Yamaha’s Colorado Adventure

The Southwestern United States is home to some of the most jaw-dropping scenery in the world. Recently, we got the chance to venture right into the heart of the Manti-La Sal National Forest recreation area, which sits on the border of Colorado and Utah. With an incredibly vast trail network that can take you to Moab, the Dolores River, the Colorado River, and more, there are almost limitless opportunities for exploration here. Yamaha’s Colorado Adventure had us exploring the unknown with an RMAX and TÉNÉRÉ 700 across the most beautiful mountainous trails. 

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Yamaha’s Colorado Adventure

Just a few days before we arrived, Yamaha picked six random lucky Yamaha vehicle owners and flew them out to Colorado to do the exact same loop we were about to do. Yamaha does this a few times per year, engaging with the audience that purchases their models as a way of giving back to their fanbase. As you can imagine, it is a hit with Yamaha owners. An all-expenses paid ride vacation with your favorite vehicle manufacturer is a bucket list item for most. Yamaha also holds outdoor cleanup programs, runs their Blu Cru riding club with many perks, and funds their Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative, which donates funds to public riding areas, outdoor enthusiast associations, and land conservation organizations. To say Yamaha gives back to the people and places that allow our sport to exist is an understatement. Check out the Yamaha Outdoors social channels for more details. 

The destination for our stay would be Gateway Canyons Resort, a very upscale hotel resort property nestled deep in a canyon about an hour from Grand Junction, Colorado. It was built by the owners of the Discovery Channel, and includes such amenities as car/UTV rentals, an Auto Museum, two on-site restaurants, and an amphitheater. The reason for staying here is its proximity to the La Sal Mountain trail system, which crosses over the Utah border some 8.5 miles from the Resort. We also had some guests besides the media and Yamaha staff. Joining us on both ride days were The Beast from the East, Damon Bradshaw, former 125 SX Champion Travis Preston, and four-time supercross champion, Ryan Villopoto.

Yamaha picked Gateway Canyons as the starting point for this trip as it offers an easy connection into a trail network that spans multiple states and terrain types. Starting at 4,500 feet in elevation and climbing from there, most of the terrain is at high elevation. We have ridden trails in this network over 11,500 feet up into the sky, although we didn’t get into that thin of air during this trip. Yamaha instead concentrated on a scenic ride loop that offered some incredibly fun two-track trails. Initially, we would be piloting a UTV we are very familiar with – the 2023 Wolverine RMAX 2 1000. We have spent an incredible amount of seat time in Yamaha’s awesome RMax and love it for the places it has taken us without a hiccup.

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Continue to more of Yamaha’s Colorado Adventure.