Moab Fins & Things - 3/28/2010

[cfr]

Wow. Had a great day. Saw the dinosaur tracks with the kids in the morning, lunch in town, and Fins & Things in the afternoon.

Ran into a guy from Montana from jk-forum.com at the trail head. He helped me disconnect my sway bars (I have quick disconnects, but have never done it before; needed a rubber mallet to pop them off and move the sway bar) and led the way. Just as we started the trail, another JK drove up. I noticed the American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) sticker on his windshield and then heard the Hemi. He'd bought one of their show Jeeps and it was decked out with AEV gear.

The trail was great. Many hills so steep I couldn't believe we were on them (see the sky below). The new tires worked great, but if you've been to Moab before then you know that the slickrock is like sandpaper and grips unbelievably well. The sun shined all day and it was in the lower sixties.

On to the pics. I'll just post a few because I'm uploading at the hotel.

[Mporter]

Looks great man.

[Chris]

I'll never forget going down that section of slickrock for the first time! :eek:

I was 100% stock and it pretty much cinched my love of trails.

[Rob]

Excellent pics, Charles. Keep 'em coming.

[Pathrat]

Love running Fins after dinner when camping at Sand Flats. When I first got to the downhill slab in your pic, I started looking for the bypass, thinking, "No, that can't be it". Pretty fun stuff, huh? :)

[cfr]

Excellent pics, Charles. Keep 'em coming.

Unfortunately, this was the only trail we'll get to run. Trying to balance family fun versus wheelin' so they'll come again. :)

Headed to Arches NP today.

[edog]

I love that trail.

[Smash]

Wow, nice pics so far! I can't wait to get out that way. Not sure if the 'burb will do fins n things, might be too long.

Enjoy Arches!

[cfr]

More pics.

At the trail head
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/P1050890.jpg
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/P1050894.jpg

First climb
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/P1050895.jpg

Me grinning like an idiot on the first climb
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/P1050899.jpg

First downhill. Way steeper than it looks
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/P1050904.jpg

Holy Crap! The seatbelt locked across my chest, I was standing on the floorboards, looking down at the dirt
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/P1050920.jpg

[cfr]

About to look at the sky
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/P1050922.jpg

Face in the rocks
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/P1050940.jpg

Optional obstacle. Bad angle. Harder than it looks here

http://s737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/?action=view&current=P1050941-1.flv

Narrow spot
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/P1050944.jpg

Second half of the trail
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/P1050949.jpg

[Smash]

Nice shots! Did you mean to post a video? If you did, it's not working.

[Haku]

Thats a fun one for sure. The path off the end of that rock is fun too, but scary since its not only steep but also a bit off camber. Did you guys do the other part of the trail too, or just the part near the campsites? Its a great intro to slickrock wheeling for sure. If you had fun on that one, definitely try Hells Revenge. Similar hills, but everything is bigger and longer. I gained a ton of confidence after spending a couple days in Moab....looking forward to getting back there again later this month.

Smash, your rig is more then capable of getting through that. You might hit your backend a few times, but there is no where where it is too tight for your rig. Might have trouble on Hells Revenge, but mostly because of 1 or 2 tight turns. Then again, some guy did it in his crew cab dually tow vehicle, so it can't be that bad.

Glad you are having a good time with the family Charles. Glad you found a place to stay with EJS happening too.

JH

[Smash]

Sweet. I don't mind rubbing my *** as long as I don't get pulled up in the area with rear tires spinning, like on china wall.

[cfr]

The roller-coaster ride
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/P1050969.jpg

Wife and kids having fun
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/P1050974.jpg

Airing up
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx17/jk-pics/2010%20Easter%20Jeep%20Safari/P1050977.jpg

We didn't get any pics of "kenny's climb". It was frightening. Here's a quick vid from youtube (nobody I know)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3obBDXBjN_k

[CR]

Awesome!
Thanks for the pics.:thunb:

[Haku]

hahaa........first time (and only time come to think of it) that I did Kenny's was at like 11pm at night, and I had no idea how steep it was or how much room there was. That bump at the top sure felt bigger then it looks. Staring at the stars and all your weight into the seat, and then it gets a bit steeper at the top. Fun fun fun.

JH

[cfr]

hahaa........first time (and only time come to think of it) that I did Kenny's was at like 11pm at night, and I had no idea how steep it was or how much room there was. That bump at the top sure felt bigger then it looks. Staring at the stars and all your weight into the seat, and then it gets a bit steeper at the top. Fun fun fun.


This vid of Kenny's Climb (watch it in HD full screen) gives you some good perspective.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6cKgGF82O4

[Chris]

Above Kenny's Climb is a good place to stop for lunch too.

[Haku]

Agreed. We had to wait for a Jeep to fix his Driveshaft (at 11pm at night) that happened to break at the only way through at the bottom of the big uphill where the little loop turns around (just after that Kenny's). Seriously, if you had fun on Fins and did Kenny's and such, Hells Revenge is the same kind of thing but longer, steeper, and almost entirely on slickrock. A very fun trail and if you can manage to get out on it its worth it. Could probably do it in half a day if you don't dilly dally or take the spurs (the main one being to an overlook of the Colorado and its also where the optional "Hells Gate" obstacle is. I'll stop harping on about it now, but its just a really fun trail.

JH