All Access Pass
A Field Trip to Bedrock Leads to a Fiesta on Top of the World
Vehicles of all shapes and sizes came through. Electric oranges, lime greens, crimson, even an ultra-violet RZR appeared in the Lonny Boy’s parking lot almost in homage to the diverse set of humans – young and old(er) – who took the time to join The Trail Hero’s beloved Kids Access Ride. An amalgamation of skills, backgrounds, ages and hometowns showed up to this early morning meetup which speaks to the core of the event.
While they don’t advertise it as such, this is an experience crafted for children with special needs. As founder Rich Klein explained, these “needs” consist of a wide range of conditions. Maybe a child has social anxieties. Perhaps learning is a challenge or holding onto attention or instead they face domestic or socioeconomic difficulties. Whatever their circumstance, this program was made for them.
The kids seemed to appear out of nowhere. At one moment, Rich was briefing the volunteers and in the next, he was pumping up a group of quiet, maybe slightly apprehensive, young people. Outside looking in, they looked like your average group of junior high students – some shy, if not indifferent, while others were sporadically hyper or even genuinely interested in what lay ahead.
Chaperones herded their youth through the stations: pick up shirt, grab breakfast, find driver, suit up, go! When it came time to set off, the pace was locked on Easy Does It. Terry, the fearless trail leader only slipped up once, “accidently” stepping on the pedal for a long, whooped out section of sandy two-track buzzing along a flimsy wire fence line. For some, it was reprieve from an uneventful rock-crawler pace. For others, skimming at speed over slippery rollers may have stirred up some uneasiness. Though no one would ever admit it.
While the fictional city of Bedrock is likely a mystery to that generation, organizers wanted to introduce the kids to The Flintstones (or at least their house). A sandstone “castle” perched atop one of thousands of mesas in the area, shaped over millennia by shifting winds and sudden downpours. A perfect destination to award the assorted convoy of UTVs, Jeeps, trucks and buggies – filled to the brim with youngsters – after overcoming a fairly exigent, albeit approachable, expedition.
The lunch break offered more than just sandwiches, but a glimpse into the past. Highly porous, therefore tenacious, the rock lent itself to the tweens as a literal playground in which they felt free to climb and explore and hide away from prying eyes or perky ears. It was hard to tell exactly how they felt in the cars, but here, they let loose. And hey, when you’re 12, anything’s better than being in the classroom.
Check out some shots from the Trail Breaker Last Chance Qualifier
And yet, this wasn’t the only meal held at the end of a trail today. As the sun began to sink towards the horizon, an indiscriminate group of side-by-sides gathered at Polaris’ booth overlooking Sand Hollow beach. The American manufacturer planned to host a ride of their own, guiding a group of industry VIPs to The Top of the World, if not pretty close. This path provided much of the same obstacles (sometimes exactly) from earlier, but the tempo – as one might imagine – was dialed up to Weeee! A game of Catch Me If You Can for the front runners and sightseeing for those who hung back, the journey brought some much needed excitement to build up an appetite.
Cresting the final hill climb, UTVs tipped their noses down to a spectacular vista. The walls of sage bushes or ravines obstructed much of the greater picture. Narrowing the view away from the sprawling plateaus of the region to only a camel-colored halfpipe in your direct line of sight. So, when that fell away to reveal wide ominous bluffs, textured tablelands in the distance and a shimmery moss green covering everything, it felt like you’d truly reached a pinnacle.
Maybe 30 UTVs were parked on the cliffside, encircling two pop-up tents and a pair of Polaris Generals purpose built for joy…and snacks. Claiming to be the most versatile platform in the industry, some folks put their money where their mouths are and gave the powersports community not one, but TWO genius concoctions. First up, the brainchild of Keith Hook (ahem, publisher of UTV Sports) whose gift for cooking carne asada tacos inspired his remodeling. Not to go into too much detail, the rear unfolds into an outdoor grill and prep station with led spotlights to serve delicious eats all day, and night, long. Look out for our full Taco Party Build Breakdown coming soon! The ultimate wingman, Polaris stripped down their multipurpose machine to make a bitchin’ ice cream truck. Tucked into two cubbies at the bed were hidden gems in the shape of ice cream sandwiches, a perfect size to quell the fire radiating heat in your mouth from too much habanero hot sauce.
The evening wound down with a rousing night ride to Sand Mountain in an effort to watch the event’s premiere of Top Gun: Maverick thrown against three different rock faces. An all-natural movie screen for the drive-through was just a bonus for those already anxious to watch (or re-watch) the long-awaited sequel. For the third time today, vessels congregated somewhere spectacular at a unique Trail Hero sanctioned occasion. Whether it was to see a flick, party in the sky or do a little good, guests did one main thing altogether. They helped pump blood through the heart of the event.
Stay tuned all week as Trail Hero unfolds with special morning rides, favorite vendors, a drag race, concerts, crawling and more. Find the schedule of events here: https://www.thetrailhero.com/event_details
