About TrailDamage.com

Colorado has a lot of 4x4 clubs and they all follow the same rules. There are hefty membership fees, meetings you must attend, fund raising events, and countless rules and regulations. TrailDamage.com is not that kind of club!

We were accepting new members until the end of the 2004 season but by that point our trail runs were always too large and it often made things less fun for everyone. We've been "invite only" since then, and the only way a new member can join is to come as the invited guest of a current member. We made this change hoping that the club will maintain its current size and we can enjoy a more relaxing time on the trails. We may accept new members again someday -- you never know!

Some of us met through discussion boards online like the ones provided by Colorado4x4.org and Wheeling Arizona. We use the free services on Anyvite.com to organize our runs, and they are often planned very far in advance. Some quick runs are scheduled the day before the event, while out-of-state trips are usually planned for months.

Before and during the run there is no alcohol permitted. We're a kid-friendly bunch and we do some rough trails -- we don't want to lose anyone over something stupid and we don't want the younger people to think drinking and driving is acceptable. We always try to set good examples.

We also insist that you keep track of the vehicle behind you. If everyone does this the whole group will stay together with no one lost or left behind if they have trouble. If that vehicle stops or slows down, you do the same and the rig in front of you does it for you.

Most members have all of the standard safety and recovery equipment, and though it is highly recommended it is not required. We prefer our members have some way to communicate with the rest of the group. Most of us have CB radios and others use two-way radios.

This site is called TrailDamage.com and by that we mean damage to our vehicles done by trails -- we never condone damaging a trail. We follow these rules during all TrailDamage runs:

Alcohol consumption is not permitted before or during a trail run.
Drug use is not permitted before or during a trail run.
Firearms are discouraged, but if they are with you on a run they must be secured and kept out of sight at all times. Shooting is not permitted.
Dogs must be on a leash or otherwise restrained if we are near other people outside of our group.
Wear your seatbelt.
You are required to monitor the vehicle behind you -- if they stop you must also stop, alerting the rest of the group if possible.
Travel only on obvious trails -- if a trail seems questionable, stay off of it.
Do as much as possible to stay on the trail if you encounter someone moving in the opposite direction, backing up if necessary.
Do not litter, and pick up litter left by others whenever possible.
Larger groups coming in the opposite direction will have the right of way, though if we are the larger group and if it's easier for us to let them pass we should do so.
Obey all signs.
Leave gates as you found them.
Your car stereo should not be heard by other drivers.
Drive slowly and quietly while near livestock or wild animals.
Never alter a trail -- if it seems to need alteration you must contact the proper authorities.
Never alter or move a vehicle without permission from the owner. Do not leave the trail to go around an abandoned vehicle.
A full-sized spare tire is required.
You must have extra food and water for each person in your vehicle.
Bring additional clothing as necessary. Be prepared for any type of weather.
A CB radio or two-way radio is recommended.

You must be a member for at least two months and have completed at least three separate days of trail runs in order to be eligible to invite another new member or lead your own trail runs. In addition, you can only sponsor one new member on a given day of running trails, and you have to run the trails along with the new driver you're sponsoring either in your own vehicle or as a passenger. The new member also has to drive their own vehicle when they join the group. Unless you have been asked to leave the group, you are always a member. If you haven't run with us in awhile, please contact us to get the current trail run invitations.

Site Support

This Web site is not for profit. Hosting fees are out of pocket, and development time is donated. If you use the site and you'd like to help support it, a donation is always welcome. Even a small donation is appreciated and it lets us know you're out there. All donations will be applied to the costs associated with this Web site. Development of this Web site was done by Glowball Solutions. To get more information please contact us.

Site Statistics

We use Google Analytics to count the number of people who visit TrailDamage.com as well as where they're from and how long they stayed. It's interesting to us, so it might be interesting to you. If you're curious, check out the statistics provided by SeeTheStats. The site is busiest in the Colorado spring and summer, less busy in the fall, and it's a ghost town during the winter.