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Little Desert, Utah – Just one day until the big day.
Bud Bruening already has his bags and trailer packed.
“It’s kind of like Super Bowl Sunday in the off-road world,” Bruening said. “We’re itching to get out there. We’ve been downhill and now it’s time. So, we carry it all.”
The Easter weekend is when things really pick up for those who love off-roading. Little Sahara, the sand dunes of Juab Province, is kind of transformed into a small town.
“Little desert and Easter, it’s big. It’s kind of the start of the season. It’s busy out there,” Brunning said.
After a long winter season in Utah, with much warmer weather this weekend, you can’t fault people for wanting to get outside.
“Especially when you have machines, you want to get out there and use them, and now is the first opportunity,” Brunning said.
He is the president of the UTV Utah Off-Road and OHV Advocacy Group. To get as much fun as all this, Bruening said it’s only fun if you get home safely.
“It makes you nervous, when you (enter) Little Sahara, they have this big sign that says the number of signs since the last victim, and usually this weekend, it says zero,” he said.
It’s not just a little desert.
Other popular OHV spots include Sand Hollow in Washington County, Knolls in Tooele County, the Sand Flats in Moab, Coral Pink Sand Dunes near Kanab, and just about anywhere else people like to ride.
“Knowing where people are, paying attention, raising your flags, making sure you’re doing everything right,” Bruning said. “You can do everything right and still find yourself in a bad situation. But if you do everything right, you’ll reduce the risk.”
There’s also a new Utah law that requires anyone who drives an off-road vehicle, both adults and children, to take a Online educational course . This went into effect in January.
Utah Outdoor Recreation Department He said, 100,000 people have already taken it.
“It’s really designed to help educate people who are new to the off-road world about staying on the trail, taking more than you brought on, and going light. All of these are principles that we can use to keep the trails open and accessible,” Bruening said.
It’s all about safety, so everyone can enjoy their weekends after this.
“Be safe while you’re there.”
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Alex CabreroAlex Cabrero has been reporting for KSL-TV for nearly two decades. He’s covered a variety of stories over the years from a variety of places, but he especially enjoys sharing stories that show what’s good in the world.