Jun 30, 2021
If you can't decide whether or not to attend one, let me decide for you - GO! Whether you've never been off the pavement, or you're an experienced rock crawler, you'll have fun, learn something, maybe even pass along some knowledge. Plus, you're driving somebody else's (Fords') Broncos, so you don't have to worry about some paint scratches, bumper dings, or bent skidplates. Just drive 'em like rentals - they're preproduction vehicles that will never be sold or driven on public roads, anyway. I've been off-roading for years - south Texas dirt, beaches, Katemcy Rocks, Hidden Falls, Chili Challenge out in New Mexico - but the Texas Hill Country is just about the prettiest place to be. Yeah, it was hot, and humid, but it's late June in Texas, of course it is. Wear some shorts, a light colored shirt, a hat, and some sunblock. Take plenty of water.
I ordered a 2 door BaseSquatch w/2.7L, the closest vehicle there to choose from was a 2 door Big Bend w/2.7L and the Squatch package, so that's what I drove the day and a half of my visit. Pretty sparse, 8" screen, no trail cameras, only a few GOAT modes - but that's pretty much what I'm getting so it was fine. Capable, too - it made child's play out of any of the obstacles out on the trails. Water in the creek beds up to the top of the tires, mud after the storms that rolled through, slippery pink granite, steep, off camber climbs and descents...no problem. There were a few times where at least one of the tires was up in the air, but with the lockers and the ABS groaning away, it always found traction. I left the lockers off most of the time just to see how well it would do without them, most of the time they weren't needed. If I made a try at an obstacle and didn't make it the first time (wheel spin), the guide spotting me would have me engage them and boom...Instant Traction. The "Trail turn assist" (Donut Mode) that locks the inside rear tire on tight low speed turns is handy. A few ergonomic quibbles with the interior - one of the A/C vents is blocked by the steering wheel, my right leg was rubbing the center console, left knee is sore after whacking the door panel too many times (there's a rubber pad there but it's not much help), and the top of the door panel is pretty hard where you rest your left arm. The back seats don't fold flat.
The guides - we had Josh, Bryan, and Carlos - are great, they know their stuff and having them spot us on the tougher obstacles made it easy. The higher-end models with the trail cameras and the 12" screen make it possible to do you your own spotting - you can see what's in front of the vehicle, behind, and every tire with the cameras in the bottom of the mirror housings. The facility is first class, people are professional, food was delicious.
I didn't stay in the resort hotel, I booked a room in Marble Falls, only about 15 minutes away (and a lot cheaper). Breakfast can be a challenge in town though, the hotel I was at only had a "cold" breakfast (Fruit Loops and some weak orange juice), don't count on going through a drive through in town and grabbing some tacos, every place I saw was closed. Finally found a donut shop and a taco shop down the road and scored some excellent bacon and eggs tacos. If you stay at the resort hotel, there is a shuttle bus to take you back and forth. If you're driving in, the entrance is on Hwy 71, just about 8 miles west of US 281. Look for the small signs on the driveway, hard to see from the highway at 70 mph.
I ordered a 2 door BaseSquatch w/2.7L, the closest vehicle there to choose from was a 2 door Big Bend w/2.7L and the Squatch package, so that's what I drove the day and a half of my visit. Pretty sparse, 8" screen, no trail cameras, only a few GOAT modes - but that's pretty much what I'm getting so it was fine. Capable, too - it made child's play out of any of the obstacles out on the trails. Water in the creek beds up to the top of the tires, mud after the storms that rolled through, slippery pink granite, steep, off camber climbs and descents...no problem. There were a few times where at least one of the tires was up in the air, but with the lockers and the ABS groaning away, it always found traction. I left the lockers off most of the time just to see how well it would do without them, most of the time they weren't needed. If I made a try at an obstacle and didn't make it the first time (wheel spin), the guide spotting me would have me engage them and boom...Instant Traction. The "Trail turn assist" (Donut Mode) that locks the inside rear tire on tight low speed turns is handy. A few ergonomic quibbles with the interior - one of the A/C vents is blocked by the steering wheel, my right leg was rubbing the center console, left knee is sore after whacking the door panel too many times (there's a rubber pad there but it's not much help), and the top of the door panel is pretty hard where you rest your left arm. The back seats don't fold flat.
The guides - we had Josh, Bryan, and Carlos - are great, they know their stuff and having them spot us on the tougher obstacles made it easy. The higher-end models with the trail cameras and the 12" screen make it possible to do you your own spotting - you can see what's in front of the vehicle, behind, and every tire with the cameras in the bottom of the mirror housings. The facility is first class, people are professional, food was delicious.
I didn't stay in the resort hotel, I booked a room in Marble Falls, only about 15 minutes away (and a lot cheaper). Breakfast can be a challenge in town though, the hotel I was at only had a "cold" breakfast (Fruit Loops and some weak orange juice), don't count on going through a drive through in town and grabbing some tacos, every place I saw was closed. Finally found a donut shop and a taco shop down the road and scored some excellent bacon and eggs tacos. If you stay at the resort hotel, there is a shuttle bus to take you back and forth. If you're driving in, the entrance is on Hwy 71, just about 8 miles west of US 281. Look for the small signs on the driveway, hard to see from the highway at 70 mph.
rws, D190065
