Adventures in Moab with Yeti and Yolo
Produced in Partnership With
Words and Photography Jason Stilgebouer Video: Bryan (Bam) Mccarthy & Brant Page
Moab is often referred to as the mecca for all things adventure, from hiking and mountain biking to white water rafting and kayaking; the southwestern canyons of Utah is a location with endless opportunities to explore. But we weren’t there to do any of those things; we were there to tell stories. We arrived just in time for the annual Easter Jeep Safari presented by the Red Rock 4 Wheelers off-road club. Our first thing to do was meet up with nomad adventure partners Yeti and Yolo before we would hit the trails along some of the most scenic canyons in Utah. It was their first time at Easter Jeep Safari, which was making for an incredible few days with them.
Our video and production crew, our director/cinematographer Bryan McCarthy, Cinematographer Brant Page, and yours truly are on a mission with onX Offroad to put their mapping software to the test. Our goal was to adventure through the majestic off-road trails and tell the story of the nomadic adventure partners in Moab, Utah, embrace Easter Jeep Safari, and experience everything else along the way.
Their Jeep, affectionately called the Yeti, is their machine of choice during our adventure. It is a V8-powered Jeep Wrangler TJ that looks fresh out of a Mad Max movie; a beautiful sight to behold.
The onX Offroad app highlights more than 400,000 miles of rugged off-road trails throughout the country. It opens up a world of trip planning for noteworthy sites and points of interest. Using it in Moab was a breeze; all trails were marked and rated on level of difficulty. We were able to mark the waypoints for our morning meeting locations and share them with Yeti and Yolo. This app was a crucial tool for staying on the trail and knowing where to go next; the last thing we wanted was to end up on a trail our media vehicle wasn’t capable of doing.
As we explored Moab, we fell in love with it. The small town nestled in the towering canyons up-above us, the majestic Colorado River flows at the edge of town, Canyonlands, and Arches National Parks attract thousands to experience some of the most beautiful landscapes in the southwest. This year the annual Easter Jeep Safari brought hundreds of other off-road vehicles out to go explore some of the most famous trails and come together as a community and share the experience. Yeti and Yolo are no strangers to Moab; when they heard about EJS they got in their Jeep and drove 1000 miles from the Midwest and encountered a snowstorm and a few mechanical issues along the way.
Yolo was a senior graphic designer at a large corporation while at the time, she was running half marathons, kayaking, and taking her Jeep out on the occasional trail to explore. Yolo didn’t want to wait until she was retired to go explore life, so she quit her job and took to the road with Yeti. Along the way, on their nomadic adventures, they would compete in competitions and rallies with their Jeeps. She even entered the navigation-based all-female Rebelle Rally with her Jeep TJ. She has the true spirit of the off-road enthusiast and inspires women worldwide to go out and explore.
We arrived and were taken back by the glowing red canyons. We drove through a boulder on the trail that has fallen on the trail creating a rock tunnel, leaving enough room for a full-size vehicle to drive through. We found a sandy hill at the top of the trail, and Yeti asked us if we wanted them to rip around in the sand. We willingly said, “of course.” Sand flew everywhere as the V8 roars around the small area. Then it became clear why Yeti built this Jeep because it is different, and that is the point. It isn’t the typical Jeep; it goes against the grain of function and form. But it works.
The views of Moab only got better once we were on the rocks, but it was also the end of our trip. The great memories made in Utah of the incredible people who take ordinary and throw them into the wind. Adventure is a way of life for Yeti and Yolo, and no matter where they go or who they meet next, they will grace anyone with their heartwarming charm and sense to go explore. The earth is a big place, they have a lot of adventures make, and we can’t wait to see where they go next.
