The History of Cruise Moab (from https://www.cruisemoab.com/the-history-of-cruise-moab/)
The first TLCA “Unofficial Moab Get Together” Event was held on April 29 to May 5, 1996. Al Roth “Candle Stick” a member of the Toyota Land Cruiser Association (TLCA) and the Gold Coast Cruisers of Oxnard, California came up with the idea of having Toyota owners get together and 4-wheel in Moab. He printed the idea in the Nov/Dec 1995 issue of Toyota Trails. He got a large response from cruiser heads wanting to do it. Al printed some “UNOFFICIAL MOAB GET TOGETHER” t-shirts and headed out to Moab in his FJ40 on April 27, 1996. Al was also transporting “LC” the Armadillo on its cross county journey. “LC” was the TLCA mascot, which started his journey on the East Coast, and was being carried from one TLCA Chapter to the next by way of Land Cruisers and Mini Trucks until it reached the West Coast.
About 36 Cruisers and Mini Trucks showed up at the Slick Rock Campground. Al had never been there and didn’t know any of the trails. As it turned out Dave Brown “Red Fox” another TLCA member just happened to be staying at Slick Rock Campground wheeling with some friends. Dave’s group had been wheeling in Moab for several years and knew the area pretty well. Dave “Red Fox” and his friends led Al and the “Unofficial Cruise Moab” group on the trails through Canyon Lands. It was so much fun for everyone that they wanted it to become an annual event. Kevin Ehrlick from the Rising Sun Club of Denver, Colorado volunteered to have Rising Sun host the event the following year.
The event, this year....
Several participants at the 25th annual Cruise Moab, a Toyota Land Cruiser Association (“TLCA”) sanctioned event of the Rising Sun Four Wheel Drive Club of Colorado, were there at the 1996 start. Clubs, associations, and Cruise Moabs are about community. Life is more fun with good people, and these are among the best.
Cruise Moab is Rising Sun’s signature event. We get to see old friends from distant places, reinforce bonds, and make new ones. We get to see the expressions of awe, fear, excitement, and accomplishment on newcomers who arrive uncertain and leave confident with new vision. Even sitting here at a keyboard my heart rate increases thinking back on the hundreds of amazing experiences related to Cruise Moab.
Like any event, Cruise Moab begins months, nearly a year, before anyone drives a trail. There is a hardworking and dedicated Cruise Moab Committee. This year’s Cruise Moab Chairperson Matt Farr has been on the Committee sixteen (16) years. Many Committee members have been on for similar numbers of years. Others join Rising Sun and hop right onto the Committee after hearing how they are likely to have the best experience of their life. Wasatch Cruisers is the TLCA Chapter in the Salt Lake area and a close partner in making Cruise Moab happen.
This year Committee member Ray Romero reached out to Toyota and after much hard work, phone calls, and Zoom meetings we were honored to host 25 Toyota engineers as our guests. The privilege for us was to talk shop with the people who create the machines we love. The privilege for them was to see how their creations transform lives.
Outside of Cruise Moab but the same week, Ray and I got to guide the Toyota crew with the pre-production 2023 Sequoia Hybrid, and 2022 Tundra Pro Hybrid, and 2021 Tacoma Pro. That was awesome.
Our Vendor Night and Raffle Dinner were amazing. Everyone wanted more time to see all the great supporting vendors and old friends.
A highlight for me was taking a picture with longtime Rising Sun member and former TLCA President Dave Brown in front of the 20th Anniversary Cruise Moab quilt made by Sarah Sherk, owner of Stickers the 80.
We had a super-successful Ladies-Run. The number of woman owned, built, and driven rigs is yet another inspiration to CM participants.
We had two Mega Cruisers and the only known electric conversion 80 (see the “EV Cruiser” article in this issue).
No article can come even close to capturing Cruise Moab so we hope you can attend one year. I am grateful to have had so many amazing experiences through Rising Sun, Cruise Moab, and the vehicles created by Toyota.
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