Overland to Moab

Ever since I was a kid my dad drove 4Runner’s, Toyota Pickups, and Land Cruisers. Every summer we would 4Wheel up in the mountains. When I was 14 years old my Father passed on the Toyota family tradition; buying me my first ever 1996 Toyota 4Runner Limited. My passion for 4Runner’s never wore off, giving birth to Team 4Runner in 2013.

Team4Runner

Team4Runner is a group of Toyota Enthusiasts. We’re a group of regular guys who have a lot passion for the beauty and capability of 4Runners and the unique people it brings into community. In the past, our off-roading experiences with family and friends have taken place in areas throughout Southwest Colorado, but recently, two of our team members headed out on a week-long adventure. This trip was a series of experiences for us, spent with close friends and a community of adventurers who followed and partnered with our 10 day, 2600 mile journey to Moab, Utah. Every one of our trips has had its fair share of memories and solidified the meaning of how close the 4Runner community is. When our team decided to take this trip, our partners and followers behind Team4Runner made it all worth it.

March is a bit early for high elevation travel but generally great for red rock country. We topped off the gas tank and headed off Saturday morning for Colorful Colorado. A long drive through Western Nebraska took us down to Denver, Colorado for the night. The next morning, we stopped to throw our skis on for a day at Winter Park and we spent the evening in Aspen. Colorado is known for its iconic landscapes, the Rockies, and the backcountry traveling; where Utah is known for its very dry climate. Moab is a place of history, beauty, and endless miles of off-road trails. A place regarded, as “never to be forgotten.” It is a place every outdoor enthusiast must encounter.

The first thing we did was hop on Willow Springs 4×4 trail. There was a lot of serenity on the backcountry with civilization disappearing into our rear view mirror, cell signals fading, and no social media. We 4Wheeled all morning, but since it was too early to call it a day, we backtracked to the turn and pressed on. Soon we were sitting at the edge of Arches National Park.

When we arrived, even our first glance left us in awe at the range of backcountry trails, scenic drives, climbing crags, and 4Wheel drive terrain we had before our eyes. The grandeur of Grand County was our 4Runner’s best friend. Being there felt as if there wasn’t enough time in the world to discover the limitlessness of this adventure. The beautiful Red Rock Cliffs and the Arches are breathtaking, and the moderate trails were the perfect test for our stock 3rdGen 4Runner. Our next day in Moab we grabbed our 4WD Guide book and headed for Gemini Bridges. We had to drive it purely for its reputation in Moab as being one of the most popular trails. A short way down Gemini Bridges road we turned down on Bull Canyon, a more moderate trail route. It was a beautiful day as we dropped down into the sandy wash bottom creek. We drove out to the end of Bull Canyons Upper trail and stopped to grab some photos and video of us blasting through the watery creek up the steep sandy incline. We spent some time soaking up the rocky red hiking trails that lead to the arch before backtracking down Bull Canyon. We continued down Gemini where we were able to make up some time with some speed on the lonesome trail. Close edges, narrow trails, and a sandy wash bottom lead to multiple beautiful look outs. Aside from the scenery, the trails itself were challenging at times and we were able to put our 4LO to the test in multiple areas. These few trails were considerably moderate but a blast to do in a day.