Area BFE Welcomes Easter Jeep Safari Participants

Interview with Olaf Kilthau
Owner and Managing Member of Area BFE

Olaf Kilthau and Chris Brunner will be standing at the gate of Area BFE all day, every day to welcome participants of Easter Jeep Safari. “It’s our biggest event. We introduce ourselves and talk to every single person who comes through that gate. There’s a certain kinship with the people who come in and visit us.”

The 48 year-old event runs nine days and covers 42 trails. Where the Strike Ravine trail ends, Area BFE begins; a hardcore 320 acre recreational park near Moab. “We bought the land to keep it open for free. We’re the only off-road park in the country that’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. That’s our original mission, so people would have a place to play without fear of getting kicked off.”

Olaf says three key elements work together to make Easter Jeep Safari the destination it has become.

1 – The outdoor enthusiasts – motorized and non-motorized – who come out to enjoy and support the place.
2 – The volunteers who come out to help take care of the area, establish trails and assist with maintenance. “Based on our finances, we could never afford to pay some of these people for the work they provide and the things they do; that includes the people who made our website and mobile applications.”
3 – The companies/corporate partners that basically give us the funds to support our mission.

Amanda Products is one of those corporate partners. As “the Official Tow Hook of Area BFE,” our banners will be up all year long.

HOW DID THE PARK GETS ITS NAME?

“It’s way out there, about 13 miles from town Moab, Utah. Moab is a small resort town, so 13 miles seems a long way away. While ‘BFE’ has different connotations, people are beginning to say it stands for ‘Big Family Entertainment’ and ‘Bought for Everyone.'”

Camping in Moab; photo by Srikanth Jandhyala

A BALANCED APPROACH TO LAND MANAGEMENT

Olaf felt his first connection with the land at Lower Helldorado. That section of land was sold off around the same time as this land. “The new owners are anti OHV and they closed the trail.” There is a long silence before Olaf resumes. “We believe there’s a place for everyone.

I’ve been working on promoting the non-motorized end of recreation – mountain biking, trail running, photography, camping and just plain hanging out. When you look at how I’ve managed the property, 60 to 70% of the property is only accessible on foot; it’s an opportunity to off-road to a destination, put on your backpack, hike, camp and explore.

When you compare us with public land, we’ve opened seven major trails on the property in the last ten years. Whereas you look at public land in the past ten years – I don’t know if any new trails have been opened, but I know a lot have been closed.”

Photo by Spidertrax Off-Road

AREA BFE AS A DESTINATION

“We’ve become the venue of choice for all kinds of events, from corporate encounters, media shoots and video productions to music festivals and one or two weddings. We’ve assisted in the facilitation of media events with companies such as BF Goodrich Tires and photo shoots for companies like 5.11 Tactical Gear.

We have the freedom to do all sorts of things, private events, product launches – and we’re very flexible. We’ve handled the logistics for bringing in everything from heated bathrooms and showers to dining facilities.”

(For information, call Olaf at 562-233-6523.)

Olaf, Dan (the Area BFE Complaint Department) and Chris

A HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY

Olaf has been a real estate professional for more than 20 years. He says each of the four partners “has some kind of specialty that lends itself to managing Area BFE.”

The first time Olaf drove through was in 2003. “In 2006 when I came back as a partner and Area BFE was Area BFE. I was one of the trail guides during a Jeep Safari. The trails I rode on that day skirted the whole circumference of the property. And I was somewhere along that trail driving and I got a sense of anxiety. All of a sudden it dawned on me that I have a huge responsibility – 320 acres – ½ mile by a mile and I needed to figure out a way to help manage and take care of it.”

Of the four partners, Olaf and Chris Brunner are the most hands-on. He says “I could not do it without Chris.”

Photo by Spidertrax Off-Road

WHY SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THE PLACE?

“I think what I love about it is it’s greater than myself. There is no other place like this. There are places that are larger, thousands of acres, towards the eastern U.S., but they are not open every day; they have schedules and they charge up to $50 per vehicle.

We’re the only park that doesn’t charge. We have a donation statue. Don’t have enough money to help out? That’s ok. That’s the nature of a donation. Go on, have fun, hit us up next time.”

YOU’RE INVITED

Come on out to Area BFE, Meet Olaf and Chris at the front gate during Easter Jeep Safari; or plan a visit sometime soon.

“If you have not been to Moab, you need to come out for at least a week. Then, at the end of the week, you’ll want to come back again because there’s so much that you didn’t see and do. I’ve been going for ten years, spending lots of time there and every time I go I learn about a new place.”

Rated “excellent” by community reviews on TripAdvisor; the general consensus is “BFE Rocks!”
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60724-d3228000-r135181228-AreaBFE-Moab_Utah.html

Visit Area BFE online at http://www.areabfe.com/