Driving to Peekaboo Canyon near Kanab, UT

[Dan Lee]

I always air down at the start of a trail. If you're fully inflated you're much more likely to dig yourself in and get stuck, whereas if you air down you're less likely to get yourself in a situation where you're relying on the maxtrax, shovel, CRAWL, etc. I'd rather think "that was so easy I'm not sure I needed to air down" then to be outside sweating through (or during) a recovery.

Thanks!! And I can appreciate this perspective. Air down from the beginning it is.

I appreciate the benefit of prior experience and knowledge from all of you. This is a vacation after all, not an exploration venture. I should keep that in mind since others will be with me. I was already planning to air down from the beginning but now for sure I'll save the experimentation to future, more controlled conditions.

 

[gaijin]

Thanks! I'm probably being a little conservative here since I'm running the stock profile (K02 with 285/55/20) and still not sure what min pressure I should safely stay above to avoid debeading vs you guys running profiles better suited for off road (ie 285/70/17). Also, I assume that efficacy continues to increase as pressure drops basically toward zero; or is there a point of diminishing returns for a given tire size?

I don't want to re-invent the wheel here; you guys have all the experience already. It seems like this trail, it's common for trucks to get stuck. So maybe lower pressure to 15-25psi from the beginning. But for new areas without known history, is it common practice to just keep whatever pressure you're using until you get stuck and then lower it? Or new or known, do you just lower pressure from the beginning if it looks at all possible that you might get stuck?

Half your normal PSI should be a good place to start. Check the door sticker and work from there. That said being conservative is definitely a good idea if you don't have an easy way to swap to the spare if you did slip a bead.

On sand it's your call. I always air down at the start of a trail. If you're fully inflated you're much more likely to dig yourself in and get stuck, whereas if you air down you're less likely to get yourself in a situation where you're relying on the maxtrax, shovel, CRAWL, etc. I'd rather think "that was so easy I'm not sure I needed to air down" then to be outside sweating through (or during) a recovery. If this was rocks or a forest trail I'd say deflate at the start because the pointy stuff can tear a sidewall if you're fully inflated since the tire can't deflect, but sand is soft so that won't be your issue.

From the internetz on taller 17s or 18s it seems like 15 is reasonable, though with a shorter tire profile it will depend a bit:

Sand Driving

The Aussies say run 16 psi in sand, and temporarily drop it if you get stuck:

Best tyre pressure for beach driving (How to not get bogged)

The best tyre pressure for sand depends on a few things, but most people don’t let nearly enough out. Find out more here.

www.4wdingaustralia.com

and

What tyre pressures are best for sand Driving? - Expedition Australia

Setting your tyres to the right pressure for sand can mean the difference between a great day and a nightmare scenario.

www.expeditionaustralia.com.au

.

"By letting your tyres down to 16psi you significantly increase the size of the tyres footprint on the sand so you have the same weight of vehicle spread over about twice as much rubber and therefore half the weight per square inch.
...
You can go as low as 6 or 8psi if you need to but only to get you out of the s*** - make sure you have your compressor handy and pump them back up to 16psi again when you're clear and back to road pressure before you head home."

@Dan Lee , just confirming you have an LX570 with BFG KO2 tires in size LT285/55R20, right?

I agree with @linuxgod suggestion to start aired down to one half normal pressure, but the door sticker has nothing to do with this calculation.

The Recommended Cold Tire Inflation Pressure for the LT285/55R20 HO2's on @Dan Lee 's LX570 is 43psi F/R.

As such, "half normal pressure" should be 21-22psi.

HTH

 

[Dan Lee]

Thanks! Yes, I have K02 LT285/55/20 installed (I think D rated). I'll try 20-25psi first and drop down to 15psi if needed. After getting unstuck, I'll go back up to 25psi; unless I keep getting stuck then I'll just keep 15psi and go slow (<20mph? Actually, is there a rule of thumb for speed depending on pressure for my tire profile on sand? I don't want to slip a bead so want to remain conservative.)

 

[kblomquist]

I live in kanab and go to peek a boo several times a year. Road has become worse the last couple of years with the increased traffic. Still not a problem if you air own. Keep your rpm's up thru the 100 yard sandy sections and you should be ok. What is your ETA? You can call me if you do get stuck. I can also direct you to other trails in the area. lmk

 

[Dan Lee]

Thanks. So high rpm's is another way of saying put the transmission in manual shift mode and use 3rd gear (or something)? I can add that to the pre-flight checklist. I think someone mentioned that earlier too. And thanks for the offer for help!

Is there anything I can do on Coral Pink sand park area? Or is that just for ATVs?

 

[kblomquist]

There

Thanks. So high rpm's is another way of saying put the transmission in manual shift mode and use 3rd gear (or something)? I can add that to the pre-flight checklist. I think someone mentioned that earlier too. And thanks for the offer for help!

Is there anything I can do on Coral Pink sand park area? Or is that just for ATVs?

Yes, i usually put in 2nd gear and shift to 1st if needed (if you start to bog down). Sand Dunes>There are areas allowed for vehicles, but mostly atv. It is worth seeing and hiking out onto some of the big dunes. Hog Canyon is a great drive. It ends overlooking Kanab and the Arizona Strip. Being at the end at sundown is really neat. How long are you gonna be in the area? So many things to see.

 

[Dan Lee]

Thanks. Not sure yet but probably a few days. Probably spend all time at Zion since this is the first trip to the area. But carving out some time for peekaboo. Destination and some skill building. I dropped going to white pocket - save for a future trip.

 

[kblomquist]

Zion is great (can become crowded). Not much in the way of driving though. Lots of great hikes. If you come to peekaboo, going to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is just another hour and a half. If you are this close, you gotta see one of the wonders of the world. I was at the Grand Canyon two weeks ago. The North Rim is uncommercialized and with no tour buses and hardly any tourists, you feel like you have the North Rim to yourself. This last visit was really extraordinary w/ hardly anyone there. Services are still offered. If you decide to go, don't forget to get cookies at Jacob Lake.

 

[linuxgod]

I'll second that the north rim of the grand canyon is much nicer to visit than the south

 

[Dan Lee]

Is that a north rim pic from an easily accessible vehicle point? Or after some off-roading (skills and mod'ed vehicle required) and/or some hiking? It's a compelling pic. I've been to the south side about 20 years ago. Compelling pic. I have a half day allocated for Peekaboo. I can drop the other half day of Zion hiking for this. Can I make it to the north rim and see views like that in half a day (after Peekaboo) and be back in Zion for a (late) dinner? What time would I need to leave Peekaboo to do so (basically, back in the parking lot and tires re-pressured to 43psi)?

I could use some tips on specific locations to target on the north rim.....

What's Jacob Lake? And what are cookies (some off roading term? Or cookies like edible snacks?)?

 

[linuxgod]

Is that a north rim pic from an easily accessible vehicle point? Or after some off-roading (skills and mod'ed vehicle required) and/or some hiking? It's a compelling pic. I've been to the south side about 20 years ago. Compelling pic. I have a half day allocated for Peekaboo. I can drop the other half day of Zion hiking for this. Can I make it to the north rim and see views like that in half a day (after Peekaboo) and be back in Zion for a (late) dinner? What time would I need to leave Peekaboo to do so (basically, back in the parking lot and tires re-pressured to 43psi)?

I could use some tips on specific locations to target on the north rim.....

What's Jacob Lake? And what are cookies (some off roading term? Or cookies like edible snacks?)?

That photo was at the Cape Royal overlook. It's all paved roads to get there. I'm not sure where Peekaboo is but if you know your starting point here's the google map:

Cape Royal Parking Area · North Rim, AZ 86052

★★★★★ · Parking lot

goo.gl

IMO if you want to do the north rim you should set up camp there and spend a day or two if you can. There's some amazing free dispersed camping that is RIGHT on the edge of the canyon, facing east, if you turn left after the gas station and go about 6 miles down the gravel road. Ask for a recommendation at the gas station. This was where we camped in our ~24' travel trailer:

 

[Dan Lee]

Wow! Fantastic! I don't have a few days for this - it's a Zion trip. But I am already making a list for the next trip (Wave / White Pocket, Lake Powell / Horseshoe (and kayaking), and now North Rim). Basically this trip is Zion (one and done); next trip will be more south UT / north AZ (central and east). But I'm going to try to add a half day trip (same day as Peekaboo) to the north rim lodge and Angel Point (and seems like a nice drive through Vermillion) just to check it out.

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[turbo8]

Another cool place to off-road to near Zion is:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

goo.gl

 

[molanginaeda]

If you planning to go into a remote location, I would rate the following equipment as the most important. I personally will carry a Garmin inreach. There is no shame to break down, get stuck or lost in the wild. Whether it’s hiking or driving in the remote vicinity. Cell phone reception will be sparse or maybe no cell reception. Always be prepared. I don’t think this device was being discussed.

 

[Dan Lee]

Thanks for the T Falls suggestion; I’ll look it up.

Yes, I do want to get a gps and comm device. But they are very expensive and need to do more research. This trip will avoid going off pavement too far.

But will look for that type of device and a compass for future more remote trips.

 

[rusty87]

Yes, I do want to get a gps and comm device. But they are very expensive and need to do more research. This trip will avoid going off pavement too far.

But will look for that type of device and a compass for future more remote trips.

Don’t fall into the gear-itis trap. You’ll learn to off-road by doing it , not by waiting to buy stuff. A healthy dose of caution and a stock 200 will get you to 99% of the fancy places posted on Instagram.

 

[turbo8]

I ended up going there today. I initially aired down from 40psi to 30psi. On the way back up I aired down again to 25psi, because the sand was very dry and deep in a lot of places.

I found that center diff locked, 4low, s4, and traction controll off worked the best.

On the way down, I had to stop in one of the deep spots. There was a stock, newer tacoma having trouble. I could smell his brakes burning from his traction comtrol.

I had to use crawl control in reverse and then in drive to get moving to get around him.

On the way back up I found the Tacoma near the end of the sandy part of the trail. He was dug up to the rocker panels. I helped him dig out a little and pulled him out. I told him about the traction control, how to disable it and to air his street tires way down. I hope he made it back up!

Besides pulling him out, I made it back up without any problems, I just kept the moment up and fortunately no one was coming down at the same time.

 

[Dan Lee]

Cool. I’ll keep your settings in mind. It’s mostly in the pre flight checklist already. What speed did you try to maintain with 25 psi, s4 in 4l?

Is this the sandy area before the wash? The atv route or the truck route?

 

[Dan Lee]

Off topic. Any tips for the drive between Glendale and cannonville via Willis creek? Is it an air down route as well or street pressure ok? Or air down a little, say 30-35 psi, for comfort?

 

[sdnative]

Off topic. Any tips for the drive between Glendale and cannonville via Willis creek? Is it an air down route as well or street pressure ok? Or air down a little, say 30-35 psi, for comfort?

Not sure where Willis Creek is, but it looks like off Skutumpah Road (BLM 500)? I have driven that a few times, once at night. Very scenic and worth it if you are in the area. At the Cannonville side, Kodachrome Basin campground is a nice place to stay. From there is the north end of Cottonwood Canyon road, another great drive. You can take this all the way down to 89, then back to Kanab. Or head west on the 12 from Cannonville up to Bryce then south on the 89 back to Kanab.

From my experience Skutumpah Road is generally pretty easy unless it is wet. Same with Cottonwood Canyon road.

Skutumpah Road:

Cottonwood Canyon road: