Thanks Greeni. I just checked out your album - you've had/do have some sweet rides. The photos of the rovers passing through that old cobblestone lane were awesome. Not much like that over here.
Traversing the US (and back)
- Thread starter jessejman
- Start date
Thanks Greeni. I just checked out your album - you've had/do have some sweet rides. The photos of the rovers passing through that old cobblestone lane were awesome. Not much like that over here.
Day 16: Steeps to Skyline Drive, UT
Okay, I'm going to try to get us through this day. We covered so much variety in terrain and it was all so spectacular but it's hard to choose just a few photos .
One more photo of ways we spend time outside of the car. So we left the play spot and the roads became rougher and rougher until...
it became obvious that these roads were not used by full-sized trucks very often.
Can you imagine trying to go through some of these areas during mud season?
Some of the holes (dry) were so deep that the road was at window height when we dropped down into the hole.
After playing in the holes and ruts for an hour we ended up in this meadow near Potters Lakes and we met a legitimate road that would take us up to Skyline Drive which is called ATV 51 this far south.
Okay, I'm going to try to get us through this day. We covered so much variety in terrain and it was all so spectacular but it's hard to choose just a few photos .
One more photo of ways we spend time outside of the car. So we left the play spot and the roads became rougher and rougher until...
it became obvious that these roads were not used by full-sized trucks very often.
Can you imagine trying to go through some of these areas during mud season?
Some of the holes (dry) were so deep that the road was at window height when we dropped down into the hole.
After playing in the holes and ruts for an hour we ended up in this meadow near Potters Lakes and we met a legitimate road that would take us up to Skyline Drive which is called ATV 51 this far south.
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Day 16: Steeps to Skyline Drive, UT
And finally we were up on Skyline Drive and the views kept unfolding.
Skyline Dr basically traverses the main ridgeline of the Wasatch from south to north.
This area, towards the south, was not well kept and receives little to no attention from the forest service. We had to deal with some snow and mud but I think we hit it just about right on: it wasn't too hot and all the foliage was still very bright and the road was mostly dry.
Looking back into the valley we climbed out of. So far no hot temperatures for the Cruiser. It began to look like we may have fixed the problem by increasing air flow through the radiator back in Moab. I still thought it too early to say for sure.
And finally we were up on Skyline Drive and the views kept unfolding.
Skyline Dr basically traverses the main ridgeline of the Wasatch from south to north.
This area, towards the south, was not well kept and receives little to no attention from the forest service. We had to deal with some snow and mud but I think we hit it just about right on: it wasn't too hot and all the foliage was still very bright and the road was mostly dry.
Looking back into the valley we climbed out of. So far no hot temperatures for the Cruiser. It began to look like we may have fixed the problem by increasing air flow through the radiator back in Moab. I still thought it too early to say for sure.
Day 16: Steeps to Skyline Drive, UT
We kept soaring along this ridgeline for the rest of the day. It was amazing and we didn't really want to stop.
The road was rough and slow-going at first but then we passed this sign and I looked in the rear view. I had to back up for a poser shot.
After that, the road was nice and graded and fast.
And there was no one up there. Not a single truck or other vehicle all day long.
We kept soaring along this ridgeline for the rest of the day. It was amazing and we didn't really want to stop.
The road was rough and slow-going at first but then we passed this sign and I looked in the rear view. I had to back up for a poser shot.
After that, the road was nice and graded and fast.
And there was no one up there. Not a single truck or other vehicle all day long.
Day 17: Skyline Drive to Strawberry Peak
After a long day before we took a slow morning. I walked around with our youngest at daybreak - she's an early riser - and saw a few elk and mule deer. Later my wife went for a run and I was supposed to feed the kids and pack up the car. After the kids were fed and the most of the car was packed I began to worry. She'd been gone for an hour and normally didn't run for longer than thirty minutes. She had now been gone much longer than that. Trying to not to make a big deal about it I hurriedly and sloppily packed the rest of our stuff, threw the kids in the car and we started up the hill following which she'd run up. At this point I knew that something had happened or she was lost - most likely lost, and I was really hoping that she wasn't trying to loop back to camp since I was about to leave it. We traveled about a mile back up towards Skyline Drive and I got out to look around and to see if I could see her shoe-prints in the dust of the road. Just as I was picking her prints out and deciphering which way the went, she came into view walking way down the road. We waited and we could tell she was glad to see us. Surprisingly, for all her fears of wild animals eating people, she was not worried in the least. She had run two miles past where we had camped but she finally figured that out and retraced her steps.
She got some water and showered off (here's our version of a shower-system)...
while my son sat in time out. If you look in the first photo you can see him a good piece up the road. Can't remember why he was there but there he was. And then we were off down this long gravel road called Skyline Drive.
Views from the road.
Despite being so green, the road was extremely dusty.
We had all day ahead of us to enjoy these 360 degree ridge-line views.
After a long day before we took a slow morning. I walked around with our youngest at daybreak - she's an early riser - and saw a few elk and mule deer. Later my wife went for a run and I was supposed to feed the kids and pack up the car. After the kids were fed and the most of the car was packed I began to worry. She'd been gone for an hour and normally didn't run for longer than thirty minutes. She had now been gone much longer than that. Trying to not to make a big deal about it I hurriedly and sloppily packed the rest of our stuff, threw the kids in the car and we started up the hill following which she'd run up. At this point I knew that something had happened or she was lost - most likely lost, and I was really hoping that she wasn't trying to loop back to camp since I was about to leave it. We traveled about a mile back up towards Skyline Drive and I got out to look around and to see if I could see her shoe-prints in the dust of the road. Just as I was picking her prints out and deciphering which way the went, she came into view walking way down the road. We waited and we could tell she was glad to see us. Surprisingly, for all her fears of wild animals eating people, she was not worried in the least. She had run two miles past where we had camped but she finally figured that out and retraced her steps.
She got some water and showered off (here's our version of a shower-system)...
while my son sat in time out. If you look in the first photo you can see him a good piece up the road. Can't remember why he was there but there he was. And then we were off down this long gravel road called Skyline Drive.
Views from the road.
Despite being so green, the road was extremely dusty.
We had all day ahead of us to enjoy these 360 degree ridge-line views.
98roamer
Explorer
My wife runs sometimes while we camp, if we are in one spot long enough. She says it just helps her feel better about eating steak and potatoes the night before.
Thanks again for taking the time and effort to continue the trip report, it's fun to read and share the trip. I'm sure I with many others, when I come here often to check this report, considering it's 63 and rainy this morning.
Thanks again for taking the time and effort to continue the trip report, it's fun to read and share the trip. I'm sure I with many others, when I come here often to check this report, considering it's 63 and rainy this morning.
Day 17: Skyline Drive to Strawberry Peak
Thank you all for your kind comments! I try to do my best to stay up-to-date with the thread but life gets in the way sometimes.
Fairly early in the day we finished Skyline Drive and turned East onto Hwy 9 and then back into the Uinta at the top of the pass. Soldier Summit. H
Heading north again we soon came around a corner to this and made a nice slide just shy of running into the culvert. It was really horribly placed. At first thought, we were thinking we'd have to reroute because of a washout and I was all prepared to ask them to let me attempt to go through. It turned out they were just replacing culverts.
We had a little wait but it wasn't too bad.
And we were on our way again and climbing steadily back up to ridgeline...
where views were plentiful.
Thank you all for your kind comments! I try to do my best to stay up-to-date with the thread but life gets in the way sometimes.
Fairly early in the day we finished Skyline Drive and turned East onto Hwy 9 and then back into the Uinta at the top of the pass. Soldier Summit. H
Heading north again we soon came around a corner to this and made a nice slide just shy of running into the culvert. It was really horribly placed. At first thought, we were thinking we'd have to reroute because of a washout and I was all prepared to ask them to let me attempt to go through. It turned out they were just replacing culverts.
We had a little wait but it wasn't too bad.
And we were on our way again and climbing steadily back up to ridgeline...
where views were plentiful.
Day 17: Skyline Drive to Strawberry Peak
Nice hair-do and still showing evidence of where she face-planted in gravel somewhere along the way.
Taking a break from having his face out the window. Local inhabitants - Hispanic shepherds.
Descending again...
and first view of Strawberry Reservoir. We knew where we were going to stop for lunch.
Nice hair-do and still showing evidence of where she face-planted in gravel somewhere along the way.
Taking a break from having his face out the window. Local inhabitants - Hispanic shepherds.
Descending again...
and first view of Strawberry Reservoir. We knew where we were going to stop for lunch.
Day 17: Skyline Drive to Strawberry Peak
We stopped for lunch and a swim. We stopped roadside because the only good place to pull off the road was the marina and they wanted us to pay $7 to park there for an hour or two.
After lunch we turned west and climbed up Squaw Creek. It was rough, fun, slow and beautiful.
We were sitting here, at the top of this ridge, at a junction of five different trails, all quite rough and very narrow, trying to decide which one was the one we were supposed to be on when we met a giant!
We stopped for lunch and a swim. We stopped roadside because the only good place to pull off the road was the marina and they wanted us to pay $7 to park there for an hour or two.
After lunch we turned west and climbed up Squaw Creek. It was rough, fun, slow and beautiful.
We were sitting here, at the top of this ridge, at a junction of five different trails, all quite rough and very narrow, trying to decide which one was the one we were supposed to be on when we met a giant!
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Justincredible
Adventurer
I have to commend your wife for undertaking a trip like this with you.
My ex put a limit of about 4-6 hours on any road trip, which as you can imagine does not get you very far. It's probably one of the reasons she's an ex now.
Anyway, great trip report, and thank you for sharing it.
My ex put a limit of about 4-6 hours on any road trip, which as you can imagine does not get you very far. It's probably one of the reasons she's an ex now.
Anyway, great trip report, and thank you for sharing it.
GREAT job! Thank you for sharing this with us! A few years ago the wife and our 3 did 6,500 miles in 3 weeks in our Yukon (MA to NM, AZ, CO and back). The highlight of the trip was the three days we spent in Silverton on some of the same passes you were on. You just can't beat that high mountain country! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this trip with all of us. I know these trip logs with all the pictures are not easy! I know once we got into the routine the kids did a great job and it looks like yours were the same. Long long hours in the vehicle (ours are older than yours and at the time were 15, 11 and 6. It was tight in the Yukon for sure! :Wow1: ) but you just do it. Seeing their faces at the Grand Canyon or on top of some of the passes in CO made it all worthwhile.
That's a lot of miles squeezed into a short time period. You did longer days in the car than we did for sure. But, yes, it is worth it.