Greetings,

My name is Melissa Fischer and I am one of the Ambassadors for Driveoffroad.com. I also blog for our local Moab Jeep club, Moab Friends for Wheelin’. You can check out some of my other blogs at http://webejeepinmoab.com

I was really excited to have Tracy Shayhorn come and visit with us local and semi-local lady Jeepers during the Easter Jeep Safari and to explain to her my passion for Jeeping as well as to teach and share the sport with other drivers. I was also thrilled when she took to it like a fish in water and I had her driving my Jeep up the slickrock on her very first day. By the end of the week, she was even driving our big rigs in Area BFE. Cool, huh?

Driving Jeeps off-road is a wonderful way to get outdoors, meet great people, and learn to challenge yourself. It doesn’t take any special skills, strength, or even a heavily modified vehicle. I know this on a personal level because even I can do it. In 2005, I moved to Utah and started modifying my 2002 Jeep Wrangler.

This is my Jeep, prior to modification out on Schafer Trail in Canyonlands National Park back in 2004 when I lived in Arizona.

In 2006, I made my first real upgrades which included a Tera-Flex Long Arm Kit and gigantic 33″ tires and of course, sweet rims. I’m still driving open here and had no limited slip or lockers, stock drivelines and axles, including the little Dana 30 axle up front. Then I went out to tackle Hole in the Rock down by Lake Powell which is a beautiful trail by the way.

Was I scared of this obstacle? Terrified!

I enjoyed the challenges and loved being out in the back county so kept on with the Jeep modifications. Eventually my Moab TJ looked like this.

This is me going over White Knuckle Hill at Easter Week in 2008. By this time, I had upgraded to Dana 44′s front and rear, ARB lockers front and rear, had my winch installed and thought I was “all that”. That was, until I tried to conquer Pritchett Canyon. My stock wheel base and little tires left me struggling on Pritchett so it was either major overhaul or look for another Jeep.

Then I ended up purchasing my “Big” Jeep Redroxx. Yes this was one ugly Jeep in need of upgrading but the price was right and I could play in the meantime. This was the photo I found of her on Ebay.

I have put tons of upgrades and mods on Redroxx, probably too many to mention. My favorite ones are putting the full width Dana 60 under the front and the 40″ tires. Now, we go almost anywhere together (as long as its not too narrow!)

If you’re wondering what this blogger looks like, I’ve sent you a photo…..

Thanks all and hope to see you on the trail. If I get to do another blog with Drive Offroad, I will feature another local lady driver.

Melissa

I’m looking forward to another great Easter Jeep Safari in Moab.  This is the 45^th year for this event.

Honestly, I can run the Moab trails anytime throughout the year, but what makes the event so much fun is seeing friends from all over the country that I rarely get to see otherwise and checking out all of the cool vehicles.  You can always bet that the vendors bring are going to bring out their best stuff, too.  This year there is a lot of hype about the six new “Moparized” Jeep® vehicles that will be out strutting their stuff.  You can check them out in one of our previous blog posts here.

The weather is usually “interesting”.  There is often snow on the mountains while it may be sunny in town…or it may rain…or snow flurries may appear—all within a few hours.

Chrysler Communications confirmed to us that Jeep will be making their annual new product announcements at 12:15PM on Wednesday, April 20th. and BF Goodrich, Tread Lightly!, and the United 4WD Associations will be announcing their 2011 Outstanding Trails.

Will you be out there?  If not, you can hear all about it on our blog.  ~ Dave Logan