May 17: We're sitting in a coffee shop in Fort Collins marveling at the number of Jeeps rolling by. Soon, we're also off to Fort Collins 4x4 to have fun at the annual Big Boy Toy Event. Private owners can display their various rigs today and 62 vehicles will have been registered by the end of the day!. Among the number of shiny CJs, YJs, TJs, XJs, and even a couple of MJs, Broncos, Toyotas and several fullsize trucks including Chevy, Dodge and Ford, our Cherokee sticks out not only because it's the dirtiest (as befits an expedition vehicle): No other car on the lot is build for longterm travel and there is tremendous interest in our rig and the equipment; we hand out flyers about our trip. We exchange offroading experiences with other participants and visitors, discuss vehicles and components, and enjoy the opportunity to mix with local 4-wheelers who share a wealth of information about the local trails with us. We also talk at length with the local radio station "The Bear" which is present to broadcast the event.

Off to the trails…

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