Not sure if I’d attend one again, but fyi:
We almost went this year but hit the Black Hills instead. I’m curious why you maybe wouldn’t go again.
I love the Mosko crew - super rad people, and they make some of the best product out there. 
So let’s start there.
I went to Ouray Lizard, and the staging/camp area kinda sucked on that one because it was just on the side of Hwy 550 under streetlights. In other words, insanely loud, bright, and nearly impossible to sleep. The riding down there is good, but with that many people - and particularly that many Texans, midwesterners, etc. who were WAY over their heads, I spent the first two days primarily picking up peoples’ bikes, fixing bikes, and convincing people to turn around and find other routes. People who’ve never been to the San Juans, and particularly those from low elevations, were a hot mess, en masse…
So that’s why. I’m not ruling out Taylor Park or Moab, but TBH I’d rather go with a small BCADV group to these places, see the same stuff, and ride with folks I trust. (I’m also not big on crowds)
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It’s great to hear your honest perspective! The absolute zoo of flatlanders is a big reason we decided against it this year.
Totally! It’s kinda like backcountry skiing. Trust and experience matter.
I can see how the Ouray Dusty lizard could be like that. I feel like the one in Moab was really different. Maybe there is way more terrain for everyone to spread out in moab? I was riding with Michael Howard the whole time and we rarely were seeing other riders. For me, not having to think about and plan and pack for meals etc, allowed me to make the trip all about the riding. We rented a trailer and pulled the bikes there. Which was nice because I knew if I rolled my bike off a cliff I’d still be able to get home. Which of course allows you to ride a little bit harder. I’m not drawn to Big crowds or social events with people I don’t know, at all. But the event afforded some really good conveniences, and the vendors proved invaluable when Michael or I needed help with some broken parts.
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Yeah, a different camp experience not on a major logging truck highway and room to spread out would be a very different experience.
The San Juans are not for beginners. I spent a literal half a day on Corkscrew helping people:
• One gal on a new Tiger 900 with street tires. She’d been riding two months in total. She dropped her bike 3 times trying to make that first big off camber left before you head up above treeline, and we convinced her to flip it. I left my group and helped her back down. (I later took her and her friend on a noob-friendly dirt tour once we got her back down). I applaud her determination, but once I let her throw a leg over my ultralight 501, I can almost assure you she went home and bought a dual sport to learn on.
• One 5’4” Texan on a Norden Expedition who had never ridden real hills. He hairline fractured his wrist on the way back down after I convinced him that if he was scared of what he’d done so far, that he’d soon be so far over his head, and that he’d best turn back.
• Norden guy’s friend whiskey-throttled his borrowed 2-stroke down the bottom side of the shelf on Corkscrew and luckily a Jeep came by and we winched his bike back up to the road. He didn’t know he should use the front brake, as a starting point…
• Another Texan who crashed his 701 behind me on Corkscrew at 1mph, landed it on the throttle, and the bike was in 1st gear on its side, with the throttle stuck fully open doing donuts pivoting on the grip. It was hilariously banging off the rev limiter doing the Curly Shuffle, but I had to yell at him to grab the damn bike before it went off the same shelf road. I then fixed his throttle and sent him packing.
These same people were standing at the outhouses half way up Corkscrew with me as I was about to take them down. They were all completely gassed, and this was the first climb of the day. One of them (the Tiger) fell into the other two, and they all went down. We picked up their bikes and started back down toward town. This is when the fracture happened… and then I took the newbie ladies on a cool dirt road tour around the mountain for a few hours so they had a good time. They were with a couple guys as well, and this group was super cool to hang with later that evening.
So yeah…
I’d really like to go to an event that’s similar to Easter Jeep Safari. More organized, ride leaders, and clear categorization of difficulty. In talking with Gino in the past… this event isn’t that unfortunately.
Wait…Michael damaged his bike??
Gino generosity at its finest. However, not much of a ride and paying the organizer to be a guide for their other guests does not sound like too much fun.
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I chatted with Mosko Pete about it at the event. It’s all good.
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Hopefully, it gives them some ideas for keeping riders safe in the future.
Idaho in September…
Sheared a cast aluminum footpeg on some enduro trails behind camp. But the cool thing was I recognized the vendor from whom I had purchased the pegs while in the line for dinner. He was very helpful and had some spares. As far as bike damage goes, at least I got to be on the front of the tow rope later in the trip.
DL had the potential drawbacks of a large event, loud music playing late, the small percentage of assholes that exist in crowds, an older participant passing away on the trail apparently peacefully from a heart condition, etc.
I normally wouldn’t expect to enjoy events like this either. I prefer 1 to 3 other riders for a balance of agility and safety. I really love riding and camping solo, though I’m trying to limit that from a risk perspective. However, the Dusty Lizard Moab was really fun. I met a lot of people from the Denver area that I may not have run into otherwise. I think it’s a situation where the experience can be vastly different depending what you make of it. Also, it sounds like the outpost/camping setup was better in Moab than in Ouray.
There was some value for me in meeting the vendors face to face. I appreciated meeting Tacomoto and Camel specifically.
When I see that they’re having events in Taylor Park this year I have mixed feelings. Part of the magic of these places for me is getting to experience them without crowds, getting lost and exploring. But for what it is, which is a big industry moto party with mostly strangers, it can be a good time.
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My only reference point for big rallies like this is the DV Noobs Rally, held in at Panamint Springs just outside Death Valley. They take over the entire resort for 4-5 days, last weekend of March. Easily 200 people, maybe more. It’s a grassroots led and organized gig, put on by a core group of guys in the West Forum at ADVRider.com. I think it’s likely been happening for close to 20yrs by now.
Anyway, back when I was going, guys would volunteer to organize and lead rides. I lead rides for a few years, until I got smart, frankly. That is, 200+ unvetted riders showing up from all parts of the country to ride in extremely remote DV. What’s the worst that could happen? 
The evenings were largely a big party, which led to late starts and hungover riders on the organized rides. After a few years I stopped leading randos and instead rolled my own group of vetted guys to ride with.
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