Hole in the Rock trail, slightly modified 100 series, bad idea? (1 Viewer)

[aging fleet]

Hey everyone,

I'm hoping @woody or anyone else local to southern Utah may be able to help with a question about HITR. I'm tentatively tagging along with a group of 200 series owners who are planning to run HITR in late July. I love the idea of the trip because my two older kids and I had a great time exploring SW Colorado last summer, I'd like them to experience southern Utah, and the timing works with our schedule.

For those of you who have been on HITR, if I bring a 100 series with 33" ATs, and only a ~1" lift, am setting myself up for a frustrating experience with moderate trail damage sprinkled in for good measure (for the record, I can handle pin-striping and a few scratches on a bumper cover, but I'd like to drive home with a bumper still attached to my car)? I'd have a 10 and 9 year old with me, they enjoy travelling offroad, but this would be the closest thing to rock crawling they've experienced. Not sure how they'd do getting bounced around for hours in the desert, in July.

It doesn't feel like the right trip for us, but I wanted to run the idea by some locals. I appreciate any advice you may have.

-Brad

 

[Jason hansen]

Bumpers, sliders and a winch will make a huge difference. Other wise you are open to potential carnage.

 

[aging fleet]

Bumpers, sliders and a winch will make a huge difference. Other wise you are open to potential carnage.

Thanks Jason, this is helpful.

 

[woody]

Sliders are a requirement, unless you plan to climb in and out of the windows after the trip...rockers will take a beating.

Bumpers are a good idea, but a trip like this may "push" you to replace the stockers, so be prepared. Winch is a non-issue if others have one, just be sure you have good recovery points front and rear.

Fun trail, I've only run it once but need to get back there again.

 

[aging fleet]

Sliders are a requirement, unless you plan to climb in and out of the windows after the trip...rockers will take a beating.

Bumpers are a good idea, but a trip like this may "push" you to replace the stockers, so be prepared. Winch is a non-issue if others have one, just be sure you have good recovery points front and rear.

Fun trail, I've only run it once but need to get back there again.

Thanks woody, something like the white rim trail in Cayonlands may be a better first Utah experience for the family.

 

[Jason hansen]

White rim no problem

 

[Jason hansen]

Late July would be the worst time of year to run that trail. It would be super hot and then there is the chance for flash floods during monsoon season.

 

[aging fleet]

Late July would be the worst time of year to run that trail. It would be super hot and then there is the chance for flash floods during monsoon season.

I would definitely shoot for the spring or fall for that trip since I'd be creating my own itinerary. It's such a far drive from where I'm at, I'd want to be able to enjoy the mid-day temps.

Thanks

 

[BMThiker]

.

 

[DRANGED]

update(s)?

 

[leonard_nemoy]

I did hole in the rock years ago, from Escalante Utah area down to Lake Powell. I don't remember it being a hard trail at all. I just remember a long washboarded bumpy road. Is there another trail out there I don't know about?

 

[DRANGED]

I did hole in the rock years ago, from Escalante Utah area down to Lake Powell. I don't remember it being a hard trail at all. I just remember a long washboarded bumpy road. Is there another trail out there I don't know about?

Yeah hole in the rock trail is a gnarly mormon pioneer hand-cart trail blasted intot he rock cliffs to get livestocvk and people from the mesa tops down the river.....
I really want to check it out..sometime, but my rig's nowhere near read for that.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

Yeah, that's where I went. We stopped just above the lake and hiked down to the water through the channel the old timers blasted.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

So I had to look it up, it sounds like the trail goes all the way through to Bluff. As a kid we were on dirt bikes and stopped at the actual hole in the rock and headed back to Escalante from there, so I didn't get to see the fun parts. I need to do this now....

 

[aging fleet]

update(s)?

Sorry @DRANGED, I never checked back on this thread until now. I passed on the trip in 2018, and in hindsight, think that was probably the best decision given my setup. I did get back out west this summer with the Hundreds in the Hills group, but the closest I got to Utah was Hot Tomato Pizza in Fruita CO (which was great). From the GJT area, I had planned to head into UT, take 128 through Castle Valley and Moab, then make my way east again to Silverton, but ran out of time.

Thanks again to everyone that offered advice.