Interest in a 2007 White Rim trip?

[devinsixtyseven]

On the "Plans for 2007" thread, it looked like quite a few people were interested in White Rim in 2007, anyone interested in a group run?

What time frame, and what mode of transportation? I think it'd be cool to have some motorcycles, bikes, trucks, whatever...hmmmm...

-Sean

 

[Wanderlusty]

I was seriously just sitting here pondering starting a thread. :xxrotflma

Anyway, I am DEFINITELY interested. As usual, a few limiting factors line up with finances and previous commitments, but if the right days are picked, then I am all for it. I have even talked with the wife and she is all for it too.

For me, date is wide open with a few exceptions that I can NOT do:
May 5th...sister's wedding
Early-Mid August....sister-in-law's due date (my wife won't miss that one!)
Weekend of Oct 7th....yearly trip to Nascar race at Talladega

Other than that I am clear.

I would be in my Jeep TJ, transportation wise. I think a mix of transportation would be pretty neat. Yeah, I figure on stopping about every 50 feet or so to snap pics...

I would LOVE to make this happen.

As a footnote, if I make it out to WRT and it is the right time of year, I would also like to spend a couple days in the San Juans doing the Alpine Loop, etc. If anyone is interested in doing that, too, it would be fun.

:rally_guys:

 

[devinsixtyseven]

Yah, camping...timeframe? Not a big deal to me, and I've got the long trip in March anyway so for me it'd have to be later in the year, at least midsummer. I'm ok with riding in 100* heat but I know not everyone is as brave, stupid, or fit as me (and many are more so).

I just noticed the lack of campsites on White Rim...there's nothing close together like there is in the Maze.

The upshot is, fifteen people and three vehicles leaves a lot of wiggle room for mountain bikes, and I'm not sure what motorcycle policy is...is a moto one or a half a "vehicle"?--it's worth asking. Also I thought campsite limit was nine people...?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I'm in pending timing, etc... rngartis

 

[Wanderlusty]

Off the top of my head, a fall date would probably work best for me for a couple of reasons.

As I mentioned, I would like to also while in that general area, hit the San Juans too, so my preference would be early enough in the fall that the Alpine Loop is still open. But I know that is pretty much up to NATURE...

Does anyone know if by early to mid September how things are looking in the San Juans?

I won't hinge doing this trip on whether I can do the San Juans or not, but would LOVE to accomplish both.

As for camping, I will let what sites up to those more familiar. For me, I was thinking of only 2 nights camping, near one of the entrances (or just outside?) and somewhere near the middle.

One concern for me for a 3 night stay is that we will be tight for space in the TJ and also only use coolers for food storage, so water and food storage will be somewhat minimal.

Another concern is that as we are so far away, we are looking at about a day and a half travel each way just getting there, so I have to consider that.

However, if you 'local' guys want to do 3 nights, you can get a jump on us and we can catch up by night 2 at Hogback. I don't want to be the one that squeezes everybody elses schedule...

:camping:

 

[Rubi-Khan]

I'd be all over it, but they won't allow me to take my co-pilot/spotter.

 

[devinsixtyseven]

I'd be all over it, but they won't allow me to take my co-pilot/spotter.

Yeah, that's the downside to the NP land. For a short trip tho, there's Lockhart...it's on BLM land, so no issue with pups.

I'd be interested in late summer or early fall as well.

 

[Wanderlusty]

We are thinking on the way out that we will head up from Arkansas into Kansas and across 70. Probably stop somewhere near Denver. Seems a couple of you are in that burg. Maybe we could hook up in Denver and caravan on in to Moab?

On the way back we are either going to hit the San Juans or if the weather prohibits that, then Chaco Culture NHP, and spend some time in Santa Fe, then back I-40.

But as long as we are heading the same way on the way IN to Moab, might as well try and meet up.

What do you guys think?

My wife was wondering if she was going to be the lone woman on the trip or if other significant others were along. I admitted I did not know, so I figured I would just ask...

Anyway, we are months away, but both really starting to get excited. I am already starting to compile a 'to-do' list of things.

One item of which may have to be new tires as my A/T's still have plenty of tread for a road tire but are getting close to the point where they would not be as effective off-road. That's a nice $700 ouch!

So for right now, it looks like:

devinsixtyseven
Dave in Denver
Fat_Man
cruiseroutfit (tentative)

I would love to see a few more, but that is still a pretty good group. Too much bigger, I guess, and we may run into issues with campsites....

Speaking of, at what point should someone try and get some reservations?

 

[OverlandZJ]

I'm planning a Utah trip for late Oct 07. WRT is one of the areas i want to visit, not decided if i will be doing it in one or two days as yet...but i'd prefer two.

Currently it's scheduled for a noon:thirty departure from Phila on 10/19, putting me in Denver area sometime sunday 10/21. On 10/22 I was planning a quik loop up to RMNP (my son's 1st trip west) and back to 70 for Moab area that evening. Arches,Canyonlands,Monument Valley are planned then head east to Durango,Co area for a day or two of Fly Fishing. Then back to 70 eastbound for Phila.

If you guys are in the area around that time i'd love to meet up with you all somewhere.

 

[2500Adventures]

Noticed the ******** chat on the White Rim Trail and whatnot in the canyonlands NP area. KJ Expeditionary Group is planning an insane, yet fun, July charity run into Moab and its surrounding area. The White Rim Trail is, I believe, one of our top things to do while visiting the area. We're planning on being there at least a week I would think touring the area...More details to come.

 

[Wanderlusty]

Makes perfect sense to me.

Yep. Figured I would try to find a hotel somewhere on the western outskirts of Denver on 70. Maybe that could be the rally point?

Probably. The permits for 2007 have been available since July 10, 2006, so it's hard to say what's still available. The first thing that needs to be nailed down is whether this is a 4WD and MTB trip or just trucks. That makes a big difference on how the trip is planned out as far as length and slots.

True enough. We need to at least try and narrow down some possible dates, too.

Dino-only means an overnight is a decent pace, human powered probably should be 2 nights at least. If someone is doing it for the first time, I still submit that doing 2 nights even in a truck would allow a super leisurely pace, certainly 2 nights for a first time MTB rider. There's just so many places to stop for views, to see things that there's no reason to rush.

My preference is 2 nights, as it is part of a bigger trip for us, but still allows a good deal of time on WRT. I don’t want to rush. However, I can work around 3 nights, if others want to do 3. We MAY have to go on after the second night, though. We could at least help everyone else set up camp for night 3 before heading on.

Which brings me to another thing... I would love to have guys on bikes along, to make it interesting, but due to space constraints, I can’t offer a seat or space for stuff…or at least space for stuff would be VERY minimal. I only have two seats (both occupied) and a small area behind that which will be pretty well loaded with gear. Consider this the ‘down side’ of a Jeep…

On the upside, this could allow for another vehicle, if someone is out there and has a truck or SUV and can be the ‘support’ truck for the bikes.

My $0.02 is that we get a 3 truck permit for 2 nights. I'd say ask for 10 people, although if you get a permit that allows 3 trucks, there's no reason not to ask for 15 people. I say 2 nights because at this point not knowing if it's a MTB-friendly trip or not.

That is probably the best angle to plan right now. It would at least insure we have sites. Speaking of nights and reservations….what day of the week do we want this to start? I figured the weekend, but weekdays may allow better possibility of getting permits at the sites we want. Either way for me works fine. I will be taking off 5-6 days no matter what, so whether it starts on a Monday or Wednesday or Friday is no different in my book.

So who all is thinking of biking? Who is a definite for vehicle only?

John B…are you wanting to hook up with others on your trip out? Late October is a bit later in the year than I was thinking, but I guess it could be considered.

What is the weather like in Moab that time of year? I know I probably would have to forgo the San Juan’s that time of year.

 

[devinsixtyseven]

Katie and I are trying for the MTB option, so if people can haul H2O/food/gear for us, we won't be adding to the vehicle count. I have a 2000 Tundra, which at that point probably will still have the bed and CanBack, so I can carry about 1000# safely on the trail with significant cargo volume. I'm confident in the truck's ability to negotiate WRT (it's a well-built for a "stock" class rig), so if someone with good driving skills were willing/interested, they could drive the mothership as a support rig for riders.

The truck can seat two normally, three in relative comfort, and four or five in an emergency. I have a bike rack in the bed that can fit two bikes along with all the trail gear, or four bikes but with less support gear (primarily H20 unless someone else has jugs...I use 5gal blue jugs with trail crates). I'll probably have a better setup by then.

We can provide lodging for a few people here in Denver, that'd save you hotel costs, whether you wanted a room, a couch, a floor or a backyard to camp, we can provide it for a small group.

Late season is less likely to be full right now, due to time. Also, June/July is likely to be open simple because it's REALLY HOT then . I don't mind the heat, I have a large camelback.

As a rider, I'd want to meet with the trucks in the evening at a predesignated spot, and break up in the morning. Also, I'd prefer to start at the switchbacks and drop in, rather than climb up the switchbacks at the end...

 

[Wanderlusty]

You can't really count on the Alpine Loop in the spring, it could be anywhere from May to July before the melt allows it (they do plow to open ASAP, but there's only so much you can do). By June or July the White Rim starts getting pretty hot, but that is a question of water storage and really far more important to cyclists. Really late July, August and into September are ideal for the mountains here. In Sept the weather in Moab is starting to cool, so that's probably the best option. Into October Moab is great, but you start rolling the dice on mountain snow to some extent.

As far as Spring in the San Juan's, we did 550 through the San Juan's in March of '05, in a Nissan Maxima. It was white nuckle (and white scenery) most of the way. Watched a guy spin out on a corner a few seconds after we cleared it. That was close....and the Alpine Loop....buried under feet of snow...

Anyway, the rest is about what I expected. As long as we are here at home early-to-mid August for the birth of the sis-in-laws kid, I am thinking late August to any time in September would work for me...

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I'll continue to follow along with this thead and see how it develops... I have a group of freinds planning a WRT trip possibly as soon as Feb, depending on the availability of permits, etc. We may go from north to south, but skipping the Shaffer switchbacks at the end and continuing towards Moab on the Shaffer trail. We're likely going to plan our trip around the permits, if we can only get 1 night, we can always camp at either trailhead outside of the Nat. Park boundary.

 

[Wanderlusty]

We're likely going to plan our trip around the permits, if we can only get 1 night, we can always camp at either trailhead outside of the Nat. Park boundary.

That's a good point. I had originally expected to camp the first night outside the park, so if it ended up that way due to permits, it still seems a viable option.