After locating the two major trail heads around town, we couldn’t wait another minute to ride and decided to sneak the quads up the back-streets for a quick afternoon jaunt. In our anticipation, we got mixed up and turned down the major highway running through the middle of town. As luck would have it, we pulled out in front of the Sheriff. Expecting a ticket, we slowed way down and pulled close to the curb. Were we ever surprised when he smiled and waved as he passed. Richfield easily qualifies as the most ATV-friendly town we’ve visited yet, especially during Jamboree time.

The next three days were motorized heaven. Clear cool mountain mornings welcomed us. I pulled on a pair of hand-me-down snowboard pants and a parka in the higher elevations, but it was sun-warmed, t-shirt weather in the valleys, although we were a little early for fall color.

Flocks of mountain bluebirds, their blue wings flashing against the brush, and lots of mule deer accompanied us as we motored along. We even spotted some Rocky Mountain black bear (see photo). Seriously, don’t let the cattle block your progress. Keep moving slowly and steadily toward them and they will move out of the way. In fact, ATVs are often used to herd cattle. On that first afternoon, Jim dubbed me Dale Earnhardt Jr. as I raced back to the trail head in anticipation of dinner. (The promise of food tends to make me daring.) As I slid around a corner, I detected movement in the middle of the trail and swerved in time to avoid a snake by about a foot. Although the sound of his rattle was muted by my engine noise, I passed close enough to see his rattle wave like a big red flag. Poor little guy (he was only a couple of feet long) was as spooked as I was and slithered back into the protection of the red rock when I stopped to watch. I’ve never yet hit an animal while riding, but the incident motivated me to slow down, no matter how hungry I was.

All the town folk we spoke with were friendly and free with helpful information. Our handy-hardware-man suggested that we take a dusk ride to one of the area lakes where the elk come down to drink at the end of the day. Their bugling echoed off the lake and surrounding peaks, enchanting us as they called to one another.

My trail riding skills took a quantum leap on this trip. We were riding from Richfield to Fillmore and I was having trouble controlling the back end of my Bombardier as it hopped down the fairly steep grade. Fearful of tumbling head over heels if I over-used the front brake, I was riding the back brake in a losing battle when Jim stopped me and suggested I put it in four-wheel drive. This made my descent much smoother; the slowing of the transmission allowing me to back off the brake and reduce my speed enough to feel safe. I learned to trust my machine more, not feeling compelled to race up the mountains, but to relax a little and let the machine do some of the work.

Having put my tire in my mouth a few times, I learned more about trail etiquette, too. Once, Jim stopped me after we passed a group of riders eating lunch on the side of the trail, to let me know they were now enjoying a dust enriched meal thanks to my inconsiderate tire spinning. From then on, I slowed whenever we passed people trailside and I appreciated it when others showed us the same courtesy. I also learned to signal the number of riders in our group by raising my index finger (meaning "one more behind me"), so oncoming riders new what to expect coming at them around the next sharp turn. It was helpful when I was treated with the same courtesy by other riders.

The Rocky Mountain Jamboree brought a festive atmosphere to town. Vendors lined the perimeter of the town park with semis full of the latest quads, gadgetry and gear. We spent a full day shopping and talking to vendors, organizers and participants. Roughly six hundred and thirty registered riders established a ratio of about one guide for every twenty participants, and there were support ATVs to assist riders with any difficulty encountered on the trail. There was even a training class for people new to the sport or with little mountain experience.

I was impressed by the apparent cooperation between the BLM, the forest service and the town officials as they addressed the large group during their welcoming speeches. After mentioning it to one of the organizers, we learned the Paiute trail system had been approximately fifteen years in the making and a true collaborative effort between the three entities. It’s a good model for other trail system organizers around the country.
The Jmboree turned out to be a great place for sharing trail riding tips. We discovered Swiffer dry wipes worked well to keep dust off on our otherwise clean face shields and Wet Ones for muddier clean-ups. Jim bought a contraption that allowed him to Velcro his goggles to his helmet, eliminating the elastic head-band struggle every time he wanted to wear eye protection. There was even a throttle extension available to cut down on throttle-thumb soreness, although we didn’t pop for it. Jim also bought a Poloaris box to replace his zippered rear bag.

In our opinion, Jorgensen’s Honda was the star of the show with plenty of staff on hand to give great service, and the widest variety of inventory on hand. They were eager to accommodate us, making phone calls in an attempt to get us a replacement engine gasket so we wouldn’t be motel bound.

We spoke with many RVers in town for the event, who warned us that it was necessary to call at least three months in advance to reserve a spot, so make plans early. We had no trouble securing a motel room only a couple months earlier, but the camping spots are more in demand.

When it came time to leave for home, it felt like we were saying goodbye to long-time friends - the hallmark of a truly successful adventure. And during our long ride home, we relived trail riding memories and had plenty of time to talk about other places we would like to ride. Jim mentioned the Hatfield McCoy system in the Smokey Mountains of West Virginia. I can’t wait for next year! -tt

*A big thanks to the ATV Division of John Deere, sponsor of the Off-Road.com coverage of the 2005 event. They were excited to launch their first line of
utility ATVs in 2004, and this year bring out their new
Buck Automatic 500 4x4.

Rocky Mountain ATV Jamboree