A World of Its Own
Sand Hollow’s Off-Road Sanctuary Is Coming to a Close too Soon
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles…”
This word seems to come up a lot in Sand Hollow. One which ties together the event with its people and its purpose so tightly: perseverance. Both as a characteristic and a circumstance. As much as it defines a soldier – the heart and soul of this event – it can also describe the off-road community, another remarkable component of Trail Hero (TH), albeit in its own unique way. Both groups overcome adversity. Each faces their own hurdles, and each carries a reputation for determination. And it takes everyone, in-person and in-spirit, to make this charitable occasion so special. And, frankly, the Penultimate day of Trail Hero 2022 did not disappoint, beginning with a guided ride from Polaris down East Rim to South Rim through to the Flintstone House and back through the dunes.
They drove in a cloud of silt for many of the miles, blind of anything distinguishable on the path except the next pair of tires ahead. The caravan moved slowly at first. So many rigs showed up to the Polaris ride early Friday, kicking up dirt as they stomped down East Rim, that the whole atmosphere around them seemed to glow. If you took a big enough step back, the procession would appear almost like a herd of elephants walking across the savanna, head-to-heel in search of reprieve from the harsh morning sun. They revisited The Fallen memorial, a spot that, even without its great significance, is an incredible stop. From the top of the steps to the elevated shrine, a sliver of the reservoir peaks just above the horizon. It divides the brick colored sand and sage in the foreground from the lush green and blush red mesas and mountain ranges in the background.
“…A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave, five minutes longer. A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”
This sentiment from Superman himself, Christopher Reeve, seems quite apropos. A frank and poetic description of the principals of Trail Hero’s primary cause. You can’t completely recognize veterans without also paying homage to their comrades lost in action. Rich understands that. So, he and some friends built the memorial, put in the steps, added the benches, named the trails and obstacles, all in honor of those who served. The Fallen memorial was made as a sacred place for people to pay respects and leave tokens of love to their Remembered. Polaris led their convey here first. Then, it was time to explore one of the more picturesque routes in the park.
Although not terribly demanding for most of the journey, the environment provided endless sights to pull attention away from the road (at least for a moment). Each monument led to new terrain, new obstacles, more amazing vistas. Monster-Polaris Factory Driver and 2020 Dakar Rally Champion Casey Currie joined the excursion as well to basque in the beauty, dropping way back behind the pack to take the trails at a pace he’s more comfortable with: flat out. His comrades followed suit to show the guests what a RZR is really capable of with the pilot at the helm. It’s humbling, no doubt, to witness professional driving up close. And certainly funny when you had thought you were fast…until a world champion buzzes you across a valley of silt.
While eating melty ice cream sandwiches, riding with an all-star athlete and bonding with like-minded product loyalists is a notable affair, indeed, there are so many interesting things to do at the event, folks can’t focus on just one. Trail Hero is a Choose Your Own Adventure, offering stimulating and fulfilling exploits which cater to all sorts of tastes. Every decision alters the ambit of experience giving patrons infinite combinations of memories they can take home. The terrain supplies enthusiasts with a complex network of tracks, woven together in such a way that, if seen from space, the patterns would more closely resemble a Pollock painting. Insanity carved into the earth. Yet, with the help of GPS, apps like Onyx and repetition, navigation is a breeze. And the general practice of respect behind the wheel keeps the chaos controlled.
An incredible example of this is evident at TH’s beloved rock-crawling extravaganza. Bodies perched on every inch of usable space within the sandstone arena. Barely any standing room was left inside and the peaks surrounding the obstacle course were coated in people, coolers and the occasional lawn chair, with only strings of colorful flags separating them from the mayhem. Most of the audience was fully exposed to the oppressive heat, and still sat steadfast on the rocks, dedicated to watching every single minute – pink shoulders ‘n all. Seats, if you can call it that, were precarious at best, the barriers of safety were more like suggestions, alcohol was flowing and somehow, everyone managed to be on their best behavior. No casualties, no arguments, no (noticeable) heat stroke. Just hooting and hollering and a solid crew of volunteers to enforce the few rules which were present.
Sand Mountain hosted a true test of man and machine among those crags protruding midway up the sand “highway”. Coming back to our theme, perseverance, to “continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success” is likely the exact narrative of the BFGoodrich Tires Trail Breaker competition. Only one purpose-built rock monster was able to almost finish. So close, the time ran out just as the end was in sight. Even the judges let him keep pushing because, frankly, it was unlikely anyone would make it through that brand-new Trail Breaker course.
After conquering a majority of challenges – which are clearly a product of the devil – one man finally called it. He’d gone further than any of his opponents, but blew a CV joint trying to squeeze his vessel forward the extra ten or so meters to the American flag, signifying his success. Something that hadn’t occurred, not once, before our MVP of the tournament gave the performance of the day. He pushed until the clock stopped. The judges even let him continue to try, because, well, they wanted to see him overcome those last few feet. Instead, he further wedged himself, sideways, into the crack. Then a BOOM followed by a unified moan from the crowd told us his efforts were officially over. Nonetheless, every bystander was going wild. Just stoked to see someone open each of these “gates” – a pair of flags determining the path and a point to reset timing.
Excitement hadn’t faltered one bit by nightfall. If anything, that’s when Trail Hero reached its climax. After dinner, Rigid Industries and Baja Designs lined up another formidable cast of Jeeps, UTVs, buggies and trucks to take a moonlit stroll up West Rim. They rode through Golden Hour and once darkness finally settled, the auxiliary LEDs made their entrance. The natural features in this area are spectacular in daylight, yes. But there’s something serene and perhaps mysterious about traveling with only spotlights to reveal the way. The rocks were a perfect canvas to paint with light. Illuminated by moving the vehicles as if they were playing some sort of organic shadow puppet show as they passed. Although Rigid products are more intended for safety than theatrical entertainment, they can tap into the true character of the more passionate overlanders who’d like to “Own the Night.”
Keeping up with traditions, music closed out the evening. Even as they multiplied in the field, the concert-goers had the same feel-good vibe. Mostly, heads bobbed and voices carried as they sang along with the artists. Even during the interludes between sets, the backup dancers brought the energy to the party. Pretty country gals lined danced to every beat their DJ threw at them. The fellas at the foot of the stage added a bit of humor, if not eye-candy for the ladies in the audience. And even ticket holders jumped in, following along the moves from the ground floor. But the mood went from Seven to a Twenty when Colt Ford pulled up to the mic. His progressive country sounds fuse classic cowboy with modern metro, making him digestible for a wide range of fans. No one was more disappointed that day than when he finished his show. But it was short lived, because we still have one more day of festivity to look forward to at dawn!
It’s tough to accurately describe the scene here at Trail Hero 2022. To really do it justice, you need to see it for yourself. To smell the gasoline (even diesel) firsthand, feel a mix of sand and wind brush against your face at speed, and let the rays toast your skin. Like living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where metal and rubber mammoths have taken over the land, roaming free on the streets, at the beach, in the mountains and at our homes. A brief era of newfound freedoms, comradery and kindness when it counts. Where exploration, struggle and joy are equally encouraged pursuits.
Here, Rangers are the justice. A symbol of this Wild West being recreated for a week, immersing everything in a romantic past, with few exceptions like combustion engines, canned beers, toilets and TikTok. Humans, dogs and aluminum-steel giants wander readily throughout this domain finding pleasure in the unusual. Paragliders even made an appearance after the heat died down. Just another visual to add to the memory banks. It’s bittersweet to think this is all almost over. However, that’s nature. As with any incredible moment in history, this too shall come to an end…
But not yet.
Stay for our report from the final day of Trail Hero 2022 with special morning rides, favorite vendors, the drag race finals, a concert featuring Filter, Charity raffle, closing ceremonies and more. Find the schedule of events here: https://www.thetrailhero.com/event_details