200 series pre-LCDC Moab and Ouray trip

[TheGrrrrr]

As trails go I don't think anything was above a 6 (which was really just the Doll House, otherwise I'd rate them as a 5), but they were still a solid challenge, especially knowing we were absolutely on our own to choose lines and to perform any recovery required if things went sideways.

Incidentally, @sdnative was relaxed and a total pro. While @TheGrrrrr and I were armored up and on 34s, Eric did everything in an almost stock truck, save for a set of ARB skids, a basic OME Nitro 2" lift, and I believe he was on 33s. No bumpers, no lockers, no sliders, no winch. Proof that the right lines make a huge difference... unlike yours truly who had a chance to test out his ASFIR transfer case skid. (Which BTW did its job and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend as cost effective protection for those overlanding but not trying to beat the holy hell out of your rig)

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I'm not even sure I would put Doll House obstacles at a 6. I'd say 5 for the tricky obstacle, 4 for the stuff around Doll House itself and the rest is a 2/3 based on Cruise Moab ratings. That doesn't discount what Eric accomplished from the driver seat. He certainly outclassed me in avoiding contact underneath.

 

[clrussell]

Thank you for posting. Moab is on my fall
List this year and I’m watching for info so this is great.

 

[linuxgod]

Where are we going this year?

I've got a few days before cruise moab officially starts...

 

[beer]

For those of you who are TLCA members, Matt, Eric, and I put together a write-up of the Canyonlands Maze portion of our trip which made the most recent Toyota Trails magazine. Received my copy in the mail yesterday.

Great write-up, just read this while out working in the middle of nowhere. Particular enjoyed the antepenultimate paragraph touching on how crazy it is that trips like this are even doable. So true. I've been through Needles district but imagine Maze is very next-level isolated.

 

[linuxgod]

Great write-up, just read this while out working in the middle of nowhere. Particular enjoyed the antepenultimate paragraph touching on how crazy it is that trips like this are even doable. So true. I've been through Needles district but imagine Maze is very next-level isolated.

It's definitely more isolated than Needles or Island in the Sky (i.e. White Rim) or anything else in Moab (Rimrocker, Kokopelli, San Rafael Swell, etc). Which IMO made it that much better, but also certainly warranted doing it as a group