Table Mesa Adventures: Broken Parts, New Friends, and One Unforgettable Night Run
There’s nothing quite like an early morning start with a day full of wheeling ahead. We loaded up and headed down to the Table Mesa area—Jesse, Kelly, Colton, Janine, Dan, Jim, Uriel, and I (JP)—to meet up with Don from RPM Steering and a few of his wheeling buddies.
The trails didn’t disappoint. From flexing rigs to a few minor breakdowns (because let’s be honest, if nobody breaks, were you really wheeling?), it was the kind of day that reminds you why you love this lifestyle. As the sun started to dip behind the mountains, Jesse’s Jeep decided it wanted to add some spice to the day by snapping a U-joint. With that, we figured it was a good time to head back to the trailer parking area.
Back at camp, we cracked open some drinks, grabbed food, and wiped down camera gear that was caked entirely in Table Mesa dirt and dust. That’s when Jesse started chatting with some locals and made a deal—if they helped him swap out his axle shaft and U-joint, he’d stay and run Collateral Damage with them.
While the rest of the group packed up for the drive home, Jesse, Kelly, and I decided to stick around. And man, we’re glad we did. What followed was a wild night run full of rock crawling, a lot of winching, and plenty of laughs. Huge thanks to Mark and Matt, two seasoned local wheelers, for guiding us through and helping everyone make it through the obstacles with as little body damage as possible.
By the time we finished, loaded up, and hit the I-17, it was 12:30 am. We were tired, filthy, and running on pure adrenaline—but it was worth every second. New trails, new friends, and a night of wheeling we won’t forget anytime soon.
That’s the beauty of off-roading: sometimes the best adventures happen when you’re willing to push the day just a little bit longer.
Special Thanks to Don with RPM Steering for making this happen!
