing out against the red hue of the butte rising behind.
Cameras come out and pictures are taken. Perhaps a copy of that photo will come to your door soon in a catalog.
And then it is time to go, as other destinations await during the Moab Easter Jeep Safari Week.
As we climb back down off Sevenmile and head towards US 191, both Rob and my phones begin to frantically beep text message notes as we re-enter cell service range. One thing to know about Moab, once you are out of town then you quickly lose service. Siri at some point chirps out the temperature as 52 degrees. Warmer than the morning drive, but at highway speed still a bit chilly with no top and tube doors.
Happy with the YJL’s performance, we don our jackets against the cold wind, turn south on US 191 and head back for town.
It was a good day.
