Astro 4x4 Adventure VAN
- Thread starter Sharkfox
- Start date
ihatemybike
Explorer
Really making me want to get back out to Moab.
tequilasunset
Adventurer
D R O O L
I know I'm not alone when I say this, but I'm looking forward to seeing The Lunchbox in action. Keep up the good work (and updates).
You and me both! haha Hopefully it's not much longer....
Yeah. Moab is an incredible place. I spent a lot of time exploring trails by bicycle, dirt bike, foot, and VAN.
I had some friends pass through Moab earlier in the year and they recommend a few spots to bike. Namely, The Whole Enchilada. The ride is 28 miles and about 7,000 vertical feet of elevation. The trail originated as an out-and-back ride from Moab. 56 miles round trip. 7,000ft up and 7,000ft down. Now, shuttles provide passage into the mountains eliminating the grueling climb.
I missed (and didn't want to pay for) the shuttle to the top, so I self shuttled The Whole Enchilada. The plan was to drive the VAN up, bike back into town, ride the dirt bike back up to get the VAN and finally retrieve my bicycle back in town. A logistical solo nightmare. I dumped off the XR400 near the end of trail. Locked it up and set out in the VAN deep into the La Sal Mountains.
I met some people at the trailhead who where shocked I was just starting. And alone. They told me most people start before 8:00 AM to avoid high temperatures in the lower elevations. At this point it's about 2:00 PM...Mid August...great. They told me it would take 4-6 hours. Here's to not doing my homework.
Here's a shot at Burro Pass. 11,150 feet of elevation.
Eventually I made it back to the dirt bike. White knuckles and all. I ate some stashed cherries, drank the rest of my water, locked up the bike and headed for the VAN.
The sun was setting as I blasted out of town in sweat soaked clothes.
At 65 MPH in damp clothes, I'm shivering.
As I turn off the highway toward the mountains, I start questioning how much gas is in my tank. I have no cash on me so I twist the throttle and point the nose uphill. Then the lightning and rain started.
I saw a black bear, a few rabbits and a bunch of deer on the road at dusk. All challenging the fleeting lumens of my headlight.
Finally I got to the VAN. I loaded up and headed back into the valley.
My bike was right where I left it.
8 hours round trip.
Totally worth it.
I had some friends pass through Moab earlier in the year and they recommend a few spots to bike. Namely, The Whole Enchilada. The ride is 28 miles and about 7,000 vertical feet of elevation. The trail originated as an out-and-back ride from Moab. 56 miles round trip. 7,000ft up and 7,000ft down. Now, shuttles provide passage into the mountains eliminating the grueling climb.
I missed (and didn't want to pay for) the shuttle to the top, so I self shuttled The Whole Enchilada. The plan was to drive the VAN up, bike back into town, ride the dirt bike back up to get the VAN and finally retrieve my bicycle back in town. A logistical solo nightmare. I dumped off the XR400 near the end of trail. Locked it up and set out in the VAN deep into the La Sal Mountains.
I met some people at the trailhead who where shocked I was just starting. And alone. They told me most people start before 8:00 AM to avoid high temperatures in the lower elevations. At this point it's about 2:00 PM...Mid August...great. They told me it would take 4-6 hours. Here's to not doing my homework.
Here's a shot at Burro Pass. 11,150 feet of elevation.
Eventually I made it back to the dirt bike. White knuckles and all. I ate some stashed cherries, drank the rest of my water, locked up the bike and headed for the VAN.
The sun was setting as I blasted out of town in sweat soaked clothes.
At 65 MPH in damp clothes, I'm shivering.
As I turn off the highway toward the mountains, I start questioning how much gas is in my tank. I have no cash on me so I twist the throttle and point the nose uphill. Then the lightning and rain started.
I saw a black bear, a few rabbits and a bunch of deer on the road at dusk. All challenging the fleeting lumens of my headlight.
Finally I got to the VAN. I loaded up and headed back into the valley.
My bike was right where I left it.
8 hours round trip.
Totally worth it.
Stroverlander
Adventurer
Awesome, thanks for sharing!
Wingin' it......I love it
Winging it is an understatement for the entire excursion.
Less than an hour before I set out on this "trip", I briefly talked to my neighbor. I mentioned something about the Badlands and he said, "Oh, so you'll probably take highway 169 to 90 west...."
...Uhh....yep...that's exactly what I was thinking. If it wasn't for him, I might never have made it out of town.
Honestly, if it wasn't for that conversation, I would have pulled to the end of the driveway and wouldn't have known whether to turn right or left.
Winging it.
Less than an hour before I set out on this "trip", I briefly talked to my neighbor. I mentioned something about the Badlands and he said, "Oh, so you'll probably take highway 169 to 90 west...."
...Uhh....yep...that's exactly what I was thinking. If it wasn't for him, I might never have made it out of town.
Honestly, if it wasn't for that conversation, I would have pulled to the end of the driveway and wouldn't have known whether to turn right or left.
Winging it.
tweederhill
New member
Haha, I'm loving this thread. Thank you, sir. I live in Saudi Arabia, but I'm moving back to the states for good this summer. Can't wait to get back to my Astro and do some camping and road tripping. June can't come soon enough!! Thanks for letting me live vicariously through you until then.
Cheers!
Cheers!
I'm skipping a lot of details from the trip but I figured it's better to keep up with some pictures.
Here are some from Arizona.
It was foggy and rainy when I went to the Grand Canyon. I had no idea there was a "monsoon season" in Arizona in the middle of summer.
The area north of Flagstaff was awesome. I did some exploring and biking around San Francisco Peaks. The awning doubled my living space during periodic rain storms.
I stopped at Lake Havasu for a little kayaking and fishing too.
More to come..
Here are some from Arizona.
It was foggy and rainy when I went to the Grand Canyon. I had no idea there was a "monsoon season" in Arizona in the middle of summer.
The area north of Flagstaff was awesome. I did some exploring and biking around San Francisco Peaks. The awning doubled my living space during periodic rain storms.
I stopped at Lake Havasu for a little kayaking and fishing too.
More to come..
