Dang, too bad my plans got a little screwed up.
Moab 2015
- Thread starter YotaLance
- Start date
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I'm super jelly.. But then again, I'll only be a few hours away from MOAB soon lol
YotaJosh
SILVER Star
Wednesday we wheeled Strike Ravine and Steelbender.
Strike Ravine cuts through the backside of Area BFE. It passes by some abandoned Uranium mines. One of them goes deep in the ground probably 150 yards, and has a half dozen or so other tunnels spurring off the main tunnel. We saw old carbide cans, cardboard boxes blasting supplies came in, and some old mining cart tracks. Real cool stuff. There was a Uranium mining boom in the 40s/50s around Moab, so there are lots of mines like this to explore.
Steelbender is a Moab staple, so we decided to do it, at 3PM, and it takes 5-6 hours. We got off the trail in the dark at 8:30. It has lots of different terrain. Woods and water crossings, slickrock fins, ledges and hills, and a pretty cool winding valley of rock trails. One of the obstacles called "The Wall" is pretty gnarly and gave us some minor trouble. Later in the trail with the sun fading and thunder booming in the distance, Lance sprung a leak in his gas tank. The leaf springs walked out and rubbed a hole through the tank skid, and put a hole in the tank. We found a sheet metal screw, part of a tire patch, and drilled the screw into the tank using part of the patch as a gasket. 80 miles later and it's still holding.
And we got some clamps from the parts store to control the leaf spring walkout.
Strike Ravine cuts through the backside of Area BFE. It passes by some abandoned Uranium mines. One of them goes deep in the ground probably 150 yards, and has a half dozen or so other tunnels spurring off the main tunnel. We saw old carbide cans, cardboard boxes blasting supplies came in, and some old mining cart tracks. Real cool stuff. There was a Uranium mining boom in the 40s/50s around Moab, so there are lots of mines like this to explore.
Steelbender is a Moab staple, so we decided to do it, at 3PM, and it takes 5-6 hours. We got off the trail in the dark at 8:30. It has lots of different terrain. Woods and water crossings, slickrock fins, ledges and hills, and a pretty cool winding valley of rock trails. One of the obstacles called "The Wall" is pretty gnarly and gave us some minor trouble. Later in the trail with the sun fading and thunder booming in the distance, Lance sprung a leak in his gas tank. The leaf springs walked out and rubbed a hole through the tank skid, and put a hole in the tank. We found a sheet metal screw, part of a tire patch, and drilled the screw into the tank using part of the patch as a gasket. 80 miles later and it's still holding.
And we got some clamps from the parts store to control the leaf spring walkout.
YotaJosh
SILVER Star
Thursday we only did one trail - Dome Plateau. We got a late start (fixing Lance's truck and we slept in a bit) and this trail is long but has fast desert sections. We were able to cut it down to 20 miles. (And it's 30 miles out of town). You burn a lot of price-gouging gas in Moab. 
Avg. price is around 2.75 here, but was around 2.25 on the drive here.
Dome Plateau has a few rocky sections, but many miles of sandy single track. There are a few small arches, and a larger one at the far west end that was fun to explore. Not only do tires get good traction on the sandstone, but shoes do to, so you can climb straight up some domes and hang out with a great view for a while. The trail also has more mines and a few mining cabins that are still standing that you can explore. We also stopped to check out some holes in the bluffs. One has some strange green water leaching out of the rocks, with a manhole cover or well shaft cover in it. Very weird...
Avg. price is around 2.75 here, but was around 2.25 on the drive here.Dome Plateau has a few rocky sections, but many miles of sandy single track. There are a few small arches, and a larger one at the far west end that was fun to explore. Not only do tires get good traction on the sandstone, but shoes do to, so you can climb straight up some domes and hang out with a great view for a while. The trail also has more mines and a few mining cabins that are still standing that you can explore. We also stopped to check out some holes in the bluffs. One has some strange green water leaching out of the rocks, with a manhole cover or well shaft cover in it. Very weird...
Make sure and go to Arches national park while in the area
Can you still do Lions back? I think it's on private property.... You guys check out potato salad hill? I believe it's in the way to Hells Revenge
Beautiful!
It's like being on mars ..... Or what I think mars would look like....
I love Moab!!
I love Moab!!
YotaJosh
SILVER Star
Lions Back is still closed. We were near Potato Salad Hill but we didn't stop.
We're having a blast! RZR rentals have taken off and I really wanted to rent one for a day, but its too rich for me.
We're having a blast! RZR rentals have taken off and I really wanted to rent one for a day, but its too rich for me.
Damn, looks so awesome out there!!
What are the rates for RZR's?
YotaJosh
SILVER Star
Around $350 for a full day. The 900cc+ models require a $1000 deposit.
Wow!
YotaJosh
SILVER Star
Today was our last day on the trails in Moab. We've had a blast and wished we could stay here another week!
We wheeled Klondike Bluffs to see some dinosaur tracks. It was a neat trail with a large dome of sandstone to drive on.
We also wheeled Sevenmile Rim. This was an awesome trail. Plenty to see, plenty of optional challenges, and a really cool ending as you pass between two buttes, navigate some grippy slickrock, complete the Tippy Slickrock, and descend the Wipe Out Hill.
That's all for now! We're hitting the road early tomorrow. More pics, stories, and videos are sure to surface next week.
We wheeled Klondike Bluffs to see some dinosaur tracks. It was a neat trail with a large dome of sandstone to drive on.
We also wheeled Sevenmile Rim. This was an awesome trail. Plenty to see, plenty of optional challenges, and a really cool ending as you pass between two buttes, navigate some grippy slickrock, complete the Tippy Slickrock, and descend the Wipe Out Hill.
That's all for now! We're hitting the road early tomorrow. More pics, stories, and videos are sure to surface next week.
Looks like you guys had a epic trip!!
Really needs to be a 2 week trip next time huh...
Got back a few hours ago. 1,417 miles one way on the pull vehicle and over 400 mile on the 4Runner wheeling it for five days in Moab with a great group of guys! We say it all the time that pictures do not do justice to the terrain we wheel on. The off camber section and nose dives from 7 mile trail are something I'll never forget. Thanks for the memories!
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YotaJosh
SILVER Star
I logged all my miles and fuel purchases. Here's the summary:
The MPG difference out and back is due to headwind/tailwind. Thanks to the tailwind, I got 4+ MPG better in NM on the return trip!
As for my cruiser, it handled the trip like a champ. I had no major issues, but my starter solenoid likes to crap out after it gets hot and sits and heat soaks. A few taps from a hammer while cranking got it along. I have a spare starter, but I didn't want to swap it unless absolutely necessary.
The MPG difference out and back is due to headwind/tailwind. Thanks to the tailwind, I got 4+ MPG better in NM on the return trip!
As for my cruiser, it handled the trip like a champ. I had no major issues, but my starter solenoid likes to crap out after it gets hot and sits and heat soaks. A few taps from a hammer while cranking got it along. I have a spare starter, but I didn't want to swap it unless absolutely necessary.
That's not too bad.. I don't think you guys could have hit it at any better of a time as far as gas prices go. Maybe a month earlier would have been a few pennies cheaper. I'm guessing here in the next month or so gas is going to come up around the $2.50 mark. I've noticed almost a $.20 increase in Maumelle within that past few weeks. Freaking absurd. Especially cus that's price for regular and the prelude drinks premium (yes, it's required).