Latest Photo?
- Thread starter BiG BoB
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LC/LR4Life
Adventurer
Man... pretty insane Uphill !! Got any pics from a distance?
uphill
Observer
LC/LR4Life said:
Claudia, VOLHOO (Vince)'s wife took the photos so I'll post what I have. This is going up the other side. As you can see, it was tight but not as steep.
The area had very deep sand until we dropped down into the Virgin River Canyon.
VOLHOO decided to let some more air out of the tires.
You cross the Virgin river about twenty times between the Elephant Mountain/Elephant Pass and the end of the road. Because the trail had been used by ATV's, it wasn't wide enough for the Toyota and we had to do some digging at the water crossings. The bank was steep because of flooding. (photo: MRS.VOLHOO)
Here is a photo of VOLHOO driving down the Virgin River, getting ready to head up the bank.
Another river crossing picture showing that the bank was quite steep. (photo: VOLHOO)
Just one cautionary note. Any Toyota 4x4 can take this trail. I wouldn't do it pulling a trailer. I know how well 4x4 trailers work and have seen them in action, but this sand was up to the skids about half of the way and the burden of a trailer will cause you problems. Additionally some of the river crossing break-overs are wicked. I think that the trailers would be OK with a pintle hitch there, but the sand will cause you problems. In other areas the road was very off camber and very sandy. We didn't stop to take photos as we had our hands full.
Portions of this road (the old mail road from the 1890's) are extremely difficult for a truck (not so bad for an ATV) from a standpoint of deep sand, difficult traction and very narrow tracks (for an ATV). There is a real danger of sliding off the road down (a long way) into canyons in several places. For that reason, I caution against trailers. If you had traction but the trailer didn't and began to slide down the hill in the sand, there is a significant possibility that it would take you down with it.
There were a number of cool photos that might have been taken, but we were occupied. It's true of the river crossings as well. Now I think back on it, there are a number of shots I would like to have had taken or would have taken myself. This was both of our first time on this trail and we didn't know what was in front of us - flying by the seat of our pants. At one point we met a rancher in an ATV looking for cows. I asked him how it was ahead of us. He said, "It's a lot worse". I said (to myself) Oh Cr@p! Going back the way we had come from the return angle would have been exceptionally difficult because of some of the grades we came down. Then the rancher added, "but it's downhill". The downhill was like a toboggan run in very, loose silty sand that was up to the skids the whole way down. Quite a ride. Then we were in the Virgin River valley and faced the water crossing obstacles.
Great expedition. A group of us are heading here and through the Grand Staircase in October.
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kcowyo
ExPo Original
Spotted this tan 60 in Jackson, WY this weekend. Looked to be on 35" MT's with some functional and simple mods.
Spotted a total of three tan 60's this past weekend and one white 62. The other two tan 60's were stock and it was raining out, so no photos. The 62, I spotted coming out of Teton Village and it looked to be on 33's with a blacked out grill and Yakima crossbars. Nice and clean.
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Spotted a total of three tan 60's this past weekend and one white 62. The other two tan 60's were stock and it was raining out, so no photos. The 62, I spotted coming out of Teton Village and it looked to be on 33's with a blacked out grill and Yakima crossbars. Nice and clean.
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LexusAllTerrain
Expedition Leader
adventureduo
Dave Druck [KI6LBB]
5/25/08
