Nothing Special's Moab Trip - 2021

LOL!  I understand the "unusual rig" bit!  Scott and I were sitting together last weekend at the overlanding meet when the instructor for the "Recovery Equipment" seminar when around the "room" and asked what we were 'wheeling.  He seemed to take a step back when Scott, who was first, told him what he was driving, and then when I said essentially the same thing he was really surprised.  Everyone else had some sort of Toyota or a Jeep, all of which were almost new.  He seemed to think Scott's truck could shake his like rag doll.  

As for learning, you've had a whole bunch of experiences that have taught you what works and what doesn't.  That's invaluable and rarely gets forgotten.  

Thursday - Corona Arch and Fins N Things

Thursday was supposed to be another tourist day.  I had thought we'd hike to Corona Arch (off hwy 279) and then take Long Canyon Road up to Dead Horse Point State Park (the other park Lesley had wanted to do).  But she thought that with how tired she had been after hiking around Canyonlands that maybe we shouldn't do both Corona Arch and Dead Horse Point.  So she suggested seeing Corona Arch and then doing the northern loop of Fins N Things.  I lobbied briefly for Hell's Revenge, but gave in pretty quickly when Lesley pointed out that she was suggesting 'wheeling on a tourist day!

Corona Arch is about a 3 mile round-trip hike.  It was a pretty nice hike, quite a few people, but they were being respectful and not hogging the good picture spots.  People would go under the arch for a while and then move out to make room for others.

Just before Corona Arch is Bow Tie Arch.  Probably not worth a 3 mile hike, but a nice bonus.


Just past that is Corona Arch.  If you look closely, Lesley is standing under the arch.  Gives you some perspective on the size.  I guess it's the biggest arch in Utah and that people used to fly planes through it (there's a picture of that at the Moab Diner)!  That kind of fun has been outlawed now, but I guess that's OK.


There's also a short spur trail off to Pinto Arch.  We went down far enough to see that arch too, but not all the way as it was starting to heat up (it topped 90 this day!).


Then we went to Fins N Things.  This is a trail we did in 2019.  Lesley knew she had ridden almost the entire trail that year so she figured she wouldn't need to walk too much in the heat.  She did get out three times, but we didn't get many pictures.

Here's an optional climb.  It's on the south loop which we skipped in the interest of time, but it's right off a campground, so we could do it quick and get back out:


Then we hit the north loop.  Here is a section where there are three or four options to go down a small ledge.  Last time I took the easiest route, this time I took the steepest.  My tires actually slid going down this, something that doesn't happen much on slickrock:


Those two pictures must show some of the "Things", because the "Fins" are at the far west end of the north loop.  You can see them from a long way away, with the "blacktop road" meandering across the tops.


One of the first fins after you turn back east is pretty steep.  I remember being a little freaked by it the first time we were hear, but we were following some Jeeps then and when they made it up I went too.  This time we were in the lead with some beginners in a borrowed Jeep following us.  Lesley got a little freaked this time and decided to hike up it.  It was a little spooky driving it, but I went up with no tire slip.

That was the end of a short trail, er, I mean tourist day!  We got back to the campground and hit the pool before dinner, then went into town for a little more shopping and shakes at the diner!

Amazing scenery!  Love it!

But I'm not sure about some of those ascents.  That looks a bit steep for me.  I keep thinking of "what would happen if..."  But, as you've said, you have to get used to it and learn what you, and your machine, can do.  

You also have to get used to what slickrock will do.  There's no way I could do climbs like some of these on the smoother rock in Colorado.

You can tell it is abrasive stuff just looking at the black rubber marks on the trail.  And they are solid rocks that don't move on you.

From what little I've seen in Colorado you are either on shale, which provides little traction as it slides on you, or truly hard, slick rock.  I would guess that is very, very different from Moab.

Man, gorgeous!

Friday - Mashed Potatoes

Since Lesley had been nervous about trails like Elephant Hill leading up to this trip, I had mostly more moderate trails lined up (other than Elephant Hill and Metal Masher).  One of those trails was Mashed Potatoes.  My guide book actually lists this as one of the hardest trails in the area, but that's connecting it with The Pickle.  It said that other that the first two obstacles (both on The Pickle) the trail was more moderate, with a couple optional hard lines.  And that's pretty much what we found.

The guide book shows a picture much like this one, saying that the rocks look like scoops of mashed potatoes.  There's a lot more green in our picture though so it's not quite as clear (but maybe mashed potatoes with chives?).  And Lesley pointed out that when she makes mashed potatoes it's a lot less lumpy!



Possibly the hardest part of the trail was not losing it in that terrain!  There were markers painted on the rock, and sometimes there were the tell-tale black rubber marks.  But there were still several times where we had to pause a moment and look around to see where we had missed a turn.

There are a couple of short steep places that would be a good place for a more novice 'wheeler to start to experience slickrock traction...



About in the middle is this hill.  The trail up isn't difficult, but I was pretty winded after going back down for this picture and then hiking back up!



As you get near the end there are a couple steep drops that get your attention.  It kind of looks like my left rear is a couple inches off the ground here, and from the driver's seat that would have been believable.  But when I zoom in on the full-size picture I'm pretty sure that's an illusion.  Still, if I don't tell you that it will seem like a better picture, so forget I said anything!



This little V-notch you have to cross doesn't look like much, but as high as my rear bumper is, I dragged it for a foot or so here.



This is another picture that looks more impressive than it really is.  The crack was pretty wide to straddle at the bottom, but it wasn't a very big climb to get up on it, and then it was an easy cruise up to the end of the crack.



That was it for the actual trail.  We still had a bit of meandering to do to get out, getting up to Hidden Canyon overlook on the way...



Near that overlook there was a fun place for lunch, with some cool looking rock formations and some cool feeling shade on a mid 90s day...



We ended up spending about 3 1/2 hours and 13 miles on the trail.  We only saw one side-by-side on the trail, so we were pretty much on our own.


And unfortunately that was about it for the trip .  We headed back to camp, hit the pool, went to town for shakes and started packing up.

Saturday morning we left for home.  The only excitement on the drive was having to back out of a gas station in Glenwood Springs when a tanker truck pulled in and blocked the exit that was in front of us, and then having to parallel park a motorhome towing a Bronco in a spot about 20' longer than our rig at the third or fourth rest stop we tried (and I was DONE by that time, so I wasn't leaving that rest stop to look for another one!).

We got home about 3:00 on Sunday afternoon, so we had a pretty relaxed time unpacking and getting ready to go back to work on Monday .

And that's was our trip!  Thanks for letting me relive it with you!

Edit to add in January 2022:  At one point in this day's wanderings we were on a trail called 3D where we got the only video of the day.  Here it is.

That looks like a fun day!  And and trail more my "speed".  However, some of those drops look like something Big Blue wouldn't like, and I know I wouldn't either.  

So something with a short overhang is essential for some of those?  Are there ways around them?

That hidden canyon reminds me of Zane Grey and Riders Of The Purple Sage.  Have you read that?  (At one point I owned the whole set of Zane's works.)

And the rock formations where you have lunch are cool in so many different ways.

That was a wonderful trip!  Can we go again?  It was too short!

A short overhang sure helps.  There wasn't an obvious bypass for that V-notch, but I didn't really look that hard.  It might work better to take it at more of an angle (if possible, I think it might have been).  That would flex you out more, but might keep the bumper off the ground.

As to the steep drops, they aren't as steep with a longer wheelbase!  Breakover angle MIGHT be an issue, but remember, my Bronco doesn't have a great breakover with the low radius arm mounts, and I didn't have any issues.

I have not read Zane Grey.

And yes, it was too short, but we can go again!  And will!  It won't be this year though.  We have a pretty full calendar through about March, and none of them are 'wheeling trips.  We haven't made any specific plans beyond that, but we will go back to Utah.  Lesley wants to check out Zion and Bryce Canyon next time, so we might go to Hurricane (pronounced "Hurricuhn", not like the storm) instead of Moab.  Sand Hollow State Park is down there with dunes and some crawling trails.  But like I said, that's all just speculation at this point.

Very cool! Thanks for sharing Bob!

Definitely want to go to that area, as a tourist that is.

One of the touristy things to do out there is rent a 4x4.  Seriously, there are Jeep and ATV rentals (single and side-by-side), with guided trips available, as well as companies that will take you for a ride in their truck.  So if someone wanted to gain some experience without risking their own vehicle (or even without having a vehicle), there are options!

Of course, fourwheeling isn't for everyone, and that's fine too.  There's no shortage of other things to do.  And plenty of hotels and resorts for those that don't want to camp, as well as plenty of more basic campgrounds for those that don't need full hookups for their motorhome.  Moab's big industry is tourism.  They'll have a way to let you spend money there!

We rented a Jeep Rubicon in Ouray last year, which got us able to explore and see some beautiful scenery.  And the Rubicon was a very capable vehicle.  So that's a good option.

Bob, outstanding read!!! I sat down this morning with my cup of coffee and felt like I was there with you guys. You are an exceptional writer, providing a great narrative with pictures that make it all the more real. Really enjoyed it.

I absolutely love those old Broncos! Back in the 80's I was stationed in Iceland and was amazed at the  number of Broncos I saw on that island. They aren't that plentiful today and one has to give up their first born to acquire a nice one. That said, doesn't look like you fear REALLY using it....lol! Looks too like the little guy did you right too! Gonna go check out your project thread.  

Looking forward to more road trips...............

That sounds like a good idea to rent a Jeep or side by side. Sounds fun!

Wouldn’t mind going places my stock Bronco will make with ease.

Machspeed wrote

Bob, outstanding read!!! I sat down this morning with my cup of coffee and felt like I was there with you guys. You are an exceptional writer, providing a great narrative with pictures that make it all the more real. Really enjoyed it.

I absolutely love those old Broncos! Back in the 80's I was stationed in Iceland and was amazed at the  number of Broncos I saw on that island. They aren't that plentiful today and one has to give up their first born to acquire a nice one. That said, doesn't look like you fear REALLY using it....lol! Looks too like the little guy did you right too! Gonna go check out your project thread.  

Looking forward to more road trips...............

Thanks!!!  I'm glad people are appreciating it!  Like I keep saying, sharing a trip like this stretches out the enjoyment.

The first time we were in Moab some one asked me "What's it take to 'wheel a collectible vehicle?"  My answer is to not think of it as being collectible!  I bought this for $6000 almost 20 years ago.  I don't like to think about what I have in it now, but I'm sure it's south of $20,000.  Buying a new side-by-side will set you back about that much.  So I don't really feel like I'm risking all that much REALLY using it.  And it might not seem like it to everyone, but I really am pretty careful with it, so I don't think it's that big of a risk.

And I have it to use it, no trailer queens here!

And I'm looking forward to more road trips too, but it'll be a while.  I've got other trips I'm looking forward to too, including a Panama Canal cruise that was postponed for a year due to Covid.  Road trips will need to wait a bit!

grumpin wrote

That sounds like a good idea to rent a Jeep or side by side. Sounds fun!

Wouldn’t mind going places my stock Bronco will make with ease.

Renting is a great option for many.  Like I said above, I have my Bronco to use it, and building it to go difficult places, and then successfully going to those places increases the enjoyment for me.  But that's me and I ain't normal!  But I think if my younger son can talk his wife into stuff like this he'll be renting.  He's a bit intimidated by the repairs and maintenance I go through.

And there are plenty of easier trails out there.  The guide book I have (Guide to Moab UT Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Trails by Charles A. Wells) lists trails by difficulty.  Because of what we want I'm focussing on the "difficult" trails, but there are "easy" and "moderate" as well.  You can have whatever kind of fun you want out there!

That is some pretty area out there.
Thanks for taking us along with you.
Looking forward for the next outing

BTW what were the tires aired down to?
Looked pretty low in some of the pictures then again with all the weight on 1 tire can make it look a lot lower than they are.
Dave ----

I'm running 12 psi on the trails.  I'm surprised they don't squish down more than they do at that pressure.  But off-road radials in an LT tire have pretty stiff sidewalls, even just at load range C.  But that's why I worked to stay with load range C when I bought my mud tires last year.  A lot were only available in D or E.

grumpin wrote

....  Wouldn’t mind going places my stock Bronco will make with ease.

Thinking about it more, I think I sold Potash Road short.  That, connected with Shafer Switchbacks, is an easy 2WD road that's fun (Shafer Switchbacks) and has some great views (Shafer and the first 5 miles of Potash).  You can also take a side trip out on the White Rim Trail (permit required) and see Musselman Arch and who knows what else.  We didn't do that, but from the looks of the area I think it would also be pretty easy 2WD driving in a stock full size truck (more clearance than a minivan might be helpful).

Potash Road was rough and slow, and at the end of a day with about 5 miles of hiking, Lesley and I didn't care for it.  But it was only 10 miles in 1 hour (it felt longer to us).  So if you went into it knowing that it's rough and slow, but not really all that long, you likely could better appreciate the views on the first half.

Or maybe you'd prefer to go into the park that way.  Then the least interesting part of Potash Road would be at the start and you'd have everything to look forward to.

Anyway, I'm not saying it's the best trail out there, but I do think I sold it short.  It might be a great day for someone looking to get where not everyone else goes without pushing any limits.

I just started a YouTube channel so now I can post the video from this trip.  I'll go back and edit it in where it fits in the trip, but I also thought I'd add it here so people don't have to go back through the whole thread to find it.

Our first trail was Elephant Hill inside Canyonlands National Park.  It was cool to be on a legitimate 'wheeling trip in a national park!

The first steep hill up, and especially down the back side, gets your attention right away.  I wasn't sure I'd be able to drive back up the back side, but fortunately I got to wait for a few vehicles coming up before I could go down, so I got to go to school on them.  After that I had the confidence to continue.

There are a few other fun spots on and off the trail after that, some narrows and some good rocks.  At one point we hiked out a little ways to some "joints" (I'd call them slot canyons, but I was told that I'd be wrong if I did) that were fun to explore.  We skipped going to see the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers due to time (it was getting late and looking like rain).

Then we had to drive back over the hill we started on.  The rain held off until after we were off the trail, which was a big relief.  And it was fun watching some other trucks struggle up the hill and then to follow up with no trouble at all!



Lesley didn't think we could top that first day, but our third trail day was Metal Masher, which she ended up deciding was even better!  (no video from day 2) There were a number of short, steep climbs (like the one at the start of the video) that were an exciting challenge.

Then from about 1:45 to 6:00 is a narrow, steep climb with a few good ledges.  Nothing ridiculous, but the group of side-by-sides that passed us right before this stopped to see if we'd be able to make it.  We were!



Our last trail day, as it often is, was our easiest.  We meandered around on a trail called Mashed Potatoes, and eventually came to a trail called 3D.  Not much challenge for us on this trail, but still some sections that were fun, and, of course, great scenery.



That's it for my home movies for now.  But I'll make more as we do more 'wheeling trips!

Thanks for watching!

Bob, about you trip at Moab… Did you drive down the Shafer Trail?

If so, I am wondering about the curves radius, going down the canyon… I suppose that a monster like Big Bro cannot turn there.