Jul 17, 2023
The following recap isn't exhaustive and I didn't take many pics or any notes, so times and distances are just estimates. There are surely details that I missed. Also, I'm getting old and my memory just isn't what it used to be, so I may be remembering some of the details completely wrong. For others that have participated, please add your experiences to this thread and correct me where I'm wrong.
Since we were the first group of "clients" to go through, things may change slightly by the time others get to experience it. Either way, it was VERY well organized and executed, so major kudos to the men and women who put this program together. They did a FANTASTIC job of keeping things moving along on schedule with absolutely no hiccups at all.
The first 60-90 minutes was geared toward showcasing the capabilities of the truck and there wasn't much driving. It was essentially an interactive orientation, discussion, and Q&A designed to ease everyone into the experience. One of the participants was chosen (or voluntold😄 ) to drive a Raptor through a short terrain course between the Basecamp and the parking lot where all of the Raptors were staged. The professional coaches assigned to the group guided & highlighted the features and unique capabilities of the Raptor while the other participants walked alongside to observe.
Once we made it to the parking lot, we were given our assigned Raptor for the day and it was all seat time from there. My wife and I were assigned a pristine Code Orange Raptor with a whopping 275 miles on it! Our group had 6 Raptors (2 of us also had wives with us, so 8 participants total) that were split into 2 smaller groups of 3 each. Each group had a dedicated instructor riding shotgun in the lead truck to guide the activities and all trucks had 2 way radios for comms/instructions. I heard a rumor that a couple of trucks were even wired up with video, but thankfully ours was not.
The first driving event was a short, low speed trail loop in the area around Basecamp that was primarily mild rock crawling and obstacles. When necessary, the Coach would exit the lead truck and help guide the following drivers so that we all successfully navigated the terrain. This event concluded with a quick lunch at Basecamp before heading out to Raptor Valley for the afternoon.
The Trip to Raptor Valley was 20-25 miles of desert trail driving, again with the instructor riding shotgun in the lead truck while calling out various hazards that deserved attention and offering suggestions of how to best approach & maneuver over/around/through them. Each truck was given enough space and distance for the driver to operate at a comfortable pace, but our Coach did a great job of keeping the group together. In retrospect, each of the drivers, though Raptor owners, was somewhat timid with the terrain and were obviously concerned with the possibility that we might break something on our precious, fragile trucks. And then we were introduced to Raptor Valley.
Everyone staged in the pit area at Raptor Valley to put on our helmets and grab a cold box of water (yes, box) before, as the kids say, "things got real". As we were preparing to make our way back to our trucks, the lead Coach gathered us together and said "Hey, we've got a surprise for you!" At that moment, a white Raptor came sliding sideways into the pits (at a safe distance) in a cloud of dust-filled glory, and the face of Vaughn Gittin, Jr. appeared! He jumped out of the Raptor, offered a quick welcome and a rundown of what Raptor Valley is all about, then trotted over to our group and was high-fiving, dusting knuckles, and shaking hands. Then my wife turned to me and said, "Who was that? He seems nice!"😂 I don't know if he'll be there to do that for every group, but I can't unsee it. And it was AWESOME!
There were 3 different driving activities at Raptor Valley: a rock crawling trail, the Baja-inspired Raptor Run course, and the Ultra4 course.
My group started with the rock crawling trail which included rock gardens, 25-30* inclines/declines, and a rock waterfall with a couple of 4-5' rock ledges to drop down. For the first part of this, we used the Bronco Trail Control feature. Although we own two 6th gen Broncos and have taken them off-road several times, this is the first time I've actually used this feature. In this scenario, it was fantastic! Just set your speed and steer; the Bronco does all the heavy lifting. It's that simple.
For the race courses, each truck staged and waited in sequence for a Coach-driven hot lap. Each driver moved to the passenger seat and anxiously waited on the Coach to hop in and show us what kind of beating these Raptors can really take. After the hot lap, it was our turn. The Coach swapped seats with us and guided us as we drove 2 laps at-speed on each course. When I say the courses were rough, I mean they were ROUGH! They were full of rocks, ruts, dips, hard edges, etc..., and we plowed through them all! TWICE on each course! As many have asked, there was indeed a tabletop jump on the Ultra 4 course, and we aired it out! I don't mean just a 1 foot bunny hop to say we caught air. It was a proper full-throttle, Saturn V moonshot launch (if you had the nerve for it)! As if that wasn't enough excitement, when the entire group had completed the Ultra4 course, Mr. Gittin, Jr. was standing-by to offer a ride-along hot lap for any takers. One of the ladies in our group was pretty apprehensive about it, but the first thing she said when she hopped out of the truck afterward was "I wish I had asked him to go faster!" The enthusiastic smile on her face was pure gold!
Once we finished our time at Raptor Valley, we headed back to Raptor Basecamp on a different 15-20 mile desert trail. In discussing this with a group member afterwards, we both agreed that whatever notions we previously held regarding the internet-inspired perceived fragility of the Bronco were long gone. Instead of worrying about what might break, we just enjoyed the ride while letting the Warthog do what it was designed to do: eat whatever terrain was in front of it and leave a trail of pure joy in it's wake.
To end the day, we pulled into Basecamp and surrendered our beasts to their caretakers to be prepared for the next day's lucky participants while we, a newly-minted group of Bronco Raptor apostles, were treated to a sunset meal in the Bronco Pavilion before being dispatched on our separate ways to extoll the previously unimaginable virtues of our beloved Bronco Raptors to the unwashed masses in Sin City and beyond.
The staff was outstanding! The facility was fantastic! The participants shared our love of the Bronco Experience! The scenery could not have been more beautiful!
For my wife and I, it was truly THE Bronco experience of a lifetime and we're grateful to have been a part of it.
CVSaporito, Big Papa