Explorer 1
Explorer 1
Another combination trip to the Moab area was in the making. I combined meeting my daughter and son-in-law from Colorado to do some Moab wheeling with some exploring of the Green River for a possible 2010 canoe trip.
The plan was for me to pull the Cherokee (Explorer 1) behind the Sportsmobile (Explorer 2). Make a quick drop off of the Cherokee in Moab, do the Green River exploration in the Sportsmobile, then drive on up to Salt Lake City, pick up my wife at the airport again making my way over to Moab to meet up with my Daughter and son-in-law.
All started well with an early morning departure from Whittier Ca. At a stop in Cedar City Utah for fuel I noticed a whiteboard in the window of the station announcing a warming trend with a high of 67 and a low of 26! (Hope things are warmer in Moab) While fueling I made a casual look under the rear axle of the Sportsmobile and noticed the rear differential covered with wet oil. I could also see drops on the pavement of the oil indicating a rather bad leak. The Diff. Cover was screwed on with a hex head bolt, (I size I didn’t carry) and the filler plug was screwed in with a square recessed bolt using a 3/8th driver, (something else I didn’t have available)
Just a mile up road was a NAPA parts store still open so off I went to buy the necessary tools. To my surprise all of the screws on the passenger side of the Diff. Were only hand tightened and the others were loose enough to turn with almost not effort by the Allen wrench. After tightening all the screws I then proceeded to add about 1-¼ quarts of Diff. Oil. Not sure how much oil it should carry, but being that low caused me some anxiety the balance of the trip.
Dropped the Cherokee off in Moab and proceeded to explore the Green River via the Spring Canyon Point trail. Rated as “easy” in the Charles Wells Moab Utah book, I’m not sure his rating system figured what it was like in an E-350 extended body van. Got some great views of the Green and the canyon. Things always take a bit longer when you’re larger so I spent the night out on the point. Parked camp at Spring Point
In the morning I took the side trail to the Cliff Hanger Bridge (Arch). There was one tight sandy part that required me to use the lockers. I got some Moab pinstripes as an added bonus.
I then took the trail out to Ruby Ranch hoping I could get lower on the canyon next to the Green but the trail also ended up high with a view of the river far below. Ruby ranch pics
That night I made my way over to Mineral Bottom where after a steep decent I was able to travel up river to a lonely spot for the evening. Minerial point camp site
That night I glanced at the Wells Guide Book and noticed a trail that followed the Green for several miles and without much additional reading I headed for the White Rim Trail. Only after about 20 miles did I stop and consider just how long and remote this trail this was added to the fact that I had less that ½ a tank of fuel. At Taylor Canyon I made the fateful decision to go ahead and try to make the whole Rim trail in one day. I was expected to be in Salt Lake City the next day to pickup my wife at the airport.
The trail is rated as moderate by Chuck and again I don’t think he had in mind this heavy wide and long a vehicle when he stated “Suitable for high clearance stock vehicles”.
Most of the trail was driven in 2wd. With the Atlas transfer case I can drop the rear axle into low 2wd without having to engage the front axles. A few times this lower gearing was helpful.
At about mile 50 I took a closer look at the guide book and found that the recommendation was to take at least 2 days to drive the over 90 miles of off-road. It was going to be a long day. The Sportsmobile has many comforts of a small motor home but with that comes a lot of weight and a stiffer suspension. Weighing in at over 10,000 lbs. hills and obstacles I would cruise over in my Cherokee become more of a challenge.
The trail is indeed wonderful. There are so many vistas and views to drink in. It seems that every few miles you come close to a steep cliff where the very road you travel is a bridge of sandstone with a gapping hole beneath you. Along the way were lots of bicycle riders with their support vehicles following behind them. Pics of cliff and movie of cliff
The temps. in the valley were unusually warm for this time of year and I started checking with some of the bikers if they were Ok with their water supply. One such rider wasn’t and provided me with an empty quart container I filled up with water, for fun I also tossed him a ice cold plastic bottle of Perrier Sparkling Water, this brought a broad smile to him face.
The halfway point is roughly Murphy Camp where I encountered a rather steep narrow climb I wasn’t prepared for. You see I hadn’t engaged the front hubs yet and the climb was steep enough and with enough lose rocks that I didn’t have enough traction to make it up what is called the Hogsback. Now backing down this beast far enough to park it, get out and engage the axles was quite a challenge. All my weight had shifted to the rear so my front axles would lock as soon as I applied any brakes, and locked wheels don’t steer very well. There was hardly enough room on the trail for the van so it was a bit tense for a few moments and I worked the van down backwards far enough to get out. Once I had the front axles engaged I had the power and traction to make it then over the last ledge of loose rocks. Unknown to me at the time was that the initial attempt to climb it in low 2wd had taken it toll on my tires. I had torn off two lugs on my right rear tire. I guess even “E” rated tires have their limit on how much weight they can handle on sharp rocks. The damage wasn’t discovered until later the next day in the Wal-mart parking lot where I ended up installing my spare. (I learned just how heavy a 35x13.50 tire and rim can be!) pics of worn tire
It was early evening when I made my way up the Shafer Switchbacks. The switchbacks from the bottom up are truly amazing. I wish I’d had my video camera running on the climb because you really can’t see where the road goes up the canyon until you’re almost on top of it. It looks like the road appears out of nowhere as you climb it. I can only show you what it was like looking down on it. Pics of Shaffer switchbacks
That evening I spent the night halfway between Moab and Salt Lake City.
With some extra time the next day used changing the tire I also decided to clean off some of the Moab red dust and mud from the Sportmobile so into a local self-serve cars wash I went quickly depleting me of all my quarters.
Once I pickup my wife and made our way back to Moab, we connected with my daughter and son-in-law and it was time to switch over to the smaller and lighter Cherokee.
The day was still young (12:30 pm) and so I thought I was too so off went on our first trail. We took in Poison Spider that afternoon, I had run part of this trail last year so I knew what to expect. Which the additional modification I had made to my suspension this past year all difficult obstacles we challenged and conquered without much wheel spin.
Early the next day off I went in the Cherokee trying to tackle what is listed as the toughest trail in the guidebook, Prichett Canyon. Fortunately for us there was an eclectic group of vehicles ahead of us so we got to witness the more foolish and smarter methods on some of the more difficult climbs before we put our own efforts to the test. Possible pics or movie
Experience has taught me that choosing a good line and having a good understanding of your balance and traction limits far out perform a heavy right foot and lots of horsepower.
We did well on every climb out doing my own expectations for my lowly Cherokee with 33’s. Rocker Knocker was the only climb I just couldn’t figure out the line on and finally had to use the winch to make the final step. Back home I watched a few videos and found where I made my mistake. (Wish I had done my homework before!) rocker Knocker pics, here is my son-in-law making his attempt.
The rock pile was probably the one climb that gave me the greatest mental challenge, as I inched up it I expected the pile of rocks to give way and the next thing I would find was my Cherokee either vertical or upside down. Neither happens and I was pleasantly surprised how uneventful the climb was. I would have to agree with the guidebook that this is the toughest 4 miles in Moab!
After dinner around the fire and a good night’s sleep we were off to the Moab Rim trail. Also rated difficult by the book, it has some added mental stress due to the steep drop off right next to the trail where you are leaning the wrong direction (toward the cliff) while climbing various shelves. Views on top are great of all of Moab and the La Sal Mountains.
Last year we did part of the “Hell’s Revenge” trail. This is the closest to riding a Disneyland ride. Just out of town and full of fun climbs all within a short distance of each other. There are several options challenges, which have gathered quite a bit of notoriety, such as Mickey’s Hot Tub, Roll Over Challenge, The Escalator and Hell’s Gate. Last year I did the Escalator and The Roll Over Challenge, this year my son-in-law wanted to take on Hell’s Gate and I was all game for it. Hells Gate is at the far end of the “park” and you have to take an optional loop to do this side course. It consists of a steep wedge entry and equally steep wedge climb out. I’m always amazed at how well my sidewall are able to grip with so little of a contact patch.
Movie of Hells Gate
The park this afternoon was mostly empty and once again we found out entrance fee was well worth the adventure.
With one last day before I had to head home we took in Steel Bender which has been re-routed since my 2001 edition of Chuck’s book adding several miles and one very steep drop off. While it is an optional drop, I would say it was the steepest I had taken in Moab. I have the marks on my front bumper to prove it! This is also one very long trail and we spent over 6 hours on it.
Steel Bender Movie and pics
That evening it was time to pack up the Sportsmobile and head for home with lots of good memories and pictures.
This site limits pic and movies to 10, so to see the unedited version check out:
http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/showthread.php?p=74785#post74785
Thanks,
Fred
Explorer 1 & 2
The plan was for me to pull the Cherokee (Explorer 1) behind the Sportsmobile (Explorer 2). Make a quick drop off of the Cherokee in Moab, do the Green River exploration in the Sportsmobile, then drive on up to Salt Lake City, pick up my wife at the airport again making my way over to Moab to meet up with my Daughter and son-in-law.
All started well with an early morning departure from Whittier Ca. At a stop in Cedar City Utah for fuel I noticed a whiteboard in the window of the station announcing a warming trend with a high of 67 and a low of 26! (Hope things are warmer in Moab) While fueling I made a casual look under the rear axle of the Sportsmobile and noticed the rear differential covered with wet oil. I could also see drops on the pavement of the oil indicating a rather bad leak. The Diff. Cover was screwed on with a hex head bolt, (I size I didn’t carry) and the filler plug was screwed in with a square recessed bolt using a 3/8th driver, (something else I didn’t have available)
Just a mile up road was a NAPA parts store still open so off I went to buy the necessary tools. To my surprise all of the screws on the passenger side of the Diff. Were only hand tightened and the others were loose enough to turn with almost not effort by the Allen wrench. After tightening all the screws I then proceeded to add about 1-¼ quarts of Diff. Oil. Not sure how much oil it should carry, but being that low caused me some anxiety the balance of the trip.
Dropped the Cherokee off in Moab and proceeded to explore the Green River via the Spring Canyon Point trail. Rated as “easy” in the Charles Wells Moab Utah book, I’m not sure his rating system figured what it was like in an E-350 extended body van. Got some great views of the Green and the canyon. Things always take a bit longer when you’re larger so I spent the night out on the point. Parked camp at Spring Point
In the morning I took the side trail to the Cliff Hanger Bridge (Arch). There was one tight sandy part that required me to use the lockers. I got some Moab pinstripes as an added bonus.
I then took the trail out to Ruby Ranch hoping I could get lower on the canyon next to the Green but the trail also ended up high with a view of the river far below. Ruby ranch pics
That night I made my way over to Mineral Bottom where after a steep decent I was able to travel up river to a lonely spot for the evening. Minerial point camp site
That night I glanced at the Wells Guide Book and noticed a trail that followed the Green for several miles and without much additional reading I headed for the White Rim Trail. Only after about 20 miles did I stop and consider just how long and remote this trail this was added to the fact that I had less that ½ a tank of fuel. At Taylor Canyon I made the fateful decision to go ahead and try to make the whole Rim trail in one day. I was expected to be in Salt Lake City the next day to pickup my wife at the airport.
The trail is rated as moderate by Chuck and again I don’t think he had in mind this heavy wide and long a vehicle when he stated “Suitable for high clearance stock vehicles”.
Most of the trail was driven in 2wd. With the Atlas transfer case I can drop the rear axle into low 2wd without having to engage the front axles. A few times this lower gearing was helpful.
At about mile 50 I took a closer look at the guide book and found that the recommendation was to take at least 2 days to drive the over 90 miles of off-road. It was going to be a long day. The Sportsmobile has many comforts of a small motor home but with that comes a lot of weight and a stiffer suspension. Weighing in at over 10,000 lbs. hills and obstacles I would cruise over in my Cherokee become more of a challenge.
The trail is indeed wonderful. There are so many vistas and views to drink in. It seems that every few miles you come close to a steep cliff where the very road you travel is a bridge of sandstone with a gapping hole beneath you. Along the way were lots of bicycle riders with their support vehicles following behind them. Pics of cliff and movie of cliff
The temps. in the valley were unusually warm for this time of year and I started checking with some of the bikers if they were Ok with their water supply. One such rider wasn’t and provided me with an empty quart container I filled up with water, for fun I also tossed him a ice cold plastic bottle of Perrier Sparkling Water, this brought a broad smile to him face.
The halfway point is roughly Murphy Camp where I encountered a rather steep narrow climb I wasn’t prepared for. You see I hadn’t engaged the front hubs yet and the climb was steep enough and with enough lose rocks that I didn’t have enough traction to make it up what is called the Hogsback. Now backing down this beast far enough to park it, get out and engage the axles was quite a challenge. All my weight had shifted to the rear so my front axles would lock as soon as I applied any brakes, and locked wheels don’t steer very well. There was hardly enough room on the trail for the van so it was a bit tense for a few moments and I worked the van down backwards far enough to get out. Once I had the front axles engaged I had the power and traction to make it then over the last ledge of loose rocks. Unknown to me at the time was that the initial attempt to climb it in low 2wd had taken it toll on my tires. I had torn off two lugs on my right rear tire. I guess even “E” rated tires have their limit on how much weight they can handle on sharp rocks. The damage wasn’t discovered until later the next day in the Wal-mart parking lot where I ended up installing my spare. (I learned just how heavy a 35x13.50 tire and rim can be!) pics of worn tire
It was early evening when I made my way up the Shafer Switchbacks. The switchbacks from the bottom up are truly amazing. I wish I’d had my video camera running on the climb because you really can’t see where the road goes up the canyon until you’re almost on top of it. It looks like the road appears out of nowhere as you climb it. I can only show you what it was like looking down on it. Pics of Shaffer switchbacks
That evening I spent the night halfway between Moab and Salt Lake City.
With some extra time the next day used changing the tire I also decided to clean off some of the Moab red dust and mud from the Sportmobile so into a local self-serve cars wash I went quickly depleting me of all my quarters.
Once I pickup my wife and made our way back to Moab, we connected with my daughter and son-in-law and it was time to switch over to the smaller and lighter Cherokee.
The day was still young (12:30 pm) and so I thought I was too so off went on our first trail. We took in Poison Spider that afternoon, I had run part of this trail last year so I knew what to expect. Which the additional modification I had made to my suspension this past year all difficult obstacles we challenged and conquered without much wheel spin.
Early the next day off I went in the Cherokee trying to tackle what is listed as the toughest trail in the guidebook, Prichett Canyon. Fortunately for us there was an eclectic group of vehicles ahead of us so we got to witness the more foolish and smarter methods on some of the more difficult climbs before we put our own efforts to the test. Possible pics or movie
Experience has taught me that choosing a good line and having a good understanding of your balance and traction limits far out perform a heavy right foot and lots of horsepower.
We did well on every climb out doing my own expectations for my lowly Cherokee with 33’s. Rocker Knocker was the only climb I just couldn’t figure out the line on and finally had to use the winch to make the final step. Back home I watched a few videos and found where I made my mistake. (Wish I had done my homework before!) rocker Knocker pics, here is my son-in-law making his attempt.
The rock pile was probably the one climb that gave me the greatest mental challenge, as I inched up it I expected the pile of rocks to give way and the next thing I would find was my Cherokee either vertical or upside down. Neither happens and I was pleasantly surprised how uneventful the climb was. I would have to agree with the guidebook that this is the toughest 4 miles in Moab!
After dinner around the fire and a good night’s sleep we were off to the Moab Rim trail. Also rated difficult by the book, it has some added mental stress due to the steep drop off right next to the trail where you are leaning the wrong direction (toward the cliff) while climbing various shelves. Views on top are great of all of Moab and the La Sal Mountains.
Last year we did part of the “Hell’s Revenge” trail. This is the closest to riding a Disneyland ride. Just out of town and full of fun climbs all within a short distance of each other. There are several options challenges, which have gathered quite a bit of notoriety, such as Mickey’s Hot Tub, Roll Over Challenge, The Escalator and Hell’s Gate. Last year I did the Escalator and The Roll Over Challenge, this year my son-in-law wanted to take on Hell’s Gate and I was all game for it. Hells Gate is at the far end of the “park” and you have to take an optional loop to do this side course. It consists of a steep wedge entry and equally steep wedge climb out. I’m always amazed at how well my sidewall are able to grip with so little of a contact patch.
Movie of Hells Gate
The park this afternoon was mostly empty and once again we found out entrance fee was well worth the adventure.
With one last day before I had to head home we took in Steel Bender which has been re-routed since my 2001 edition of Chuck’s book adding several miles and one very steep drop off. While it is an optional drop, I would say it was the steepest I had taken in Moab. I have the marks on my front bumper to prove it! This is also one very long trail and we spent over 6 hours on it.
Steel Bender Movie and pics
That evening it was time to pack up the Sportsmobile and head for home with lots of good memories and pictures.
This site limits pic and movies to 10, so to see the unedited version check out:
http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/showthread.php?p=74785#post74785
Thanks,
Fred
Explorer 1 & 2
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