ATV Adventures: The Paiute Trail Jamboree — more adventures in the backcountry
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- Above the timberline on the Tushar Mountains above Marysvale.
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- Riding the high mountain trails above Marysvale.
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- Lynn Blamires
August has become a big month for ATV jamborees, with Marysvale starting off with the Paiute Trail Jamboree. Designed for UTVs, this jamboree is packed with events you won’t want to miss, and it is free. There is no charge for registration, but you need to register to attend. You can ride with a guide on some of the best ATV trails in the country or use a detailed map to ride with your own group of friends.
Scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 3, through Saturday, Aug. 6, the jamboree is a week earlier than last year. The food for the jamboree is catered by Big Daddy’s of Monroe. While the jamboree is free, meal tickets are optional.
Marysvale offers some alternatives for dining, including Tomatoes for Italian food. The Chow Hound offers gourmet sandwiches and hot dogs, and the Paiute Trails Diner serves standard café food, including breakfast. For those coming in on Tuesday evening, a Food Truck Rally will be on location from 6-9 p.m.
Wednesday starts off with registration at Jamboree Headquarters in the Marysvale City Park pavilion. A self-guided poker run is an option on the opening day. Hands can be purchased for $5 or 5 for $20. The opening ceremony is at 6 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday opens at 7 a.m. with breakfast. Guided rides will have staggered start times, according to posted schedules. Self-guided rides can start at any time. Drag racing starts at dusk.
Friday features events that you won’t see every day. It is a chance for riders to act like kids again. The first event is the Blind Man’s Obstacle Course. The UTV driver is blind-folded and his passenger guides him through the course. A microphone is given to the guide so everyone can hear the instructions and observe how the driver follows them.
That event is followed by UTV soccer. UTV drivers use their bumpers to guide a 6-foot “soccer ball” around barrels at opposite ends of the field — something you won’t see every day and you will feel the driver’s frustration.
Food trucks take care of lunch and then the King of the Trail event begins. This affair is a timed obstacle course. It features difficult challenges like a pit of tires, a mud pit, piles of rocks and other obstacles that test a driver’s skills at handling his ride.
Kids’ events happen in the afternoon. They include mud racing and the belly flop competition. They don’t use a pool of fresh water, oh no. They use a pit of the muckiest mud they can find. They don’t let the adults do this event because they might hurt themselves, but the kids really get into this one. The mud racing is fun to watch with the kids showing some pretty sharp skills. Dinner is at 6 p.m. followed by drag racing.
Saturday starts off with breakfast at 7 a.m. Rides will have staggered starts and riders will have the option of doing self-guided rides. The closing ceremonies with door prizes will be held at 7:15 p.m.
Are you excited yet? In 2020, 770 people attended this jamboree and last year that number was 906. It is obviously getting bigger and better. You will have the chance to meet other riders from all over the country and make friends to last a lifetime.
The trails alone will be worth your time. A detailed description of the trails is available on the website. With a National Geographic Paiute ATV Trail Map, you can trace the exact route of the trails being offered.
I am familiar with these routes and they will be memorable rides that you will want to come back and ride again and again. The trails over Monroe Mountain, up Deer Creek and over the Tushars down onto Big John’s Flat are some of my favorites.
If rides are full, don’t be afraid to strike out on your own. Using the ride descriptions and a map, the trails are well-marked and easy to follow. For further security, download the Avenza app to your cellphone and buy the National Geographic map for the Paiute Trails. This GPS app will show on your phone in full color and a dot will display your location at all times, making it easy to find your way back.
When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and don’t miss attending this one-of-a-kind UTV jamboree. For more information and to register, go to https://paiutejam.com.
Contact Lynn R. Blamires at quadmanone@gmail.com.
