[gm350reratliff]

Some of you may have never heard of this event. Probably a good number more wanted to go but never got the chance to go. Some of us lucky folks have been. I’ve been extremely lucky and have made it to several FJ Summits and even got the opportunity to lead trail runs a couple years. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end I guess. Sadly, I received an email yesterday from the FJ summit team stating they were discontinuing the event. 2019 would’ve been the last year for the event, FJ Summit 13, due to Covid conflicts the last two years. I was really hoping they would have one this year but I guess that won’t happen.

In my opinion, this was one of best organized, family friendly, off-road events I have ever attended. This was one of the best Toyota focused event as well. We’ve met some of the nicest, caring folks and companies at the summit and have forged lifelong friendships with some of them. We’ve been very lucky to have had the opportunity to share this event with our friends and families and show them the absolutely stunning mountains of SW Colorado at this event.

The amount of planning, logistics, and prep amazed me every year I attended. I’m truly thankful to all the FJ summit crew that sacrificed their summers (and probably a good chunk of the rest of the year) to make this event as good as it was. Hopefully, we can run across each other on the trail someday!


Here’s the email from the summit crew;

The FJ Summit has introduced thousands of participants to Colorado’s majestic landscape, charming towns and inviting people. Since 2007, the Summit has created a close knit community of those who want to explore the world, meet and gather with close friends and enjoy the outdoors. Fast forward to 2022, we’ve been able to donate almost $180,000 to various organizations including police, fire, EMT, Ouray Mountain Rescue, and others who help support the local communities in and around Ouray, Colorado. We’ve also created the FJ Summit Scholarship Fund that supports two local high school seniors, every year, providing them with funds for college. Through community outreach, including volunteer trail services and repair with our Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management community partners and in conjunction with the Grand Junction Veterans Affairs, we were honored to help support our disabled military veterans with yearly trail runs and activities.

We are enormously grateful for our many vendors whose contributions and high level expertise exceeded our expectations. The support of our participants made the FJ Summit what it was. We increased our participants’ off-roading expertise through world-renowned 4x4 education and the efforts of our trail leaders and volunteers. Our participants have always been responsible Stay the Trail ambassadors, setting an excellent example for the off-road community around the nation.

While these friendships and memories will live forever, after 13 FJ Summit events and 16 years of dedication, with fond memories and heavy hearts, the Directors have decided to end the FJ Summit. There is no single reason why we’ve decided to discontinue the FJ Summit, but please understand that we did not arrive at this decision lightly. For the directors, the friendships we’ve forged over the years have made us family. To the thousands of participants, volunteers, sponsors and visitors, sharing this event with you is something we will always cherish. We wish you all nothing but the best, and hope you continue to explore the outdoors with your Toyota or Lexus vehicles. We can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done and how much you mean to each and every one of us. Toyota’s message of “Let’s Go Places” is something we have always taken to heart, and we hope that you too can go find new places, new trails, new roads and new adventures.

And finally, the Directors would like to thank our families who gave up other plans for vacations, selflessly volunteered and kept us grounded through thick and thin. The joy of watching the families grow and prosper over the last 16 years is something that we’ll never forget. We can’t thank you all enough, and you will never know how much your sacrifices meant to us.

Best,

FJ Summit Directors

[spartacus]

Sad to hear.. A few fj folks around here looked forward to it every year. Planning on running black bear Imogene this summer. Hopefully can get a group to go up.

[gm350reratliff]

Here’s some of my favorite pictures through the years at the summit.

[MAST4R]

Different people, different tastes.

I personally never understood the appeal of "getting out" with 100s of others. My first and last FJ Summit experience was back in 2014. I pulled off the east-to-west climb of Cinnamon in my Outback, driving solo of course, to let a Toyota column pass. Boy does the Summit feel like being in Manhattan! Since then tried to avoid the Summit when going to the area. Similarly, the least likely time for me to be in Moab is the Safari week.

Then again, I wheel solo so anything beyond 3 vehicles would drive me nuts

[gm350reratliff]

Originally Posted by MAST4R

Different people, different tastes.

I personally never understood the appeal of "getting out" with 100s of others. My first and last FJ Summit experience was back in 2014. I pulled off the east-to-west climb of Cinnamon in my Outback, driving solo of course, to let a Toyota column pass. Boy does the Summit feel like being in Manhattan! Since then tried to avoid the Summit when going to the area. Similarly, the least likely time for me to be in Moab is the Safari week.

Then again, I wheel solo so anything beyond 3 vehicles would drive me nuts

I definitely get it and most the time we just off-road by ourselves as well. Maybe it's the Toyota focus that hooked me or when you get lucky and get a good group together on the trail. I don't care for the crowded trails either though which really seemed to be the case the last time we went. Pros and cons to everything.

[T4R2014]

Shame. I would've wanted to experience one. I'm sure the next best thing will come around if enough people express interest.

[T4R2014]

Originally Posted by MAST4R

Boy does the Summit feel like being in Manhattan! Since then tried to avoid the Summit when going to the area.

Pretty bold. I'm in Manhattan every week. It would need to smell like a landfill while being surrounded by deranged homeless dudes to justify that comparison. I guess the crappy infrastructure is comparable to the rocky mountains of Colorado.

[RootedWanderer]

I was fortunate enough to go to Ouray for FJSummit a couple years with my FJ. It was a great event.