Moab 2017 (1 Viewer)

[DSLTOY]

i am planning a trip to Moab either in late June or Sept. Would like a group that wants todo moderate trails like Golden Spike and some of the scenic trails and may be the Kopokelli.
And possibly a few days visiting Woody at Sand Mountain. Recommend you look at the Moab thread in GA clubhouse.
I bring this up now so you all can think about it and we can discuss at the annual meeting.

 

[Elbert]

I'm pretty much locked out of the month of Sept (I can ask but history has proven almost impossible based on work/job requirements).

I would like to go but certainly not the "hot-@$$" season.

 

[TeddyBoy]

i am planning a trip to Moab either in late June or Sept. Would like a group that wants todo moderate trails like Golden Spike and some of the scenic trails and may be the Kopokelli.
And possibly a few days visiting Woody at Sand Mountain. Recommend you look at the Moab thread in GA clubhouse.
I bring this up now so you all can think about it and we can discuss at the annual meeting.

Dates confirmed at Grandpa's!!!

If it wasn't totally official before, it sure as hell is now!

September 23rd - October 7th.

Roger --- I assume you saw this post from Steve. I suppose there may be a little wiggle room in those dates but it was designed around your desire to get to SCC 2017.

I also assume/trust/hope my spot n the trailer is already reserved. Will be bringing a lot less camping junk this go around.

 

[DSLTOY]

I suppose there may be a little wiggle room in those dates but it was designed around your desire to get to SCC 2017.

I also assume/trust/hope my spot n the trailer is already reserved. Will be bringing a lot less camping junk this go around.

A 4 day turn around between a 16 day trip to Moab and the Crawl is probably not realistic.
I am trying to get a group together to go in mid to late June, if that happens I will not go in October.

 

[TeddyBoy]

A 4 day turn around between a 16 day trip to Moab and the Crawl is probably not realistic.
I am trying to get a group together to go in mid to late June, if that happens I will not go in October.

the thought process fell in line with last year's conversation about hitting SCC either on the way out or on the way back.

well booger, June would throw a huge monkey wrench in the works. If the fall trip is the plan what would you propose for dates as it's still early enough to manipulate?

 

[Elbert]

trying to coordinate trips to crawl in AK and contemplated Moab thing (both in 2017)?

If I get a "no-go" on Sept.... (for time off from work) my options would be to leave here (AL) at the end of the month Sept and meet out where-ever everyone else is in first part of OCt, or I advocate for some period of time outside of Sept....whatever makes it work in some form or fashion.

In either case I think it would be best to be a continuous block (2 weeks).

We'll have to do some "battle-planning" to see what works for folks and I know we are about a year away but good to figure out alternate courses of action that can work for people.

 

[4xsteve]

I have a family vacation to Alaska in late July so I won't be able to go to Moab in June. Isn't it going to be super hot then too?

I'm also already going to be pushing it asking for two weeks of leave only two months after taking a week and a half in July, so moving the current Sep/Oct dates up any isn't a good option for me either.

I think the 4-car trailer with two drivers is a much more important factor for all the east coast crew though, so don't worry about us west coast guys too much. The Schmitt's and I will probably still be able to get some Colorado and Texas folks to come out unless they decide they also want to go in the early summer instead.

 

[DSLTOY]

Unfortunately the TN guys including me were not following the GA thread, we have had some discussion at rides about the trip but no one has committed to a date or even being able to go, I camped with John at SCC and he mentioned it. We'll discuss the trip at the annual meeting next month and see if I can even get a trailer load/ codriver for either dates.

 

[LDowney]

MOAB, moderate trails with good friends is very interesting. The dates look challenging, especially September. Keep the details coming

 

[DSLTOY]

We have several people that can't do Sept/Oct, so We are looking at June 24-July 9. We have also discussed may be going to Sand Mountain(woody's backyard) for the first few days then Moab. Also looking at doing the Kokopelli's Trail, a 3 day expedition run. Note nothing has been decide, so input is welcome.

 

[TeddyBoy]

since this thread already has a 5 month jump on the conversation and some of this has been hashed to some degree I think it a good idea to link them.

MOAB 2017!!

You guys know I'm in 100% so this is just my personal 2 cents worth, I'll wait to hear from those that are truly serious about going.

Assuming the idea is to crash a our free accommodations we must ensure the dates jive with Grandpas availablility. I have no idea what kind of events or Jeep things go on that time of year but I suspect it aint all down time either.

If the intent is not to stay at GG then obviously the trip expense can go up dramatically.

I'm not overly concerned about the exact format the trip takes whether it's Moab only or hits other locations. I do have a few spots I want to see for the first time and/or get back to so in that regard I'm fairly flexible given my truck's capabilities.

June/July has a couple issues I can think right off the bat but more than anything Moab is fuggin HOT!!!!! I'll stop short of calling this a deal killer but sleeping in a tent that time of year holds damned near 0 interest for me. That and no A/C in the truck is just too much heat, call it a dry heat if you want but turkies still cook in ovens last time I checked.

Lastly, just to further my arguement and pulling from the above thread we had a pretty good group of confirmed attendees to include:

@schmitty (josh Schmitt) - coming from San Fran
@schmittysdad John S-flying to San Fran and driving down with son
@4xsteve
myself
@BGarcia88FJ62


Like I said I'll wait for others to chime in before making any decisions but hope to gawd it comes back to the sept. - oct. dates.

 

[NOSAJ]

Yeah our family tent camped Moab the first week of August this year while we were out for hih and it was bad. Hot and windy at night. The wind blew all the fine dust right into the tent. I won't do that again! September or October sound better. I'm not sure I could make this trip because of work but the would like to hit Moab again.

 

[DSLTOY]

Ted have you ever wheeled Moab in July? Rob and I have and yes it is a bit warm during the day, you need a bikini top or sun screen on a 40. When the sun goes down it cools rapidly with average lows in the low 60's if you are going to tent camp you need to be off the ground, like on a trailer as the ground stays warm. And the very low humidity really does make a difference, we were there in late July and the highs were in the high 90's and I was comfortable then I came back to TN, high 80's and high humidity and Moab was much better.
Now for our list:
Rob wants to take Hailey and cannot take her out of school for 2 weeks, Hunter has a work commitment every October , Elbert can't get off work in September. 3810 Bedford Ave Nashville, TN, United States

 

[TeddyBoy]

Sorry Roger, this is gonna be a long post but a couple of the Ga guys rarely post on mud but they are very much committed.

Ted have you ever wheeled Moab in July? Rob and I have and yes it is a bit warm during the day, you need a bikini top or sun screen on a 40. When the sun goes down it cools rapidly with average lows in the low 60's if you are going to tent camp you need to be off the ground, like on a trailer as the ground stays warm. And the very low humidity really does make a difference, we were there in late July and the highs were in the high 90's and I was comfortable then I came back to TN, high 80's and high humidity and Moab was much better.

In Moab, nope I have not and thus the reason for stopping short of calling it a deal killer. I can only look at the empirical evidence and draw conclusions on 0 experience.

Digging through the Accuweather website and looking at the temp ranges from this past June/July it looks like highs ranged in the 97-103 for highs and 59-71 range for lows. I'll admit the lows are more compatible than expected but as always you never know what it will be like until it actually happens.

Now for our list:
Rob wants to take Hailey and cannot take her out of school for 2 weeks, Hunter has a work commitment every October , Elbert can't get off work in September.

I was awake pretty late last night and noodled your post quite a bit and it finally dawned on me that Rob's schedule was likely a huge factor for the June/July dates and understandably so. It's important that a dad, son and grand-daughter spend time together and I for one applaud your thinking!!!!

Are there any dates in the fall that are more compatible just out of curiosity? I remember from last year Rob was talking about Hanna's fall break being early Sept. i think. How about Elbert and Hunter, don't know their work schedules but maybe if we can start blacking out dates it will help.

There are still several people we've not heard from that expressed interest since last year that we should tag in order to draw attention to the debate. A few have hit me up directly on info so you may not even be aware, this includes but is not limited to @radioridge, @FJCRAWLER, @jason in tn, @kletzenklueffer and a few others, sorry if I missed you.


So if I'm reading the issue(s) correctly there are really 2 main challenges, 1 we each have some control over the other we have no control over.

Challenge #1: Personal schedules - We each have some control over this but I'll admit my schedule is a little more flexible than most. What dates absolutely DO NOT work? Is a year ahead not enough time to plan around? Again, I do not know.

Challenge #2: Grandpa's schedule - Again, assuming this is the desired location which has many, many, many benefits his schedule will largely dictate ours I suspect.

Just for arguments sake, If June/July are the anticipated dates we'd be looking for 3 straight weekends where he has little to nothing going on. That might be a tall order but again I am only anticipating and the only way to know is to reach out to him. To further the debate, what happens if Grandpa comes back and says "no way" to June/July?

Roger--you still have his #?, I do not but could probably get pretty easily.

Other things of consideration: While I do have selfish desires such as wheeling type, makeup of rigs going, time of year, anticipated wheeling locations, etc... All of these are personal decisions to each of us and will need to be factored in.​

Finally, at risk for speaking for a couple of the Ga. guys who don't post I'll state what I believe is their position, I leave room for error.
John's work schedule will probably not support a June/July trip. He's in the boat dock business and that is his peak season so I suspect he'd be out. @schmitty would likely fall in line with his dad's schedule but I don't know for a fact, maybe he will chime in.


I fully expect to be at Windrock in a few weeks for further debate but this is the nutshell argument as of right now.

 

[DSLTOY]

So far this thread has mostly been a conversation between Ted and me and has not attracted the interest I had expected. Much of the discussion may have not been clear to many of the new members/people who have not done one of these major trips before, so lets discuss some of the major points.

First there two separate groups, Ted, Steve, John, Josh and a few others who are very hard core and want to do the extreme trails and there is the Moderate group that wants to do moderate trails and some scenic areas. If you look at Steve’s list on GA Moab thread there are a few trails that the moderate group may to do but most we don’t want to do, so if you have a moderate truck there will be rides for you.

Next issue is dates; moderate wants to go in June 24-July 9, as most cannot go in Sept/Oct due to work issues or wanting to bring their child while school is out, trying to schedule for fall break will not work as it is only 1 week and with the new rules on unexcused absences the second week is not an option . Currently the moderate group is Hunter, Elbert, Rob (50/50 right now) and myself. Andy R and Jason have do said they are out for this year. The hard core group has set their trip for Sept 23- Oct.7

The 4 car trailer was mentioned in a previous post, we have a 4 car trailer that I pull with my 4900 IH. This provides some cost savings as we share fuel costs and allows some that do not want to drive their truck that far and do not have a tow rig to get their truck there. For June/July we have Hunter and me for the 4 Car, Rob and Elbert plan to tow in their trucks. For Sept./Oct. if I were to opt to go with that group we have Ted and Me, Steve, john, Josh etc are coming from the left coast .

So if you are interested in going to Moab this year please post up, we need to get this trip planned.

 

[4xsteve]

Here's my info to use as necessary:

I AM going in Sept/Oct. Dates are set and space at Grandpa's Garage is already reserved for two weeks.

Yes, I will be spending a lot of my time on stuff that rigs on 35's won't like. However, I do plan to hit up some of the easier and more scenic trails this year. Either in my own rig or riding along with others. I have a 60, sprung-over on 35's with a rear locker, and my white truck on 35's that should have 5.29's and at least a rear locker by then too.

I'm not a fan of crowds nor of extreme heat. Neither will be factors in the later time frame. I know the humidity won't be bad in the earlier time frame which makes it much more tolerable, but my skin doesn't do well in that level of sun either.

The dates of last week in September and first week in October were chosen specifically so SCC would still be an option for anyone who wanted to attend that afterwards or "on the way back". If SCC were not an obstacle, the dates could shift out of September and move solely to the first two weeks of October. That does put a higher probability of snow wheelin in some places though.

 

[Elbert]

I know everyone has their constraints. I would prefer 2 weeks in OCT. Thats my preference, but I'm not locked into that. My constraint is that its likely I can't take time off in Sept (I can ask but its a sensitive topic). so given that and since I have a boat (FJ60) I'm in the moderate trail group. I would trailer my own truck out and back, taking 2 days out and 2 days back (sleep/dead time /rest). Its a long haul to get there and a min of two days travel time at least,potentially more depending on speed / vehicle..etc. Since my transportation is a non-issue to the group..I"m just talking out-loud. I understand that if using the large trailer...obviously for those in that mix....commitment is key.

I too would like to agree on times/dates in the overall scheme of things...so I can "book vacation" at work. I would agree that crowds / heat not good. If last year was any clue as to normal weather in Moab (which I can't say it is) I thought the weather last time in OCT was great for the most part, moderate in the day..cool at night. Not fair for me to judge temps in other months there as I've only been to Moab once.

Sleeping in the "hot" would suck! given tent accommodations....in base camp or on trail. As "we" know.

I don't mind "convoying" out there with anyone....but my trip out and back is not going to be straight through driving (at least one stop, likely two stops for sleep). Probably good for drivers to plan on 2.5 days travel time, if not team driving or whatever combination, if coming from the southeast (AL, MS, GA, TN) and other areas of similar distance..from destination.

Unless something gets in the way:
I'll go with whatever the "Moderate" trail group wants to do. If schedule remains overlapping in Sept/OCT. I'll try to see if I can get approval on vacation, if I can't get approval then I should be able to come out in OCT and meet up for whatever time I can do. If other times are viable (outside of Oct/Sept) I'll entertain that.

I've not seen some of the other guys post up who went last time, so I don't know if anyone else is considering things or may have other commitments, I know I jumped in last time very late in the game.

 

[4xsteve]

Elbert, I think the scheduling will work out well for you in either case. If the moderate group chooses to go in June/July, you won't have the September scheduling conflict obviously. However, if they decide to go with my pre-arranged dates later on, it seems very likely that it could end up getting pushed all into October. I think it's mostly going to weigh heavily on Roger's personal wants and needs since he's the primary, or only, person that would be trying to hit SCC, and of course is the preferred method of rig transport for a few people.

Whatever the case, I think we'll have an answer in a few weeks after a few key players hash it out around the campfire. Please continue to spread the word to any interested parties so we can get as much input as possible.

 

[DSLTOY]

Steve you have missed the major issue. My schedule is fairly flexible and yes I would like to attend the SCC but the deal breaker here is that Rob and Hunter can not go October and most likely Elbert can't get off in September.

 

[4xsteve]

That was just for Elbert's scheduling purposes. I was just stating that the moderate group that he goes with will either be earlier than September or my dates will end up changing to accommodate. Either case will allow him to attend without work conflict.