Moab mid April...

[Haku]

Hey all,

I want to hit up Moab, for a balls out, get the most out of the time we have there, rough camping deal. Anybody else interested?

Dates for it would be the Friday the 9th of April through however long other people want to stay. I'm unemployed at the moment, so I'd be up for staying a while. This is the weekend after Easter Jeep Safari, so it should be pretty chill. Went this time last year, and had a blast.

I plan on camping in the cheapest spot I can find, but thats me. I also plan on spending most of the time, including a night trip or two, wheeling and having fun. I don't mind eating out for dinner, and would prefer spending my money there to paying for a motel or pay camping. I'm perfectly fine with finding a spot to sponge bath at the River too, despite its likelihood of being cold too.

I'd like to spend at least one day at Area BFE doing Greenday (one the hard trails that has class 2 lines around the hard parts). There are a few other ones that aren't competely hardcore too that woudl be fun to try. Depending on the crew that goes, I'd even be up for Heldorado (a class 9 trail).

I'd love to go back to Hells Revenge again, do a night run of Fins n Things again, and do the Gold Bar Trio of Poison Spider, Gold Bar Rim, and Golden Spike. Moab Rim and a few of the other classics would be fun too.

Anyone interested in this kind of trip? I know a few of the new guys are a bit more gung ho about trails then some of the "long time" crew is, so thought I'd ask. It would be awesome to have at least 2 other rigs on the trip, but I'm fine with as many as want to go.

Recommendations are to have a winch, some body armor, preferably 35" tires, and front and rear lockers. Might be good to have stronger running gear too. If you don't have this stuff you are more the welcome to join in, you just might have to ride along for the harder days. We'll still be doing moderate to easy trail days on the Trio, Fins, and such, so even the mildly lifted guys can rock those trails (or some stock vehicles).

I'm guess we can make it cost less then $20 bucks a day, plus gas money to get there. ROKTAXI might even be nice enough to let us use his place as a base of operations, though I don't want to wear out our welcome.

JH

[CR]

I'm down.
I was also there last year the same week. Great weather.
I think I know of a couple free spots if they are open. My favorite was close to the gemini briges and Gold bar trail heads.
I would like to travel thursday the 8th and be able to start out early on the 9th, return either the 11th or 12th.
Whatcha think?

[Volcom]

I'd love to but my daughter's birthday is the 14th. That and I'm broke :D I've got 4 weeks of vacation saved up at work but no $$$ to go anywhere. Haku - you running Longfields? I wouldn't suggest Heldorado without them (along with a winch and some willing to take major body damage :cool:) Pritchett was a blast, probably my favorite trail that I ran in Moab. We didn't get to head over to BFE (looks like a blast though!).

[Haku]

Sounds perfect. The other spot I know about is down towards Potash right off the river. There might be some climbers down there, but it shouldn't be crowded. I'd also be fine with paying for BLM stuff, since its only like 6 bucks a night, but don't really care where, since I'll probably be sleeping in my truck so it could be anywhere.

Leaving on the 8th sounds great too, and was similar to what I was thinking. Would be great to get a full weekends worth of wheeling in.

JH

[Haku]

I'd love to but my daughter's birthday is the 14th. That and I'm broke :D I've got 4 weeks of vacation saved up at work but no $$$ to go anywhere. Haku - you running Longfields? I wouldn't suggest Heldorado without them (along with a winch and some willing to take major body damage :cool:) Pritchett was a blast, probably my favorite trail that I ran in Moab. We didn't get to head over to BFE (looks like a blast though!).

So head home the 13th, which is Tuesday I think. That still gives you 4 good days of wheeling.

Just ordered them yesterday actually. I plan on doing at least a minimal cage (have a bender and the material, just have to get it done), Hydro Assist, and some trussing on my axles before this trip. I'm going camping with the truck this weekend, but as soon as thats done I'll be taking it off the road and doing all the big project stuff to it for a month.

I'd love to do Pritchett canyon too, and its sounds like we'll do fine. Greenday is a ton of fun and offers lots of optional challenges and fun rock crawling, in a safe place to do it. No nasty drop offs (except Suicide hill, which most fully built buggies can't get up) or places to tumble down a hill if you flop. Its kind of similar to OCG actually, but shorter, and pretty much constant rock crawling the whole time. I did about half of the obstacles with my Samurai, and bypassed the rest. Pretty fun. I think there are 1 or 2 other trails that are similar in BFE too, and you can spend hours playing at the test area there too. Its at least worth an afternoon trip there for that.

JH

[scout man]

Haku - you running Longfields

pretty sure he just ordered them, but i could be mistaken

[Brody]

Haku - you running Longfields?

Have you even taken the axles out to see if you already have Longfields? They are stamped on the side of the axles. I would have done this before ordering them just to see. Takes about 30 minutes start to finish to find out...

[Andrew]

April 9th is Opening Day. And I got tickets.

[ROKTAXI]

....... ROKTAXI might even be nice enough to let us use his place as a base of operations, though I don't want to wear out our welcome.

JH

I'd love to accommodate but we have our house up for sale (moving to Loveland) and we're trying to keep the place real tidy. However, if you need a garage to repair "trail damage" you're more than welcome to use my place. I also have a friend that can do welding repairs. He's built several rock buggys (out of his garage), so he's pretty savvy about fabrication.

My contact ifo is listed in the member emergency list.
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb31/mavalos27/Garage/P1020405.jpg

[Haku]

What, you don't want a bunch of grimy rock crawler types camping out in your living room? Thanks for the offer of your garage though. Here's hoping nothing bad happens, but its nice to know there is a place to do some work that won't cost us an arm and a leg to use. I have a battery powered Ready Welder, but it would definitely be better to have a real welder for the more serious work if something broke.

Brody, I haven't check, but I'm reasonably sure I don't have Longfield axles. I grilled the PO pretty well, and he was reasonably sure there were Longs in it. Figure worse case scenario I can just sell them locally for close to what I paid for them if that does end up being the case.

Andrew, opening day for the Rockies or something?

JH

[Andrew]

Yup for the Rockies.

[Haku]

Welp, sounds like you are driving to Moab after the game then huh?

JH

[Volcom]

So head home the 13th, which is Tuesday I think. That still gives you 4 good days of wheeling.

Hahahaha, you must have missed the "I'm broke" part of that paragraph :D

Maybe Moab might happen for me in the fall. As of right now, I've got 2 kids in fulltime daycare. It's basically a "2nd mortgage payment" :eek: Once my daughter gets out of preschool and into full day kindergarten, we'll only have a "big car payment". That will free up some fundage and maybe a vacation.

[Andrew]

Daycare is ridiculous.

[Haku]

I hear ya. I assumed that by Vacation you meant paid vacation, but if the "vacation" money has to go towards the kids, then that doesn't help much aye. This is going to be a cheap trip, and I'm guessing we will be using less the $20 a day all told, plus the gas to get there. Even so, its a couple hundred bucks over the whole time we are there all told, assuming nothing breaks.

Ok, since I have a few people who are interested, I think I'll make a "planned" run here pretty soon for those dates. I know CR wants to go, but it would be great to get at least one other rig on the trip.

JH

[Volcom]

Daycare is ridiculous.

It's just a temporary setback when you've got young kids. We knew what we were getting ourselves into once we started having kids :D

[CR]

I hear ya. I assumed that by Vacation you meant paid vacation, but if the "vacation" money has to go towards the kids, then that doesn't help much aye. This is going to be a cheap trip, and I'm guessing we will be using less the $20 a day all told, plus the gas to get there. Even so, its a couple hundred bucks over the whole time we are there all told, assuming nothing breaks.

Ok, since I have a few people who are interested, I think I'll make a "planned" run here pretty soon for those dates. I know CR wants to go, but it would be great to get at least one other rig on the trip.

JH

Josh,
My buddy with a 2000 Taco will also be coming with. I think we might be up for some easy stuff for him to get used to his new rig and also some harder stuff that he will ride along with and maybe we will just come watch you do the "mess your pants" stuff. Hopefully there will be at least one more built rig to come along too.

[Haku]

I think for the most part I want to keep it moderate, with a harder day or two mixed in. I definitely want to do Greenday in Area BFE, which should be fun for everyone. There are many different levels of obstacle there, and bypasses galore if you can't make it up something or don't want to try. Its mostly ledge obstacles, but there are some rock jumbles and such too.

Beyond that, I'm fine with sticking to the classic moderate Moab stuff. Pritchett Canyon might be a bit much for his Tacoma, but I bet it would make it if he has a rear locker. Either way we'll make fun time of it.

JH

[Mr6dwg]

I have only been one time and would like to come along. I don't think I qualify for hard-core stuff, but that is alright. Whenever you want to go do that level of stuff, I can go somewhere else for that day. I would not mind. I will keep this in mind and "add my name to the list" when the times get closer.

[scout man]

yea, definitely interested, but depends on a few things. My rig should be back together by then, but not sure its worth my money to haul my ass out there until I am geared lower and have a rear locker, and I will have to get lucky for that to happen (hopefully the tax fairy leaves me something big this year). Also depends if any work comes up those days or not. I will keep you updated and let you know closer to the time

[CR]

yea, definitely interested, but depends on a few things. My rig should be back together by then, but not sure its worth my money to haul my ass out there until I am geared lower and have a rear locker, and I will have to get lucky for that to happen (hopefully the tax fairy leaves me something big this year). Also depends if any work comes up those days or not. I will keep you updated and let you know closer to the time

Steve,
There is something fun out there for everyone. You don't need to be locked to have fun. Come along if you can afford it, even if your not locked by then. Its gonna be fun to watch Josh on some of the hard obstacles, and like he said, there are bypasses galore on most trails.

[scout man]

well, i know I would have fun and all, but my problem is I am so under geared that I have to be on the gas so much that I end up braking stuff too often. I cant afford to keep braking things. I also dont want to drive all the way to moab and break something critical in the first day. Which I have to say, is rather likely. If my rig is at a state where I feel more comfortable with its abilities I will be there, but right now not so much. Also I know that if I am not prepared for the harder stuff, I will still try it anyways, then I will really have problems. Beleive me, I am all about just going anyways and having fun, but on occasion i try to use my head and think it though, right now that means the smarter thing is to not go.

[CR]

Ride along with Josh.?:D:fing:

[scout man]

josh is scary :erm:

[CR]

:lmao::lmao::lmao:
Well, I'm sure there will be more open seats. It is just a beautiful place to experience, even if your not wheeling. Plus, you would be in good company for some great camping.

[Haku]

Moab is actually a deceivingly easy place to wheel, in that it doesn't take all the lockers and such that many other places take. My Samurai had absolutely no problem on the slick rock stuff due to it being really nice and grippy. You'll look at a hill and think "I'll never have enough traction or gears to get up that", but you'll walk right up it. Now, getting past that feeling of being exposed and driving up and down really steep hills is a whole another ball park.

Other then Area BFE and maybe the Pritchett Canyon trail, this trip should offer some good times for moderate to easy wheelers. I've seen reports of everything from stock to highly modded trucks get through Hells Revenge and have just the right amount of challenge. Heck, one guy I saw decided that he was tired of driving his Tube Buggy, so decided to take his F-350 dually on it instead.

JH