By Jessica Robison

Moapa Valley Progress

The Vegas Valley 4-Wheelers (VV4W) club held its 31st annual Hump N Bump event in Logandale on November 4-5. People came from all over the country to wind their way through the challenging obstacles on the rugged roads in the Logandale Trails area.

Attendees met and camped at the south end of the Logandale Fairgrounds. Over 400 people were in attendance by the time of the first run early Friday morning.

On Friday evening, the event partnered up with Logandale Fire Station #73 in a special community event. Several drivers braved wind and rainy conditions to run a special obstacle course set up by the firefighters. The course was built to challenge any 4×4 owner who wanted to give it a shot. But the difficulty was magnified by rainy and muddy conditions.

On Saturday morning, the sun rose to a cool, clear fall morning. Around 200 vehicles had registered to participate in the trail run.

“This has been our biggest turnout ever,” Jeff Jorgensen, coordinator of the Hump N Bump, stated. “Our numbers are definitely increasing.”

Adventure seekers bundled up in coats and blankets to prepare for the chilly ride through their trail of choice. Various trails in the system were especially named for the event including names like Bronco Falls, Matterhorn, Rock Bottom, Shedder, and more.

These weren’t just any 4×4 vehicles. In order for them to navigate over the rugged terrain, they needed some special modification.

One of the more important of these is what the participants called lockers. Lockers enhance the tires’ traction and force them to spin together. If one tire is stuck in sand, the other will not start spinning out of control. Rather they will both spin at the same speed until the vehicle is no longer stuck.

Big, rugged wheels are also a must. “You can really tell the difference between a wheel that is 33 inches and 35 inches tall,” said Elizabeth Strohn, an experienced driver and member of the VV4W. “At 33 inches, it will be bumpy and you will hit a lot of rocks. But at 35 inches, it’s smoother. You just roll right over the bumps.”

In terrain like this every driver also needs a spotter. “When you’re on a difficult obstacle, you usually can’t see the tires,” VV4W member Mark Adams said. Adams is an experienced spotter. “The spotter will point out the easiest and safest way to get past the obstacle.”

On Saturday, Adams took the position of trail leader on the Matterhorn trail. About ten vehicles followed him with Doug Fenner acting as the Tail Gunner. “It’s our job to make sure everyone is safe and nobody is left behind,” Fenner said.

Fenner has been off-roading off and on since before he had his driver’s license. He made most of the modifications to his large orange Dodge 4×4 himself. He takes on the obstacles with 38 inch tires and plenty of experience.

To get to the trailhead of the Matterhorn, the group drove through a sandy trail and across large rocks; all while admiring the beautiful scenery and natural landscape.

“We’re conservationists,” Fenner reported. “We stay on the trails so as not to damage the plants or animals. We also keep trash bags on the back of our jeeps so, if we see any trash along the way, we can stop and pick it up. Our club loves to come out to Logandale and Overton and we don’t want to abuse the privilege.”

The group eventually came to its first real obstacle. The drivers had to maneuver their vehicles to climb a set of steep stone steps. There were numerous ways to get stuck. Adams went first, making it look easy. Then, he stopped and spotted the other drivers in the group.

“Mark is probably the most experienced spotter I know,” Fenner commented. “If it came down to his judgment or mine… I’d choose his. He’s one of the few people I trust to spot me because my truck is so much bigger than average.”

The next obstacle was similar to the first. However, the steps were far higher, some reaching up to five feet high.

“You have to watch what the other vehicles are doing,” Fenner explained, eyeing the drivers ahead of him. “You have to come in at the right angle and be able to see where the tires will be and what they’re going to do. Vehicle placement is critical. Mere inches determine whether or not you succeed.”

One jeep was not fully equipped with lockers and was unable to get passed the obstacle. The driver took a detour up a dirt hill and came around the other side to rejoin the group.

“There’s no shame if you can’t make the obstacle,” Fenner remarked.

The drivers continued along the trail, successfully passing the obstacles. They communicated by radio and fully enjoyed each other’s company.

One of the final obstacles was a steep rock slope. To climb to the top of this obstacle, the vehicles were forced into a vertical position so the driver and passengers were looking straight up into the blue sky.

It took about seven hours to travel the Matterhorn trail. On the drive back to the fairgrounds, Fenner explained what goes through his head as he is climbing tall rocks with his truck.

“You’re very focused on what you’re doing,” he said. “Nothing else matters. You’re just trying to make it up without crashing.”

“It’s kind of a stress reliever because I get so focused that I can’t think of anything else,” he continued. “I’m just out in the open air and desert.”

To finish off the event, the VV4W raffled off the big prizes. Everything from tires to winches, bumpers, gift cards, and hand-made quilts were given to the lucky winners. These prizes, worth about $45,000 all together, were donated by various sponsors. The money made from the raffle helped cover the cost of the event and also went to organizations such as Partners in Conservation, Tread Lightly, Blue Ribbon Coalition and others.

“We really appreciate the support we received from the Moapa Valley community,” Jorgensen said.

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