Will people help me plan a Moab trip? And report! |
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Nothing Special
Member Joined: 02 Feb. 2018 Location: Roseville, MN Status: Offline Points: 842 |
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Posted: 31 May 2019 at 3:16am |
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(edit: I started this thread back in the spring to get people's help planning a Moab vacation. I really appreciate all of the help I got! We were in Moab last week, so I thought I'd add the trip report to the end of this thread. That starts on page 2 of this thread. added Sep 24) Thanks in advance! Campground We'll be "camping" in a 28' class C motorhome. I'm sort of looking at Canyonlands RV Resort and Campground right in Moab. Generally we're not thrilled with the idea of camping right in town, but at least it has some trees for shade. Does this seem like a good choice? Or does anyone have any other recommendations? Trails This is the most important part, the real reason for going to Moab! We plan on spending most of 4 days 'wheeling. But we aren't looking for any 12 hour marathons or night 'wheeling. Being able to get back to camp in time to make dinner each night will be good on this trip. I've done some fairly serious 'wheeling, but since I'll be alone with my wife we aren't looking for anything too dangerous. Looking at You-Tube videos (especially from the Qwazzy Eights!) I have the following thoughts. Am I off base? Any other thoughts or suggestions? Rusty Nail, Cliffhanger and Coyote Canyon Getting these out of the way first, they look like they're probably more than we want on this trip, so they are on the "no" list. Any reason to change that? Moab Rim Devil's Crack and Z-Turn look challenging enough to be fun, but not too much for us on this trip, so I'm thinking we'll include this one. How long does this trail take? And there don't seem to be a lot of named obstacles on it. Will it be long and boring (other than the scenery of course) after the Ledges? I'm not too worried about this, we can obviously turn around any time we want, but I'm looking for more info. Poison Spider, Golden Spike and Gold Bar Rim It looks like doing all three might be the 12 hour marathon we aren't looking for. If that's the case, is there a good way to do some of it, or split it into two days? Looking at a map I can imagine doing Poison Spider one day and coming in to Gold Bar Rim and Golden Spike from Gemini Bridges on another day (maybe as far as Golden Crack?). Does that seem reasonable? And again, how long might we be looking at? Kane Creek Canyon I'm not sure about this one. It sounds like much of it might be less challenging than we're looking for, with what I've read saying the end maybe being more than we want. But most of the videos I've watched make it seem doable. Any thought on this one? Hell's Revenge I don't think we'd want to tackle Potato Salad Hill, the Escalator or most of the Hot Tubs on this trip. With only 4 days of 'wheeling is this trail good enough to make the cut with some of its highlights removed? Metal Masher I know we could find more challenges than we're looking for on this trail. But it sort of looks like there might be easy enough lines that we could still have fun. Should this make the cut? Non-'wheeling activities In addition to the 4 day's of mostly 'wheeling we plan to spend another day (or two?) being more ordinary tourists. I know there are a ton of things to see, including several National Parks, and that there's no way we can do it all. Does anyone have any must-see's for us? Thanks again!
Edited by Nothing Special - 24 Sep. 2019 at 5:40pm |
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smfulle
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 16 Sep. 2010 Location: Ogden, Utah Status: Offline Points: 6123 |
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Bolded is mine.
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jeepsterjim
Member Joined: 13 July 2011 Location: lincoln, ca Status: Offline Points: 1272 |
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MOAB IS GREAT FUN.
I like: Kane Creek-----had a flash flood sneak up on us and watched a brand new Tacoma get washed down stream. poison spider...great day run fin & things---- fun----rain made it real fun---slippery hey Joe canyon hells revenge copper canyon???---has dinosaur tracks that you can check out San Rafael swell is interesting....if still open. Just out of Green River----just North of Moab---if open---used to have a steam geyser that was interesting. Green River is famous for water melons. Half day jaunt ---round trip---to circleville--- one can see Butch Cassidy's house.
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Jim
CJ-2A - 81299 |
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jpet
Moderator Group Sponsor Member x 5 Joined: 30 Apr. 2008 Location: Ramsey, IL Status: Offline Points: 11173 |
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I agree with Stan. If you have never been to Moab, Hell’s Revenge is a must do. Especially since you are by yourself. It’s also the closest trail to town and it is the most likely to have other people on it. It is as Stan described. Last EJS I did the trail three times. Two of those times we started the trail in the afternoon after we had spent the day on another trail. It might be kinda hot in September though. Last year in August we ran it. We started about 8:00 in the morning to beat the heat and we were in the Moab Diner by noon. By the time we finished, the temp was 105. My point is, you could do HR on the same day as another trail such as Fins & Things or Moab Rim which are also relatively close to town.
Cliffhanger might be my favorite trail but I definitely would not run it alone, (or any trail for that matter), but you could probably find someone in town that would run it with you. We started the trail at 8:00 and finished at 5:00 but we could have easily finished by 4:00. We took an extended break on the cliff view at the end and the only problem we had was one flat tire. This year when we ran it, three different people broke axles less than half way through but I suspect they had pre-fatigue. That being said, I don’t think Cliffhanger is any more of an axle breaker than some of the other trails you have listed such as Gold bar or Poison Spike. Rusty Nail/Golden Spike are hard and In some ways have a Pritchett Canyon type feel. IMO, someone should be with you for sure. Certainly doable but lots of potential for breakage and a ways out from town. The end of Rusty Nail has a lot of off-camber ledges that challenge your nerve more than your equipment. Keep us posted for sure. I suspect I will be in Moab at least one more time this year. Edited by jpet - 31 May 2019 at 8:02am |
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CJ2A #29110 "General Willys"
MB #204827 "BAM BAM" "We do what we can, and we try what we can't" |
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Nothing Special
Member Joined: 02 Feb. 2018 Location: Roseville, MN Status: Offline Points: 842 |
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Thank you Stan, Jim and Jeff! Looks like a lot of good advice here! I'll take a closer look when I get a little more time, and I'm sure I'll have more questions.
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smfulle
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 16 Sep. 2010 Location: Ogden, Utah Status: Offline Points: 6123 |
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I have a copy of this book and have found it to be very helpful.
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Nothing Special
Member Joined: 02 Feb. 2018 Location: Roseville, MN Status: Offline Points: 842 |
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So it sounds like Hell's Revenge, Moab Rim and Poison Spider belong on the "yes" list. Metal Masher probably as well.
Kane Creek and Golden Spike sound like they might be a little more than I should try to bite off on my first trip, especially alone. I'll have to look up Fins & Things and Hey Joe Canyon that Jim mentioned. I've heard of both, but don't have a good read on how difficult they might be.
A Google search gave average temps of ~83 high and 52 low for mid Sep. Yeah, I realize those are averages and it could be significantly different. I'll run that by my wife, but that timing works out well for us. And we've done Black Hills trips with every day over 100 before. Not our first choice, but survivable.
I'm not so worried about breakage on Cliffhanger. Sure, it's always a possibility, but from what I've seen in the videos, like you are saying it doesn't seem like it would be one of the worst trails for it. My biggest concern with it is the Cliffhanger obstacle. I'm sure I'd do it if I were in a group that knew what they were doing. But I know my wife would NOT enjoy that section of trail. And watching videos I don't see the line for my big fat Bronco. I've watched skinny flatfenders on it, and big fat JKs with huge tires and flexy suspensions. But nothing too close to mine. Not saying I think I couldn't do it, I just know I shouldn't when I'd be doing my own spotting and my wife would be telling me not to!
Sounds like Canyonlands RV is probably the way we'll go then. I still need to run it by my wife, but the Google scouting made it look like probably the best choice for us. And with Jeff's comments about the temperature, having some shade (and ice cream shops nearby!) will probably be worth a lot!
I'm sure we'll hit the town on the 'wheeling days (one of the reasons we'd want to be back at camp for dinner is to be able to wander around town in the evening). So Arches National Park and Corona Arch sound like good suggestions for a non-wheeling day. Any others we should throw in the mix? And we'll be in the Bronco on this day too, rather than packing up camp to drive the motorhome. So air conditioning won't be tempting us to stay in the vehicle!
I'll definitely pick that up. Thanks! |
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jeepsterjim
Member Joined: 13 July 2011 Location: lincoln, ca Status: Offline Points: 1272 |
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canyon land campground is where we stayed. It was clean and the staff friendly.
There is/was a trail that we took that went over to the Arches. Neat area to check out. If you have time, a rafting trip is great. Mid September normally is OK for weather. Just go prepared for snow, wind, rain, or heat, LOL, seen it all around there. Do try and take all trails with two other rigs. It sucks to break down or ? without friends to help out. Bottom line----ENJOY!!! |
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Jim
CJ-2A - 81299 |
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jpet
Moderator Group Sponsor Member x 5 Joined: 30 Apr. 2008 Location: Ramsey, IL Status: Offline Points: 11173 |
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To be clear, that was the first week of August when it was 105 degrees. We did Pritchett in middle September. It wasn’t as hot but it got kinda hot in the afternoon. Have plenty of water.
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CJ2A #29110 "General Willys"
MB #204827 "BAM BAM" "We do what we can, and we try what we can't" |
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Nothing Special
Member Joined: 02 Feb. 2018 Location: Roseville, MN Status: Offline Points: 842 |
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I know I should never go 'wheeling alone, but that's just not how it works out for me. I don't have any friends that 'wheel. And while my younger son is getting pretty good at both driving and spotting, he doesn't have his own rig (and I only have the one) so I'm still "alone" when he comes. So almost all of my 'wheeling over the years has been solo. I try to play it smart, building my rig with stout axles and a pretty mild engine. And driving with the definite goal of living to fight another day, with a soft right foot and keeping the obstacles on the mild side. So far I've been successful (or at least lucky). I'd love to get together with a group of 'wheelers and run some trails some time. Hopefully with some of you! But this summer we're going on a vacation with my extended family (parents, siblings and all of the kids). A month or so after that, this trip will be a vacation for just my wife and me. And she wouldn't consider meeting up with a bunch of other people the kind of wind-down she's likely to need after spending a week with all of her in-laws!
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Nothing Special
Member Joined: 02 Feb. 2018 Location: Roseville, MN Status: Offline Points: 842 |
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Yeah, we're pushing this back about as much as we can to get the best chance possible for decent weather. And a good thing about having such a big trail vehicle is that it's easy to carry plenty! We've even got an electric cooler so the water will be cold!
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Rock Cred
Member Joined: 21 Apr. 2018 Location: monticello utah Status: Offline Points: 26 |
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We live in Monticello, Utah, about an hour south of Moab. We have an Airbnb, The Coffee Pot Cottage here in Monticello. We just finished guiding a group over Hell's Revenge. The video will be posted on YouTube within the next couple of weeks, search for Rock Cred. If you will be travelling alone, message us and we may be able to accompany you if you find yourself in a pickle, depending on schedule. Hell's Revenge is a must. You can cover the trail in a short amount of time but we feel to fully appreciate the trail, take your time and make a day of it. So many people try to fill their vacation with as much as possible that they miss the reason for the vacation in the first place. We feel you would get more out of your vacation by taking your time and going over four trails rather than trying to cover eight. If you have any questions or would like more information, we will do our best to provide. This is an amazing place and you will certainly enjoy yourselves.
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jpet
Moderator Group Sponsor Member x 5 Joined: 30 Apr. 2008 Location: Ramsey, IL Status: Offline Points: 11173 |
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I really like the town of Moab. They have pretty much everything. All different kinds of restaurants, at least three auto parts stores, grocery store, etc. you can fill up your propane bottles at the camp site and the camp site has WiFi. I’m not always so prepared when I take off but usually the thing I forget to bring is within walking distance. I even bought my truck there .... now I got Moab on my mind .... let’s keep this thread rolling!!
I’m not a big Fins & Things guy. I like the trail for sure, but to me, it is the generic version of Hell’s Revenge, I.e, if I’m headed that way, I might as well do HR. That’s a personal feeling that most probably don’t agree with. |
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CJ2A #29110 "General Willys"
MB #204827 "BAM BAM" "We do what we can, and we try what we can't" |
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tamnalan
Member Joined: 08 Oct. 2013 Location: Port Orford, OR Status: Offline Points: 986 |
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Just got back from our Moab trip with Stan and 3A Steve. Hell's Revenge was amazing and I considered running it again on the day we left (but didn't). I bypassed the obstacles. Poison Spider was harder for me but I would run it again in a stocker. I would not run Poison Spider alone though, especially in a stocker. Stan showed us two other great trails: Porcupine Rim is fun and more typical of the Montana trails I grew up with. It would be a great "shakedown trail" if your wife isn't used to wheeling. The other was a combo day of Gemini Bridges and the Shafer Switchbacks / Potash Road. Easy road but you won't soon forget those incredible views!
I got a copy of the book Stan suggests. It's very helpful - strongly recommend it.
I had no idea how cool Moab is for outdoor activities. Bring your mountain bikes if you have them and give Slickrock Trail a go. It meanders along Hell's Revenge. I tried it on our last day - "tried" is the operative word here. |
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Alan Johnson
1942 MB - "TBD" 1943 MB - "Lt Bob" 1950 cj3a M-100 x2 teardrop camper: https://forums.g503.com/viewtopic.php?f=141&t=201740 |
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tamnalan
Member Joined: 08 Oct. 2013 Location: Port Orford, OR Status: Offline Points: 986 |
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A Moab parts stores shout-out: I had some trouble with my WO carb's needle and seat. The Carquest parts store had a replacement needle/seat kit on the shelf.
I suppose if any small town will have vintage Willys jeep parts in stock, it would be Moab. I was very grateful.
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Alan Johnson
1942 MB - "TBD" 1943 MB - "Lt Bob" 1950 cj3a M-100 x2 teardrop camper: https://forums.g503.com/viewtopic.php?f=141&t=201740 |
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Nothing Special
Member Joined: 02 Feb. 2018 Location: Roseville, MN Status: Offline Points: 842 |
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I really appreciate the offer, but we'll be traveling alone this trip. Not that we won't say "Hi!" if we run into anyone, but at least on this trip the point is for my wife and me to spend time together, not for me to meet up with "virtual friends".
We're all over that! We've ended up having a few marathon days over the years. While that can be a fun challenge with the right group of people, it's usually a lot more fun to just keep it fun (duh!!) So while I'd like to be going out with eight or so possible trails, the plan would more be to do one a day and only start up a second trail if we happened to finish up early (or get turned back by the gatekeeper!)
I'm not running a stocker, I've got two lockers, 33" tires, good crawl gears and a winch. And my wife has been 'wheeling with me for 26 years, over some fairly serious trails. Last year we were in the Ouray area and did Black Bear and Poughkeepsie among others (I wrote up a trip report on that here). But she always gets out and takes pictures on the scarier sections. (I know she'd opt to photograph the Escalator and I don't think she'd appreciate walking all the way it!). I pretty well know my limitations and I feel no shame in taking bypasses or turning around when we come up on something that I'm not confident we can do safely. But we do like at least somewhat of a 'wheeling challenge. So we are looking for trails that will push us a little.
I saw Stan's report on that trip. I'll be keeping that in mind too, maybe not as a plan A, but it's always good to have a plan B.
We're not mountain bikers. I hope we can do a little hiking, but going from wherever we can get the Bronco to wherever we can get a better view will probably be the extent of it. (My wife frequently points out that she got hooked on fourwheeling when she realized I could driver her to the top of the mountain instead of making her walk up it!)
True story: On the second 'wheeling trip my wife was on we also had our 2 year old son along. We drove my old CJ5 out to Colorado. When I rejetted the carb after we were there I ended up with a fuel leak. A stop at a NAPA provided the O-ring I had torn. After a few more stops for oil, power steering fluid and whatever else, for the rest of the trip my 2 year old was shouting out "There's a NAPA!" every time one came in view. In fact, he kept doing that for the rest of the summer!
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outlw21
Member Joined: 06 Aug. 2017 Location: bakersfield CA Status: Offline Points: 240 |
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Been a while since I was in Moab. Grand View Overlook in the island in the sky section of Canyonlands NP has gorgeous sunsets. The Moab Information Center in the middle of town has a lot of info. I picked up brochures on rock art, movie locations and dinosaurs that are really great.
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Mark W.
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 09 Nov. 2014 Location: Silverton, OR Status: Offline Points: 7923 |
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There is also Moabs Uranium Mining History to look into. It was once one of the fastest growing places in the USA.
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Chug A Lug
1948 2A Body Customized 1949 3A W/S 1957 CJ5 Frame Modified Late 50's 134L 9.25"clutch T90A D18 (1.25") D44/30 flanged E-Locker D25 5.38 Since 1962 |
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