Cruising the Kokopelli Trail

The Daniels go deep into Land Cruiser land

For enthusiasts of the Toyota Land Cruiser, Cruise Moab is a pilgrimage to Mecca, the Super Bowl, and Christmas all rolled into one sprawling celebration of the most capable overland vehicle ever built. This year’s event ran from April 24-27 in the stunning canyon lands surrounding Moab, Utah. But for uber-enthusiasts, like my son-in-law Daniel Molloy, four days is not enough. We started on April 20, driving the Kokopelli Trail, 150 miles from Mack, Colorado to Moab, Utah, over rocks, drops, mud, and dirt in a convoy of fifteen.

I was delighted Daniel asked me to join. I had never been on an extended 4-wheel drive adventure, nor had I explored the area around Moab. Two months after Julie’s death, I was ready for a change of scenery and time outdoors. We drove 8.5 hours from Boise to the Rabbit Valley Campground in Colorado, about 30 miles northwest of Grand Junction, and camped in tents.

On the morning of April 21, we gathered with our Cruise Moab trail companions for vehicle checks and a briefing on our travel plan. The terrain would range from easy two-track and sand to technical crawling over rock. We would encounter large washes, rocky climbs, steep descents, long stretches of wide-open space, obstacles, and ledges. Elevation would range from 4,000 feet along the Colorado River to over 8,500 feet in the La Sal Mountain range. Our two-way radios were to tune to Channel 16 so the trip lead, Alan, could provide advice and guidance along the way. A “mid-gunner” and “tail-gunner” would ensure that everyone made the proper turns and no one got lost or stuck.

After just an hour on the trail, I came to appreciate the kind of rugged terrain that a Land Cruiser could easily surmount.

Land Cruisers have an international reputation as extremely durable and dependable off-road vehicles. They are the preferred transport for groups as diverse as the United Nations, the Taliban, and herders in Mongolia. Stock Land Cruisers are highly capable vehicles, but a wide range of modifications enable yet more impressive feats of four-wheeling, and those potential changes were the source of countless (for me, sometimes endless) hours of conversation over meals and in camp.

Members of the trail team had a stunning depth of knowledge about Land Cruisers and their evolution over the last seventy years. They spoke fluidly about all the different series, models, the engines in each model, the international variations in the models, how a particular model could break, how to fix it, and how to make it perform even better.

None of the Land Cruisers on the Kokopelli Trail trip were stock. All at least had a “lift” that increased the height of the vehicle over the axles to improve ground clearance and allow for larger wheels and tires. Some had moved the spare tire from the vehicle’s underside to a mounted rack on the back tail gate to further improve ground clearance and allowed for yet bigger tires. Larger wheels allow the rigs to traverse more challenging obstacles; they also look awesome. “Rock sliders” bolted to the rocker panels and armor underneath prevented expensive damage to the body, drive trains, and engines. Together a lift, large wheels, mounting racks, and armor increased weight and rolling resistance so the rigs with those modifications also had made changes to the engine to increase horsepower.

Then there were the accessories like winches, running lights, and snorkel filters to keep the vehicles running in dusty conditions…and tools…and camping gear…and stories of past rides…and an unending list of topics related to Land Cruisers that captivated every driver the minute they started talking to each other. Conversation on all these topics was easy, frequent, and long.

Our tribe was bound by a love for the Land Cruiser and a shared belief in its obvious superiority to lesser off-road vehicles, like Jeeps or the blasted side-by-side ATVs. Land Cruisers occupied the apex, bestriding the mountain top of capability, functionality, and cool. Of course, every in-group has its own hierarchy and after a day, I knew the pecking order within our merry band.

At the bottom of the ladder, were the non-Land Cruiser Toyotas. Our trail leader had a Tacoma pickup, which in any other context would be an esteemed off-road truck. However, the Taco’s longer wheelbase compared to the Land Cruisers had gotten Alan hung up on rocks the prior year. Within the first day, I heard the story about how everyone had to get out, lift and push him off the rocks. None of the Land Cruisers got stuck in that spot. The next level in esteem were the modern 200 series Land Cruisers with all of the mods done in a shop. One of the 200 series drivers was a former Lamborghini salesman named Don who knew what had trail cred and so had just gone out and bought it. He was part of our tribe but lacked authenticity and grit. Near the top of the hierarchy was Daniel’s rig and the three other 80 series Cruisers built in the 1990s. These vehicles have solid axles with a coil suspension that made them especially capable on the trail in contrast to the more modern 100 and 200 series with independent suspensions that offered a smoother ride on the highway at the cost of durability on the trail.

At the very pinnacle of the Land Cruiser stack stood Marley. He had an 80 series Cruiser with huge tires, rock sliders, a sturdy rear rack for the spare tire and a swing-out surface to serve as a trail kitchen. Most impressively, he had replaced the stock engine from Toyota with General Motors LS V-8 with over 400 horsepower. He was an expert driver who had raced in the Baja 1000, and he was a Toyota certified mechanic who did all his own work. He was as comfortable with a welding torch as he was behind the wheel scaling a near vertical rock wall. Smart, funny, and an indefatigable storyteller, Marley oozed Cruiser cred.

Land Cruiser fever is not just about the vehicles and people who drive them. It’s also about the places those rigs can take you. The scenery on the Kokopelli was stunning! An immense and austere beauty loomed outside our windshield at every turn. We ate lunch next to dinosaur tracks imprinted in stone. We camped next to sheer canyon walls hundreds of feet tall that gazed down on strong currents of the Colorado River. This is country you don't see from a paved road.

I enjoyed my immersion in the Land Cruiser subculture but sometimes grew weary of it and so made a point of pitching my tent away from the campfires so I could escape for a walk or a rest with my Bose headphones and favorite playlist. In my moments alone, Julie often entered my thoughts. There is no escaping grief. Camping in nature, surrounded by profound beauty, recalled trips that Julie and I had taken together. I would think how she would have loved this or that aspect of the day’s adventure and how she really wouldn’t have liked this other part at all! Sometimes the memories and thoughts were sweet and comforting, sometimes they made me feel terribly sad. Thoughts of Julie emerged and receded but were never far away.

We were happy to make it to Moab after three days on the trail and to check into a hotel for showers and comfy beds. Daniel had three more days of four-wheeling on Cruise Moab trails while I took the chance to explore the area’s famous mountain bike trails on a rented full-suspension bike. I had a blast and didn’t crash.

This first episode in my four months of travel made me feel yet better about my summer plans. My emotional journey through grief is deepened and enhanced by physically moving through new and beautiful natural surroundings. I’m glad to have started that process with my son-in-law Daniel.