This was discussed, voted on (kinda), and approved at a prior meeting. HDC will be picking up the costs for the campsites at Hell's Kitchen.
I believe Shawn said he was going to reserve one of the campsites but that may have been contingent on whether or not Jon could reserve more than 1 in his name.
At this time, we (maybe just me) will be driving up on Friday, driving trails on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning and driving back on Monday afternoon/evening. We will be staying at the campground in Moab.
E-Hill is a great trail for those wondering. A stock vehicle will do well on that trail. No lockers needed. Don't need a big lift or big tires. Very little to scratch paint jobs too.
Not to pick, but it's "Devil's Kitchen". I don't think we knew exactly how many people/rigs were allowed per site when it was discussed, or voted on (kinda). I was under the impression we were reserving several sites (the three good ones).
E-Hill is a great trail for those wondering. A stock vehicle will do well on that trail. No lockers needed. Don't need a big lift or big tires. Very little to scratch paint jobs too.
I wouldn't take a stock 60 or 80 on that trail without at least a trailer hitch to protect the rear bumper. I watched a guy almost pull a bumper off his stock Taco on the first climb. Locker not a requirement but will make things a lot easier if it's wet. It's not a hard trail, but still deserves respect and attention.
Just because it's a 3 rated trail doesn't mean it's a cake walk. Just like Greg said, this is an off-road trail, it's on rock, and personally I find it fun and challenging. It has sections going over the hill that will get your attention if you are a newbie, and you can wrinkle sheet metal if you are not paying attention. I had Anne pissing in her saddle the time I took her over.
Devil's Kitchen is the finest remote campsite I've ever stayed at. Four sites, three tucked into alcoves, toilet seats, picnic tables, solitude ... all it a very remote and exquisite part of Canyonlands. I don't just go over the hill for the wheeling, I go over because I like camping in Devil's Kitchen and hiking around the Needles into Chesler Park. There is more to E Hill than the hill. There is also more to Moab than slickrock trails.
My permit is for three nights, starting on Thursday, 4 October. I don't know if I'll use all three nights. My plans are to stay the whole week, moving to the Maze District Monday or Tuesday.
I wouldn't take a stock 60 or 80 on that trail without at least a trailer hitch to protect the rear bumper. I watched a guy almost pull a bumper off his stock Taco on the first climb. Locker not a requirement but will make things a lot easier if it's wet. It's not a hard trail, but still deserves respect and attention.
Some of the harder areas have been filled in with concrete. I can't compare it to how it was 10 years ago, but it's definitely not a "challenge" to a locker equipped rig.
I'll stick to my statement. A stock FJC or a stock FJ40, or a stock 4Runner, or a stock 80 will be able to do E-Hill. They will need some spotting. They will need some multi-point turns. The driver needs to pay attention 'cause there are rocks on both sides but I have seen each of the above do E-Hill. One driver with a near-stock Gen3 4-Runner this past May was about 18 years old with very little off-road driving experience. (IIRC, it had an ARB on the front but otherwise, it was stock). She did fine.
Every day they bring in a full-size Ford/Chevy/Dodge pick-up truck (nothing special about it) to do trash pickup and clean the out-houses. I never drove the trail in '01 or '02 but several people on the trail at the last 2 Cruise Moab runs, commented that the trail is much easier than in years past. I think it is Cadillac hill that they planned to take an hour to get everyone through. Took 5 minutes and nobody got out of their trucks. The Silver Steps are a little steep but we were going down and not up. I guess running it the other way could be challenging. The hill itself was fun and required spotting and careful driving.
One more thing that I just remembered... at CM05, we ran into a stock Subaru (Outback or Legacy) back in the area of Devil's Kitchen. I don't know if they came over the hill or came in and out from another area. That thing had little bitty tires on it.
However, I'll agree with Greg that a stock FJ60 would have problems.
Actually, it's SOB hill. Historically unlocked trucks had trouble getting up ... unless you were David L.
They did some serious grading a few years ago and it's a cake walk up now. I believe the truck you talked about to service the campgrounds come in from Bobby's Hole, not over the Hill which is why they graded SOB. Also, SOB is not necessary to make the E Hill loop. Silver Stairs is.
