Florida Flatlanders in Zion and a 2016 F150 report

Huffy

Observer
Thanks to all on the Forum for the great advice, we made our plans based on it and were thrilled with how it all turned out. Prior to our departure the forecast went from cold to colder, undeterred we flew from Orlando to Las Vegas and on arrival lucked in to an upgrade from an Altima to a 2016 F-150 Crew Cab for $80 bucks total. My 7.3 Super Duty is getting long in the tooth and I am considering which new truck to buy, so this was a great sign. Even though it was the wheezer 3.5 non EcoBoost, I was excited. The trip to Zion was straightforward and I happily flogged the 3.5 the entire way.

We arrived at the Springdale Holiday Inn Express at noon on Christmas Eve. We booked based on price and against my better judgement. Boy was I wrong, this hotel is the bomb. Neat, clean, great location, breakfast, fire pit, hot cookies every night and a spectacular view. I can tell you after 5 days, this would be hard to beat at any price. For $112 it is a steal.

The snow began to fall and the temps were dropping so we made a quick run to the the Overlook Trail to get a taste of Zion. It was incredible. Christmas Day we hiked to the Emerald Pools and a few other short trails. My wife managed to fall in the Virgin River, I'm hoping for a good outcome! Next came Angels Landing and the Narrows. Each hike was nothing short of spectacular though a bit challenging in the ice and snow. Crampons are a must in these conditions. Zion at Christmas time is nice. Parking is tight but we never waited too long for a good spot at any trail.
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We made a side trip to Bryce and hiked the Navajo Trail and Queens Garden from Sunset to Sunrise Point. The temp was a brisk 8 degrees F but, surprisingly comfortable for this thin blooded Floridian. A long sleeve t shirt and open jacket actually got a bit hot towards the end. On the return trip we detoured to the Laverkin Overlook. This easy to miss 3 mile side road was a highlight of the trip. What a view.

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We also drove through the Grafton ghost town and cemetery. On the way the roads were wet and it looked liked a no go for the 2wd F-150. We spotted a vehicle coming out and and waited for a road report. The driver was a bit glassy eyed but reported it was all groovy and no problems, from the Nissan Versa he was driving I figured we were good to go. The F-150 easily ran the slick wet clay roads with no drama.

As for the F-150, trucks have come a long way since 2002. My 7.3 has been a trooper and comparing a 3.5 gas to it is not really fair, but, I'll do it anyway in the hopes it helps someone out. The 3.5 is close if not faster than the 7.3 unloaded. Engine RPM's at speed are nearly identical at ~2200 @ 80mph. My guess is the 7.3 would have been around 14 mpg under conditions like this, maybe a bit less. The 3.5 got 22 mpg over the entire trip and I idled a lot. It did surprisingly well with steep grades and downshifted more than the 7.3 would but was more than acceptable. For the base motor this was an impressive truck. I would not buy the 3.5 base since 100+ additional ponies can be had so cheap. The Sync system and other controls took some getting used to. Overall, Ford has done a heck of a good job. This truck deserves a test drive if you are in the market.
 

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p nut

butter
Nice report! I've not been to Bryce/Zion during the winter, despite being only a few hours drive away. Looks beautiful.
 

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