Want to know more about Syncro Safari? Read on...
What Makes a Good Syncro Safari Adventure Location?
A. Venue
1. Offer scenic beauty and views worth taking photos
2. Interesting history, geology, wildlife, ruins, etc a plus.
3. Semi-remote enough as to not encounter overwhelming crowds
4. Offer a significant range of trails from which to choose
5. Provide additional non-4x4 recreation opportunities for days when we’re not 4-wheeling
6. Have nice weather for the time of year we are considering holding the Safari
B. 4-Wheeling
1. Duration of each 4-wheeling run should be 4-6 hours allowing a decent lunch break
and time for stops / photos. Leave camp about 8-10am & return by about 3pm
2. 4-wheeling is enjoyable "mild to moderate" and suitable for families. Since these are
fairly heavy vans with low power and without real low gears, this is fairly mild stuff
compared to what would suit hard-core jeepers. Examples of past trips include:
Engineer, Cinnamon, and Imogene Passes in Colorado's San Juan range. Chloride
Cliffs, and Mengel Pass in Death Valley, and Top of the World Trail and Secret Spire
in Moab, UT. Trails rated on a scale of 0-5, our vehicles can typically do the 2 & 3
rated trails. On a scale of 1-10, we could do the 5-6 rated trails.
3. Each outing will ideally have a "destination" such as a peak, a lake, a point of historical interest,
a pass, a special viewpoint, etc.
4. We've usually done a "Base Camp" format where we camp in one place (perhaps two) and
do out & back day 4x4 trips. However, format could be and "excursion" where we start
at one place on Sunday and make our way along a trail until arriving at a destination on
Friday. This would require several campsites and may need means for access to supplies &
parts along the way.
C. Campsite(s)
1. Enough room for 10 vehicles not to be too crowded
2. Preference for shower and "real toilets" but not essential (this is a real help for family attendance)
3. Secluded, but not so far enough out of the way to take half a day to start 4-wheeling
4. Prefer a "group" site as opposed to a group of individual sites
5. Need to be "reserve-able" so we can assure people we have a place
D. Logistics
1. Attendees will be singles, couples, and families with children. Some from several states away
or even the east coast & Canada.
2. Dates are determined in combination with the location for good weather. Spring trips are
usually during Easter break, summer trips usually in July or August, and fall trips held during
Thanksgiving week.
3. Duration of the event is 1 week. Arrive on Sunday & depart on Saturday.
4. 4-wheeling days (3) are typically Mon, Wed, Fri for a single base camp format.
5. Non 4-wheeling days will be used for rest or other recreation (or, ugh, repair)
Who's Running This Thing?
Syncro Safari is coordinated by Jim Davis with help from his wife Deanne and assistance from volunteers which change each year. Jim selects the venue, researches the trails, makes the reservations, sets the itinerary, and takes the registrations. Jim takes the risk of making reservations ahead of time and putting up the money (sometimes over $1,000) before any participants have signed up. So, if Syncro Safari isn't your cup of tea... blame Jim. A huge thanks goes to Tom & Jean Anne Kirk for help with Yellowstone '99, Mark Drillock for Baja '01, Larry Chase for Tombstome '06, and Craig & Erin Spaeth for Mount St. Helens '09.
Why does Syncro Safari Exist?
Mostly because Jim wanted to go exploring and wheelin' with other Syncronauts. In 1998 there had never been any significant gathering of Syncros in the USA and while Jim had gone on a few trips with a few other Syncronauts he knew there were never more than three Syncros at a time. In 1997 the idea hatched in a parking lot of an REI store when Jim saw two other Sycnros that there should be some sort of "Syncro Convention". The idea blossomed from there with the first Syncro Safari at the "Easter Jeep Safari" in Moab Utah in Spring of 1998. Initially it looked like "the bigger the better" was the motto for Syncro Safari growth. After initially growing the event, Jim decided that keeping it small provided more intimacy and camaraderie than a big event. By this time other Syncro events had started and they were all about being as big as possible, so that end of the Syncro event spectrum was covered.
Why 10 Syncros, Why Not 30 or 100?
It's been asked why Syncro Safari is limited to about 10 Syncros. There are two primary reasons, one a social reason and one a practical reason. The social reason is that Syncro Safari isn't primarily about the Syncros or the 4-wheeling, it's more about the people at the event. At a Syncro Safari event we do mild to moderate 4-wheeling, exploring, and site seeing in a
family friendly environment. Since the event is a week long, we get a chance to get to know each other and often form lasting friendships from these events. We travel together, camp together, eat together, and share stories and sometimes even some songs around the campfire at night. In addition to 4-wheeling, we typically do other group site-seeing or other activities together as well. The 10 Syncro limit helps to foster a closer connection between the attendees and allows time enough to actually get to know a few people a bit better instead of just meeting a bunch of people.
The second and practical reason is that it becomes more difficult to coordinate a larger group. Larger campsites, larger everything. Especially on our 4x4 journeys this becomes an issue. If two vehicles are traveling as a pair the time to pass each obstacle is almost doubled as the first vehicle waits for the second. With 10 vehicles this can take quite a while because everyone wants to watch the others pass the difficult terrain and also doesn't want to just leave, not knowing that everyone made it. So, 10 vehicles at an obstacle takes almost 10X the time of one. Fortunately, only a small part of
each trip is obstacles, otherwise we'd never get off the trail! Finding trail stop places for a group of 10 can be difficult enough, let alone a bigger group. We aim to set a fairly relaxed pace while four-wheeling with time for breaks and a relaxed lunch, before going back to camp, and the 10 Syncro limit seems about the max I'd want to deal with as a single trail group.
TREAD LIGHTLY!
Syncro Safari is proud to be a member organization of Tread Lightly!
Tread Lightly! is a nonprofit organization on mission to promote responsible outdoor recreation through ethics education and stewardship. Tread Lightly! emphasizes the TREAD principals of: Travel responsibly, Respect the rights of others, Educate yourself, Avoid sensitive areas, and Do your part, through education, communications and grassroots stewardship efforts.
http://www.TreadLightly.org
Jim is a volunteer "TreadTrainer" with this organization promote the Tread Lightly! message through Awareness Courses for those who want to participate.
A. Venue
1. Offer scenic beauty and views worth taking photos
2. Interesting history, geology, wildlife, ruins, etc a plus.
3. Semi-remote enough as to not encounter overwhelming crowds
4. Offer a significant range of trails from which to choose
5. Provide additional non-4x4 recreation opportunities for days when we’re not 4-wheeling
6. Have nice weather for the time of year we are considering holding the Safari
B. 4-Wheeling
1. Duration of each 4-wheeling run should be 4-6 hours allowing a decent lunch break
and time for stops / photos. Leave camp about 8-10am & return by about 3pm
2. 4-wheeling is enjoyable "mild to moderate" and suitable for families. Since these are
fairly heavy vans with low power and without real low gears, this is fairly mild stuff
compared to what would suit hard-core jeepers. Examples of past trips include:
Engineer, Cinnamon, and Imogene Passes in Colorado's San Juan range. Chloride
Cliffs, and Mengel Pass in Death Valley, and Top of the World Trail and Secret Spire
in Moab, UT. Trails rated on a scale of 0-5, our vehicles can typically do the 2 & 3
rated trails. On a scale of 1-10, we could do the 5-6 rated trails.
3. Each outing will ideally have a "destination" such as a peak, a lake, a point of historical interest,
a pass, a special viewpoint, etc.
4. We've usually done a "Base Camp" format where we camp in one place (perhaps two) and
do out & back day 4x4 trips. However, format could be and "excursion" where we start
at one place on Sunday and make our way along a trail until arriving at a destination on
Friday. This would require several campsites and may need means for access to supplies &
parts along the way.
C. Campsite(s)
1. Enough room for 10 vehicles not to be too crowded
2. Preference for shower and "real toilets" but not essential (this is a real help for family attendance)
3. Secluded, but not so far enough out of the way to take half a day to start 4-wheeling
4. Prefer a "group" site as opposed to a group of individual sites
5. Need to be "reserve-able" so we can assure people we have a place
D. Logistics
1. Attendees will be singles, couples, and families with children. Some from several states away
or even the east coast & Canada.
2. Dates are determined in combination with the location for good weather. Spring trips are
usually during Easter break, summer trips usually in July or August, and fall trips held during
Thanksgiving week.
3. Duration of the event is 1 week. Arrive on Sunday & depart on Saturday.
4. 4-wheeling days (3) are typically Mon, Wed, Fri for a single base camp format.
5. Non 4-wheeling days will be used for rest or other recreation (or, ugh, repair)
Who's Running This Thing?
Syncro Safari is coordinated by Jim Davis with help from his wife Deanne and assistance from volunteers which change each year. Jim selects the venue, researches the trails, makes the reservations, sets the itinerary, and takes the registrations. Jim takes the risk of making reservations ahead of time and putting up the money (sometimes over $1,000) before any participants have signed up. So, if Syncro Safari isn't your cup of tea... blame Jim. A huge thanks goes to Tom & Jean Anne Kirk for help with Yellowstone '99, Mark Drillock for Baja '01, Larry Chase for Tombstome '06, and Craig & Erin Spaeth for Mount St. Helens '09.
Why does Syncro Safari Exist?
Mostly because Jim wanted to go exploring and wheelin' with other Syncronauts. In 1998 there had never been any significant gathering of Syncros in the USA and while Jim had gone on a few trips with a few other Syncronauts he knew there were never more than three Syncros at a time. In 1997 the idea hatched in a parking lot of an REI store when Jim saw two other Sycnros that there should be some sort of "Syncro Convention". The idea blossomed from there with the first Syncro Safari at the "Easter Jeep Safari" in Moab Utah in Spring of 1998. Initially it looked like "the bigger the better" was the motto for Syncro Safari growth. After initially growing the event, Jim decided that keeping it small provided more intimacy and camaraderie than a big event. By this time other Syncro events had started and they were all about being as big as possible, so that end of the Syncro event spectrum was covered.
Why 10 Syncros, Why Not 30 or 100?
It's been asked why Syncro Safari is limited to about 10 Syncros. There are two primary reasons, one a social reason and one a practical reason. The social reason is that Syncro Safari isn't primarily about the Syncros or the 4-wheeling, it's more about the people at the event. At a Syncro Safari event we do mild to moderate 4-wheeling, exploring, and site seeing in a
family friendly environment. Since the event is a week long, we get a chance to get to know each other and often form lasting friendships from these events. We travel together, camp together, eat together, and share stories and sometimes even some songs around the campfire at night. In addition to 4-wheeling, we typically do other group site-seeing or other activities together as well. The 10 Syncro limit helps to foster a closer connection between the attendees and allows time enough to actually get to know a few people a bit better instead of just meeting a bunch of people.
The second and practical reason is that it becomes more difficult to coordinate a larger group. Larger campsites, larger everything. Especially on our 4x4 journeys this becomes an issue. If two vehicles are traveling as a pair the time to pass each obstacle is almost doubled as the first vehicle waits for the second. With 10 vehicles this can take quite a while because everyone wants to watch the others pass the difficult terrain and also doesn't want to just leave, not knowing that everyone made it. So, 10 vehicles at an obstacle takes almost 10X the time of one. Fortunately, only a small part of
each trip is obstacles, otherwise we'd never get off the trail! Finding trail stop places for a group of 10 can be difficult enough, let alone a bigger group. We aim to set a fairly relaxed pace while four-wheeling with time for breaks and a relaxed lunch, before going back to camp, and the 10 Syncro limit seems about the max I'd want to deal with as a single trail group.
TREAD LIGHTLY!
Syncro Safari is proud to be a member organization of Tread Lightly!
Tread Lightly! is a nonprofit organization on mission to promote responsible outdoor recreation through ethics education and stewardship. Tread Lightly! emphasizes the TREAD principals of: Travel responsibly, Respect the rights of others, Educate yourself, Avoid sensitive areas, and Do your part, through education, communications and grassroots stewardship efforts.
http://www.TreadLightly.org
Jim is a volunteer "TreadTrainer" with this organization promote the Tread Lightly! message through Awareness Courses for those who want to participate.