Bobby Jo in Needles

[Pskhaat]

Cruise Moab. Ever been to Slickrock Campground I lovingly call a detention facility? Nah, this time we shall do it a little more in Expedition style.

There are few places that capture my happiness more than the three parks of Canyonlands. It was time I headed back into Needles for a little R&R. Hooked up with the outbound Elephant Hill group. The "Elephant Hill" route is just about as rough as I like it. There are good challenges without the requisite vehicular beatings.


Unsure if my desire for a upfitted F250 would make it through the squeeze here. Clearly this track was made for the perfect width of a mid-size 'Cruiser or 'Rover.

How official is this?

The canonical Utah backroad, staying well behind the group as I prefer to avoid Pneumoconiosis. These areas are slightly depressed grabens with magnificent horsts. Each graben section is separated by some driving obstacle over a horst saddle that puts one into the next graben and so-forth.

 

[Cabrito]

fantastic pictures!

 

[Pskhaat]

The Joint.We finally got to take all the time we wanted in the Joint, a great set of slots, caves, and rock to keep oneself busy for days. It is a little bit of a hike for wee ones to get inside, but who can complain?

The slots are not expansive, but a great escape from the heat. It can be 30+ degrees F cooler and likely more inside when the wind blows down makes a fantastic escape from the desert heat.

The kiddos loved exploring. Anyone want to know scary? Your 18mo booking it down a slot into which you can not fit. Just enough to keep the parental brain in check.

 

[adventureduo]

Awesome photos Scott.. keep 'em coming!

 

[silvergrand]

I've got to get out there! It's NOTHING like Indiana!

 

[tinker trek]

I can't believe I didn't run into you guy's down there. I was there yesterday in a black LandRover Discovery. We spent the night just south of the gate.
Out of the park. We were going to go out through Beef Basin but Bobby's hole was not passable to us do to a rock slide.

We are in Monticello tonight. Headed to Valley of the Gods in the morning.

 

[jeepmedic46]

Keep those photos coming, They are great.:ylsmoke:

 

[Lichen]

That boy is 18 months old? He looks about 6 years. Great pics.

 

[Pskhaat]

That one is 5, there are other boys of mine floating around One of them is 18mo.

 

[Pskhaat]

Bobby Jo

Bobby Jo. This is my Lonely Road, traveled so many times by everyone here, but still a goody. This road is twisty and turny, sandy and rocky. Though likely not required I'm aired down to <10psi it will make the climb back out on Elephant Hill much more manageable.

As I too get annoyed with spatially foreign nomenclature, you can view the areas in question here: http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/upload/tripmap.pdf

At the end of the small trek Bobby Jo Camp shows. Devil's Kitchen would have been a much preferable spot; I knew that but just wasn't thinking. It doesn't matter Bobby Jo is still quiet and flat; just a little further South and out of the way.

This time, we brought the ground tent. It is hard to argue against aerobeds and nearly 200sqft of room. Plus, you just can't get this kind of view from the rooftent:

HOWEVER, I have re-learned the value of the 2200 and prefer sleeping up there any day. The setup and takedown time still beat any of my ground tents and keep the dirt out and make life so much simpler.

 

[Pskhaat]

Unsure if my desire for a upfitted F250 would make it through the squeeze here.

And yet, how wrong am I?

 

[bigreen505]

Uh, yeah, that Hummer can just squeeze in and push the rocks apart by sheer virtue of its cool factor and the fact that it actually is built like a tank. If you look at the Badger's pictures, they got the van through but it was not an easy ordeal.

 

[Jacket]

When did you break away from the tour? I remember seeing you on the hike to Chesler, and that's the last I remember.

Seems like we lost about 1/2 the group by the end of the day, which made getting back over Elephant Hill much easier the second time.

 

[Pskhaat]

Moab. Back to Moab, the place where I with my truck feel horribly inadequate; the land where 35s are minimum and anything less than 6" of lift or more than 15psi in the tires is just for Sunday drivers.

After 2+ days in Needles and due to increased water consumption from the unseasonable heat (it is challenging carrying enough drinking water for 5 people in an LC80) we decided to head up to Moab, spend a horribly miserable night in the detention camp called Slickrock Campground where despite my love of 'Cruisers I simply can't handle the 2am birfield repacks with some unknown hard metal music that apparently many dozens of sleeping people want to hear, engine starts, and beer cans. There is a reason I graduated from Uni and moved out of the Fraternity, reliving it in Slickrock Campground may be part of the ambiance of Cruise Moab, but is earlier than my time.

Poison Spider trail was the trail of the next day. How apropos then that I get bit by some spider that causes a 1" black ring around the bite mark. Fun stuff.

Almost rolled the Cruiser here. How many years have I been doing this and I still have the reaction to step on the brakes when I start going sideways instead of letting the fall line take me. Maybe I really do need a locking axle.

Anyone who knows us knows of Bue-Geen Dump-Tuk. Bue-Geen ain't made anymore, but other colors are available:

Feeling especially green lately, I've decided to display my desires by honoring the LC80 with a badge of honor:

Got it?

3F-E Powa! A trip to Moab is not complete without at least 1 loop around Hell's Revenge. I just love that trail, and what better vehicle to do this in than a tractor 3F-E powered LC80? That 3F-E engine has a much better off-road feel than my 1FZ-FE engine...I know y'all ain't agreein' with that, but I there's something about the F-series Toyota motors...

 

[Sgt Grunt]

Come on now... Slickrock was quiet this year. Don't give everyone the wrong impression. Yes there were a few night repairs to the usual broken FJ 40's, but the late partying was minimal. I was even in a tent and slept great.

You're not getting too old are you??? :sombrero::victory:

Ha!!! looks like you made the best of it at any rate.