We know a large number OF four-wheel enthusiasts think early Ford Broncos are just cool, and we feel the same. They may not have the "expressive new styling" like the modern Suvs, and they may have the aerodynamics of a .45 slug-but they are classic rigs and they work very well on the trail. Recently we spent a couple of days with the early Bronco Ltd club (ebl) at its annual Bronco daze event in the anza-Borrego desert of Southern California. Founded in 1981, the club is this country's oldest and largest Bronco organization. It now has a membership base that stretches across the globe. In 1990 ebl created its sister organization-the international early Bronco association-due to the high demand for information about the vehicle. They now work together for the preservation and enjoyment of Broncos.
As the blazing desert sun burst over the rugged socal mountains, 76 Broncos from both organizations lined up in formation for two days of trail-crawling fun this past October. We don't see as many elder Broncos as we would like to on the trail, so this was a great place to get our fill of them. We think their lack of presence on the trail is because they've become an expensive collector's item. Even though we have seen our share of well-beat Broncos, we don't see too many enthusiasts taking their rigs and grinding them on the rocks as we used to. We now witness a little more finesse and skillful driving on the trail, especially since the cost of a good fender is as much as four tanks of gas (fuel: the new gold standard!). This was the second event we attended this year based out of the Palm Canyon Resort in anza-Borrego, and like any well-planned event, Bronco daze was a great time.
Rocks & More Rocks:
Anza-Borrego is as challenging as you would like to make it. There are trails for four-wheelers of all skill levels. We spotted this enthusiastic Bronco owner wheeling up a fun section of Coyote Canyon. | 
Tight Squeezes:
Tom Kluczynski carefully maneuvers his Bronco through a tight section in the trail. If the Bronco slid off the rock on the driver side, it would land on the ledge to the right, crushing the passenger- side door. Old Bronco doors aren't cheap! | 
Super Clean Right:
Steve Sampson is ebr cofounder, past-president of the club, and editor of the organizations magazine horsing around. His squeaky-clean 5.0L, fuelinjected '70 Bronco was a pleasure to watch wheel up and down the trail and made us a little envious. |
The Living Desert:
Mike Shetler, owner of Palm Canyon Resort and an avid early Bronco enthusiast, forges ahead at the water crossing part of Coyote Canyon trail in the anza-Borrego Park, which is deemed safe for travel by the Park Service. Don't worry: the last blue-toed gecko doesn't thrive in this creek! This is really an amazing section of trail given that the temperatures are well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for most of the year. | 
Leading The Way:
Jeff Law from Point Loma near San diego, led the trail on Coyote Canyon Saturday. This is a cool trail if you are into desert topography. You can usually find a year-round waterfall at the end of the trail and a palm oasis. The canyon is habitat for wild horses and burro. | |