yabanja
Explorer
Be sure and let us know if you are ever out this way. I am always doing solo trips and it would be great to have some company for a change.
Allan
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Trial by Fire- FIDO expeditions gets underway-Snoverland Expo!!
- Thread starter yabanja
- Start date
Be sure and let us know if you are ever out this way. I am always doing solo trips and it would be great to have some company for a change.
Allan
Jeremy P.
Adventurer
I'm so glad that Sakshi was able to help test out my Crux Offroad bridging ladders! I was really pleased with how well the ladders worked in the mud even with street tire shod (and 2wd) vehicles. Also they don't suction down to the mud. We had just finished running several vehicles over them at the end of the log bridge including the flatbed fuso: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRXVzkylGcY
I really like the setup of your fuso; compact and capable but also comfortable; I have come to appreciate not having canvas sides that can flap around in the wind since we have a Trailmanor trailer which is similar in concept to a HiLo but manually opened.
I'm working on the heavy duty version of my bridging ladders which would be perfect for your fuso as I'm looking at a 7000 pound per axle capacity.
I really like the setup of your fuso; compact and capable but also comfortable; I have come to appreciate not having canvas sides that can flap around in the wind since we have a Trailmanor trailer which is similar in concept to a HiLo but manually opened.
I'm working on the heavy duty version of my bridging ladders which would be perfect for your fuso as I'm looking at a 7000 pound per axle capacity.
Sunday May 17th: Day 5
We awoke to sunshine. Three quarters of the people had gone and we were left with the hearty stock. It was a lovely morning made all the more so by the previous trifecta of rainy days. We heard that there was a vendor breakfast event and we saw people heading that way with plates in hand so we thought we would jump on the bandwagon. We got our gear and took our hungry tummies to the vendor area. The first place we noticed was at Sportsmobile where they were serving up some yummy looking breakfast burritos to a line of hungry looking folks. I joined the line and everyone looked askance at me. They said the food was just for their people. BLUSH. Boy, did I feel like a homeless beggar. I mentioned that there was this event going on and they said they knew nothing about it. We ambled on down the row. The previous weather seemed to be putting a damper on things but GrubHub came through with yummy eggs fruit etc.....
A quick note here: It is one thing to talk about the people attending the event being wimpy for leaving early, but my heart goes out to the vendors. They probably had very few people coming through the first two days and had to suffer through all this. I did hear a couple of the camper builders sold a surprising number of units though.
Sakshi had been going over to the Land Rover counter repeatedly throughout the weekend to see if she was going to get a chance to drive, but the course remained closed and impassable.
We decided to see the vendors since we hadn't had a chance earlier. Ended up getting a rocking deal on a 45 liter Engel Fridge. It was on our list of needed items but I didn't expect to get one so soon. Having camped with it for two weeks since I don't know how I lived without one.
Sakshi and I headed to class together- it was 15 years travelling the world with Anna Callau and Pablo Rey. I had read Pablo's book and really enjoyed their low budget, realistic, down to earth way of traveling. The class was very inspiring and I love their little Delica 4x4. It is understated, and capable of going anywhere-just like they are.
Sakshi had a class on GPS so I wandered over to the overland track. Buckstopper was just finishing his Marshalling course and decided to have a picnic. I thought I would bring FIDO over to join him as we had decided to move out of the mud to drier land for the Sunday night camp. We were talking about the overland course and how it was about time for the Big Rig class. The course hadn't been open since Friday but it looked like it might be drying out. We figured you must be present to win, so decided to stay parked right by the entrance. The cruising nomads truck was there as well. http://www.cruisingnomads.cz
We were hanging out in our lawn chairs enjoying the sunshine when one of the land rover guys came over and said"what are you doing in our area?" Buckstopper answered"Camping out" The Land Rover guy said "Wrong answer". We both answered hoping to drive on the track. The Land Rover guy got a big smile and said "WELL THEN LETS GO!" I was so psyched!!!
They brought the three of us together and told us we were going to get stuck and there was no way they could get us out. We all said: "No problem." I figured on camping there anyways. I aired down my tires to 25 psi and dug out my ARB 30k lb snatch strap and hooked it to the front of the truck and fished the other end into into the passenger door. I kept looking for Sakshi as I knew she would want to go along but she was nowhere in sight. They assigned an instructor to each of us and I asked mine if he would like to ride along? (the others were directing from outside) He smiled, hopped in, and off we went. I was the first person on course and we tentatively tried some of the smaller obstacles. FIDO RULES. No problem. We started taking more challenging obstacles when this happened:Wow1Thanks to Robin Burnham for the video) Keep an eye out in the 44th second:
[video=vimeo;129722894]https://vimeo.com/129722894[/video]
We started to slide sideways off an obstacle and Fido was going to go over! The instructor said "Steer into the slide and gas it!" which is what I did, and it saved it. If he hadn't been riding with me I think I would have gone over. The instructor was clearly distressed and I nearly **** my pants!
We proceeded to do the rest of the course with the exception of the big off camber sections. I was in the big dips along the driveway for the campground when we got a message over the radio that the other two were stuck. I asked the instructor if we should go rescue them he said yes. We headed back that way.
When we got back to the beginning we found the Nomads stuck in a mud hole:
And Backstopper stuck on a climb:
The nomads wanted to try and self extricate and were airing down their tires.( This takes a long time- those things are huge). They then tried again but were still stuck. I was going to go help them but the land rover instructors wanted to make some more campfire stories so they hooked up one of their trucks with a strap. He had like 7 feet of slack and gunned it! I don't think that is the way it is written in the manual! But it worked!
Meanwhile I watched Backstopper pull a big post out of the ground with his winch and remain stuck. Eventually they parked a Rover on the back side of a hill and used it as an anchor point. The winch gave out just as he had pulled himself out. Turns out it was a harbor freight 12k lb winch. One time usage I guess but it did work.
I just watched all this and took pictures. The instructor got back in and asked me what I wanted to do. I said we already did the course... I probably shouldn't push my luck! He agreed, so we took a few obstacles and exited the course....
I have to give credit here. I am very impressed with the new BFGoodrich All Terrain KO2 tires on the truck. When aired down they performed as well or better than anything else I saw, and mud is not supposed to be their strong point. They are quiet on the road, and have a snow rating. The ultimate tire??? I'll get back to you once I see how many miles I get out of them.
I parked the truck and relaxed for a bit and then Sakshi showed up. I was relating all of my adventures to her when one of the Land Rover booth people came over and said "Hey. Weren't you wanting to do the Land Rover Experience?" I guess her perseverance and positive attitude had paid off. She signed up and they found her an instructor and put her in a brand new Land Rover. What a treat!
Once she had completed the course she asked the instructor where to park and he said "let's get stuck" and directed her to a mud hole. It is amazing how people come out of the woodwork to rescue a cute girl stuck in the mud. (it turned out they were trying out a new sand ladder design-I met the inventor-it was much more effective than the maxtraxx I had seen in use all weekend although it seemed to be hard to remove from the mud afterwards)
We then found a place to park and headed for the evening BBQ. The cooks had a special story. They were with mormon lake lodge mobile catering. Apparently they haul their camp kitchen around to disaster areas to cook for people who have been displaced from their homes. Kudos Guys.
After a nice meal and a glass of wine we returned to FIDO to call it a night.
The expo was over but our trip was just about to begin.
Day 5 Miles Paved: 0 Dirt: 2
Aussie Iron
Explorer
Really enjoying your account of your trip. Good to see someone else sharing their trip. Great photos, I really like the desert scenery. I've mounted my winch (20,000 Lb) under the rear roughly where you have your spare and it is cabled to the front and can be used out the rear as well. So 1 winch for both ends. Winch could be side mounted like some Mogs do and cabled to front and back. Anchor points can be a problem at times.
Dan.
Dan.
yabanja
Explorer
Sand Ladders, Deer Creek, Video etc....
Jeremy,
I will definitely have to hike that in the future, it looks awesome!
Thank you for the video of the Fuso crossing the bridge. It not only illustrates your sand ladders, but also shows a shortcoming of the newer Fuso models which we have been discussing over on the Fuso forum. The automatic transmission models can't make a small step up without backing up and getting a short run on. This is due to gearing. The manual transmission models with low range will idle over a similar obstacle.
I liked your sand ladder design. It was impressive how quickly the tires got up onto them initially which seems to be the issue with the competition.
Take care,
Allan
Jeremy,
I will definitely have to hike that in the future, it looks awesome!
Thank you for the video of the Fuso crossing the bridge. It not only illustrates your sand ladders, but also shows a shortcoming of the newer Fuso models which we have been discussing over on the Fuso forum. The automatic transmission models can't make a small step up without backing up and getting a short run on. This is due to gearing. The manual transmission models with low range will idle over a similar obstacle.
I liked your sand ladder design. It was impressive how quickly the tires got up onto them initially which seems to be the issue with the competition.
Take care,
Allan
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yabanja
Explorer
Day 15: Mountains!!
Day 15: May 26th
I woke up to another day of Sunshine!(It wouldn't last). It was time to cook up some grub and examine the map to finalize my intended route for the day. The plan was to take The Posey Lake Rd(FR154) from Escalante to Bicknell. It was about 50 miles of dirt over the Aquarius Plateau through an area which I had yet to explore. I was excited as this is one of my favorite parts of the state with high alpine meadows and sweeping views of beautiful red rock. I packed up and got under way. On the way out of Kodachrome basin I stopped to take one last quick glimpse of the beautiful view:
I headed up the road a few miles and the scenery was just breathtaking. I had to pull over to get a picture of this old cabin:
A couple more miles and I had to take a quick panorama of the lovely vista:
It wasn't until a few more miles down the road that I realized that I had missed the turn to Escalante and ended up in Bryce Canyon. I stopped to top the fuel tank with some of the world's most expensive diesel and take another look at the map. All was not lost, there was a dirt road taking off just north of Bryce which intersected with Posey Lake road that I had meant to take. It was all new territory to me and I was excited to explore.
The new plan was to take forest road 132 past Pine Lake to Parley's Point, then head over Griffin Top road which would intersect with the Posey Lake Road.
I headed north and took a right onto the dirt. The lake was lovely and there was I nice campground there, but I had to cover a lot of miles that day and didn't have time to hang out. The road started switchbacking up the mountains and the resulting views were lovely. I turned a corner and:
[video=vimeo;129984959]https://vimeo.com/129984959[/video]
This is the view from the top- You can see the rain marching across the valley from the right:
I took a look at the map and it looked like there was an alternate route just a few miles up from where I had left the pavement.....
I headed back to the valley floor nearly ten miles below. It was a short right and then back off pavement onto Forest Highway 17 up Escalante Canyon which intersected at the ridgeline with Griffin Top road (my intended route). It had begun pouring rain again but luckily this area was all gravel and traction was good. I headed towards the ridgeline.....
Day 15: May 26th
I woke up to another day of Sunshine!(It wouldn't last). It was time to cook up some grub and examine the map to finalize my intended route for the day. The plan was to take The Posey Lake Rd(FR154) from Escalante to Bicknell. It was about 50 miles of dirt over the Aquarius Plateau through an area which I had yet to explore. I was excited as this is one of my favorite parts of the state with high alpine meadows and sweeping views of beautiful red rock. I packed up and got under way. On the way out of Kodachrome basin I stopped to take one last quick glimpse of the beautiful view:
I headed up the road a few miles and the scenery was just breathtaking. I had to pull over to get a picture of this old cabin:
A couple more miles and I had to take a quick panorama of the lovely vista:
It wasn't until a few more miles down the road that I realized that I had missed the turn to Escalante and ended up in Bryce Canyon. I stopped to top the fuel tank with some of the world's most expensive diesel and take another look at the map. All was not lost, there was a dirt road taking off just north of Bryce which intersected with Posey Lake road that I had meant to take. It was all new territory to me and I was excited to explore.
The new plan was to take forest road 132 past Pine Lake to Parley's Point, then head over Griffin Top road which would intersect with the Posey Lake Road.
I headed north and took a right onto the dirt. The lake was lovely and there was I nice campground there, but I had to cover a lot of miles that day and didn't have time to hang out. The road started switchbacking up the mountains and the resulting views were lovely. I turned a corner and:
[video=vimeo;129984959]https://vimeo.com/129984959[/video]
This is the view from the top- You can see the rain marching across the valley from the right:
I took a look at the map and it looked like there was an alternate route just a few miles up from where I had left the pavement.....
I headed back to the valley floor nearly ten miles below. It was a short right and then back off pavement onto Forest Highway 17 up Escalante Canyon which intersected at the ridgeline with Griffin Top road (my intended route). It had begun pouring rain again but luckily this area was all gravel and traction was good. I headed towards the ridgeline.....
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yabanja
Explorer
Day 15: Continued
At the summit of the Escalante Canyon road is a four way intersection. If you continue straight it descends to the Valley below where the city of Escalante is located. If you turn South, the road joins up with forest road 132 to Parley's point where I had been turned back by deep snow a couple of hours earlier. The road to the North becomes Griffin Top road which stays on the ridge line and joins up with Posey Lake road about halfway between Escalante and Bicknell. I turned North. The road wound through the trees for about 5 miles until I came to this:
I shouldn't have been surprised as it was at nearly 10,500 feet of elevation.
It was getting to be late afternoon and I realized that I hadn't eaten since breakfast. My former hopes of making it to Torrey for dinner out were rapidly vanishing, so I decided to stop and have a snack. It began snowing profusely. I kept looking out the window across the meadow hoping to catch glimpse of some wildlife, but no such luck!
After lunch, I turned around(with great difficulty! It was very thick icy snow about a foot and a half deep.) and headed back towards the Escalante canyon road turnoff. I turned east and headed down the mountain towards Escalante with my tail between my legs. The mountain had won this time, but I will be back!!!
When I got to Escalante, I topped the fuel again and headed up Forest road 154 towards Posey Lake:
[video=vimeo;130044250]https://vimeo.com/130044250[/video]
I ended up camping at Roundy Reservoir. The skies were threatening and someone had left a significant amount of firewood so I decided to have a rare campfire to hold off the cold. There probably wasn't anyone around for 30 miles!
Day 15 Miles Paved: 44.4 Dirt: 79.5
At the summit of the Escalante Canyon road is a four way intersection. If you continue straight it descends to the Valley below where the city of Escalante is located. If you turn South, the road joins up with forest road 132 to Parley's point where I had been turned back by deep snow a couple of hours earlier. The road to the North becomes Griffin Top road which stays on the ridge line and joins up with Posey Lake road about halfway between Escalante and Bicknell. I turned North. The road wound through the trees for about 5 miles until I came to this:
I shouldn't have been surprised as it was at nearly 10,500 feet of elevation.
It was getting to be late afternoon and I realized that I hadn't eaten since breakfast. My former hopes of making it to Torrey for dinner out were rapidly vanishing, so I decided to stop and have a snack. It began snowing profusely. I kept looking out the window across the meadow hoping to catch glimpse of some wildlife, but no such luck!
After lunch, I turned around(with great difficulty! It was very thick icy snow about a foot and a half deep.) and headed back towards the Escalante canyon road turnoff. I turned east and headed down the mountain towards Escalante with my tail between my legs. The mountain had won this time, but I will be back!!!
When I got to Escalante, I topped the fuel again and headed up Forest road 154 towards Posey Lake:
[video=vimeo;130044250]https://vimeo.com/130044250[/video]
I ended up camping at Roundy Reservoir. The skies were threatening and someone had left a significant amount of firewood so I decided to have a rare campfire to hold off the cold. There probably wasn't anyone around for 30 miles!
Day 15 Miles Paved: 44.4 Dirt: 79.5
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yabanja
Explorer
Day 16: Factory Butte
Day 16: May 27th
I woke up early and hit the road after a leisurely breakfast. I had decided to seek lower elevation in order to avoid further snow, and get warm! Accordingly, I had put on shorts and sandals in the morning with hopes that by the time I got out of the truck that afternoon it would be appropriate attire! I hit the road. A half mile down the way I passed a large compound of camped vehicles. So much for being completely isolated. The snow capped peaks were striking in the distance:
It was a wide road and I was able to make good time.
Around lunch time I rolled into Torrey which is one of my favorite destinations. The population is rated as 187, and yet it is home to one of Utah's finest restaurants: Cafe Diablo. I hadn't been there in a decade and just "happened" to be driving by at lunch time. The food was outstanding as always, and the staff was wonderful. It would give me the strength to get through what would turn out to be a trying day...
They were intrigued with my camper and I gave them the run down. I struck up a conversation with the Dessert Chef and she ended up sending me with a sampler of all the desserts. Thanks to the Engel I was able to enjoy them for several days to come. Don't miss the opportunity to stop by if you are in the neighborhood!
My original plan was to drive through Capitol Reef state park and then head north across the Fremont river to Cathedral Valley. That would have put me at I-70 with the original plan being to go see the world's largest organism "Pando" the quaking aspen grove in the Fishlake National Forest. I was a bit gun shy of the high elevations there after being turned back repeatedly by snow the day before. I decided a better plan would be to head north on the Factory Butte road via Caineville Wash, cross the Muddy River, and camp Near Little Wild Horse Canyon or Goblin Valley which were at much lower elevation.
I had never been to Factory Butte, and the Scenery was otherworldly. The road heads north and enters the giant Caineville Wash which had evidence of having been at full flood stage in the recent days. Thankfully it was completely dry at this point as the road really was nothing but a wash for several miles. The road finally came out of the wash up onto a plateau, and the views were stunning. The bentonite here was particularly deep and it was difficult going even in the dry. Fido trucked right on through though!
After two hours and 25 miles of this stunning scenery I was at Factory Butte:
The skies were getting very threatening and I was somewhat concerned about any precipitation as this road would be completely impassable with even the slightest moisture. I did have tons of food and water if I needed to wait things out....
After a few more bends I came to this:
To be continued...........
Day 16: May 27th
I woke up early and hit the road after a leisurely breakfast. I had decided to seek lower elevation in order to avoid further snow, and get warm! Accordingly, I had put on shorts and sandals in the morning with hopes that by the time I got out of the truck that afternoon it would be appropriate attire! I hit the road. A half mile down the way I passed a large compound of camped vehicles. So much for being completely isolated. The snow capped peaks were striking in the distance:
It was a wide road and I was able to make good time.
Around lunch time I rolled into Torrey which is one of my favorite destinations. The population is rated as 187, and yet it is home to one of Utah's finest restaurants: Cafe Diablo. I hadn't been there in a decade and just "happened" to be driving by at lunch time. The food was outstanding as always, and the staff was wonderful. It would give me the strength to get through what would turn out to be a trying day...
They were intrigued with my camper and I gave them the run down. I struck up a conversation with the Dessert Chef and she ended up sending me with a sampler of all the desserts. Thanks to the Engel I was able to enjoy them for several days to come. Don't miss the opportunity to stop by if you are in the neighborhood!
My original plan was to drive through Capitol Reef state park and then head north across the Fremont river to Cathedral Valley. That would have put me at I-70 with the original plan being to go see the world's largest organism "Pando" the quaking aspen grove in the Fishlake National Forest. I was a bit gun shy of the high elevations there after being turned back repeatedly by snow the day before. I decided a better plan would be to head north on the Factory Butte road via Caineville Wash, cross the Muddy River, and camp Near Little Wild Horse Canyon or Goblin Valley which were at much lower elevation.
I had never been to Factory Butte, and the Scenery was otherworldly. The road heads north and enters the giant Caineville Wash which had evidence of having been at full flood stage in the recent days. Thankfully it was completely dry at this point as the road really was nothing but a wash for several miles. The road finally came out of the wash up onto a plateau, and the views were stunning. The bentonite here was particularly deep and it was difficult going even in the dry. Fido trucked right on through though!
After two hours and 25 miles of this stunning scenery I was at Factory Butte:
The skies were getting very threatening and I was somewhat concerned about any precipitation as this road would be completely impassable with even the slightest moisture. I did have tons of food and water if I needed to wait things out....
After a few more bends I came to this:
To be continued...........
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yabanja
Explorer
Day 16: Continued.
[video=vimeo;130061838]https://vimeo.com/130061838[/video]
There were only two cars that passed by in five hours. The first waved at me and kept going. I was in the road and flagged him down on his way out. He was in a jeep wrangler and didn't think he could help me. I was only half dug out and didn't want to risk loosing all the work I had done thus far with a failed attempt at extraction. I asked him to notify the rangers in Hanksville to send a tow truck which he said he would do. The second are also waved and drove by. They stopped on their way back. They were German Tourists who frequently visit the area. Very nice people. They told me they had been stuck several years before on the road that used to go up the actual wash of the muddy river. They said they needed a 425 hp 4x4 truck to tow them out.(I envisioned bigfoot.) The muddy river has a reputation for carnage, and with the last two weeks of rain it was probably pretty bad.
When they showed up I was nearly done excavating and was considering having a go at it without a tow vehicle so their timing was perfect. They waited for me to finish jacking the front and getting rocks under the tires and then we hooked up my strap and FIDO just drove out with minimal effort.
More Pics:
https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.ne..._10200534130751349_336540578255917597_o.jp g
About ten minutes later the Tow truck showed up with a second truck as an anchor point. They were a nice couple from Hanksville that pulled people out a lot out here.
They said "hi" and I said "hi". They said "Guess you are out already and don't need any help." I said"Yup, I just got towed out by a Rubicon." Moment of silence. "People get stuck out here a lot" he said and told me about the MAN camper that had been stuck up in the Muddy River crossing a few miles from where we were. "Took 8 hours to get him out." he said. I told him I had seen videos of it on the internet. I told him "Hey-thanks for coming out to rescue me. I really appreciate it." And handed him $50 to cover his gas. "Would have been a lot more than that, I imagine, if you had pulled me out." I said. He confirmed:"About $200". I went on to tell him that I had planned on crossing the muddy river but had decided after already getting stuck that I was going to bypass the crossing and drive on pavement to Goblin Valley for the night. She said"GOOD!" and he said "You know the crossing is gravel" and "People just get stuck out there if they are goofing around." She whacked him! "No-you go to Goblin Valley." she said. He said "doesn't hurt to take a look" and she whacked him again. I thanked them again and continued to clean up the carnage. They headed out. In retrospect I think maybe he was hoping to get a tow out of me before the day was out....
I finished packing, loaded up and pulled up to the intersection. At this point it was dusk. "doesn't hurt to take a look" I thought and headed towards the muddy river.
The sky was still very stormy all around. I headed out towards the Muddy River and it was the worst bentonite patches I had seen yet. I was churning through foot deep powder which was challenging enough without water. I could only imagine what it was like if it rained. I got to the river, and it was flowing wide and fast. The road entrance into the river was being actively eroded and was a two and a half foot drop into who knows how deep of fast flowing water. I couldn't go that way.
I was exhausted at this point and it was dark. There were thunder heads all around. The way ahead was blocked and and thunder storms were all around. I really needed to get back out the long bentonite road I had driven down to get there. I headed towards Hanksville. I ended up wandering aimlessly in the dark on dirt roads until I could find somewhere with some shelter from the wind to set up camp. I found a nice spot, parked, used a half box of wet wipes to get most of the mud off, and collapsed into bed without any dinner.
Miles Paved: 26 Dirt :67
[video=vimeo;130061838]https://vimeo.com/130061838[/video]
There were only two cars that passed by in five hours. The first waved at me and kept going. I was in the road and flagged him down on his way out. He was in a jeep wrangler and didn't think he could help me. I was only half dug out and didn't want to risk loosing all the work I had done thus far with a failed attempt at extraction. I asked him to notify the rangers in Hanksville to send a tow truck which he said he would do. The second are also waved and drove by. They stopped on their way back. They were German Tourists who frequently visit the area. Very nice people. They told me they had been stuck several years before on the road that used to go up the actual wash of the muddy river. They said they needed a 425 hp 4x4 truck to tow them out.(I envisioned bigfoot.) The muddy river has a reputation for carnage, and with the last two weeks of rain it was probably pretty bad.
When they showed up I was nearly done excavating and was considering having a go at it without a tow vehicle so their timing was perfect. They waited for me to finish jacking the front and getting rocks under the tires and then we hooked up my strap and FIDO just drove out with minimal effort.
More Pics:
https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.ne..._10200534130751349_336540578255917597_o.jp g
About ten minutes later the Tow truck showed up with a second truck as an anchor point. They were a nice couple from Hanksville that pulled people out a lot out here.
They said "hi" and I said "hi". They said "Guess you are out already and don't need any help." I said"Yup, I just got towed out by a Rubicon." Moment of silence. "People get stuck out here a lot" he said and told me about the MAN camper that had been stuck up in the Muddy River crossing a few miles from where we were. "Took 8 hours to get him out." he said. I told him I had seen videos of it on the internet. I told him "Hey-thanks for coming out to rescue me. I really appreciate it." And handed him $50 to cover his gas. "Would have been a lot more than that, I imagine, if you had pulled me out." I said. He confirmed:"About $200". I went on to tell him that I had planned on crossing the muddy river but had decided after already getting stuck that I was going to bypass the crossing and drive on pavement to Goblin Valley for the night. She said"GOOD!" and he said "You know the crossing is gravel" and "People just get stuck out there if they are goofing around." She whacked him! "No-you go to Goblin Valley." she said. He said "doesn't hurt to take a look" and she whacked him again. I thanked them again and continued to clean up the carnage. They headed out. In retrospect I think maybe he was hoping to get a tow out of me before the day was out....
I finished packing, loaded up and pulled up to the intersection. At this point it was dusk. "doesn't hurt to take a look" I thought and headed towards the muddy river.
The sky was still very stormy all around. I headed out towards the Muddy River and it was the worst bentonite patches I had seen yet. I was churning through foot deep powder which was challenging enough without water. I could only imagine what it was like if it rained. I got to the river, and it was flowing wide and fast. The road entrance into the river was being actively eroded and was a two and a half foot drop into who knows how deep of fast flowing water. I couldn't go that way.
I was exhausted at this point and it was dark. There were thunder heads all around. The way ahead was blocked and and thunder storms were all around. I really needed to get back out the long bentonite road I had driven down to get there. I headed towards Hanksville. I ended up wandering aimlessly in the dark on dirt roads until I could find somewhere with some shelter from the wind to set up camp. I found a nice spot, parked, used a half box of wet wipes to get most of the mud off, and collapsed into bed without any dinner.
Miles Paved: 26 Dirt :67
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yabanja
Explorer
Two hours with the pressure washer when I got home got most of the chunks off.....
I just googled stuck in Bentonite and discovered that it is used for a beauty facial mud bath. I bathed in the stuff for hours and it didn't make me any prettier!!
Allan
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yabanja
Explorer
Day 17: Buckhorn Wash
Day 17: May 28th
I woke up early and took stock of the scenery. It was lovely. You really can't go wrong in this part of the world.
I had decided to circumnavigate the Muddy River crossing which meant about 25 miles of pavement through Hanksville and North to Goblin Valley. From there I would head North on the Temple Mountain Road, cross I-70, and continue north through Buckhorn Wash to stay the night at the Wedge Overlook. I was a bit sad as I figured this would be my last dirt road day. I would high tail it home on the pavement home tomorrow.
I cooked a hearty breakfast and hit the road early:
[video=vimeo;130390037]https://vimeo.com/130390037[/video]
I had always wanted to take the back road to Goblin Valley from the East on Highway 24. It was a very Rugged 4x4 route with stellar scenery. I took a time lapse but Sakshi says it is too Jiggly-going to have to get a go pro!!
From Goblin Valley I headed west on the Temple Mountain Road, and took a small detour on the Behind the Swell Road to admire the scenery:
It was a lovely day and I was making good time. I decided to stop for a snack Near Temple Mountain:
I headed north, and discovered that I had Cell Phone coverage in the I-70 corrodor so I stopped to call my Sweety.
The Buckhorn Wash road was really good and I was making good time but it looked like there was trouble ahead:
Sure enough, as I entered the mouth of Buckhorn Wash, all hell broke loose!
[video=vimeo;130395807]https://vimeo.com/130395807[/video]
Shortly after a truck came the other way covered in mud. "Flash Flood up ahead" He warned. "It's not too slippery" He noted while giving my truck the once over."You'll be fine" He concluded.
More mud ahead! It was a continuing theme of the trip, and a prospect I relished! As I drove a little further, the clouds subsided and the sun came out. The road was wet and sandy. Many of the wash crossings had minor amounts of water in them. One of the great things about the desert is that after a microburst waterfalls appear everywhere, and that was the case here. The scenery was stunning.
[video=vimeo;130399349]https://vimeo.com/130399349[/video]
I took a left at the top of the canyon to The Wedge Overlook. I had camped there many times, but had never been to the Western fork of the campground so I headed that direction. I found a spot right on the edge of the cliff:
But I thought I might be able to find something better, and hadn't explored all the forks of the road yet so I headed on. In the end I found a lovely spot with views in every direction:
I wasn't at the edge of the cliff and I figured it couldn't be far so I headed for a hike after setting up camp. I found the best veiw of the trip!
As I spotted FIDO on the horizon on the hike back the sun was setting and it was one of those magical moments. What a way to celebrate the last night out!
I settled in for the evening, cooked some dinner, read a book, and went to sleep all with this view out my window:
Day 17 Mileage Paved:25 Dirt:75
Day 17: May 28th
I woke up early and took stock of the scenery. It was lovely. You really can't go wrong in this part of the world.
I had decided to circumnavigate the Muddy River crossing which meant about 25 miles of pavement through Hanksville and North to Goblin Valley. From there I would head North on the Temple Mountain Road, cross I-70, and continue north through Buckhorn Wash to stay the night at the Wedge Overlook. I was a bit sad as I figured this would be my last dirt road day. I would high tail it home on the pavement home tomorrow.
I cooked a hearty breakfast and hit the road early:
[video=vimeo;130390037]https://vimeo.com/130390037[/video]
I had always wanted to take the back road to Goblin Valley from the East on Highway 24. It was a very Rugged 4x4 route with stellar scenery. I took a time lapse but Sakshi says it is too Jiggly-going to have to get a go pro!!
From Goblin Valley I headed west on the Temple Mountain Road, and took a small detour on the Behind the Swell Road to admire the scenery:
It was a lovely day and I was making good time. I decided to stop for a snack Near Temple Mountain:
I headed north, and discovered that I had Cell Phone coverage in the I-70 corrodor so I stopped to call my Sweety.
The Buckhorn Wash road was really good and I was making good time but it looked like there was trouble ahead:
Sure enough, as I entered the mouth of Buckhorn Wash, all hell broke loose!
[video=vimeo;130395807]https://vimeo.com/130395807[/video]
Shortly after a truck came the other way covered in mud. "Flash Flood up ahead" He warned. "It's not too slippery" He noted while giving my truck the once over."You'll be fine" He concluded.
More mud ahead! It was a continuing theme of the trip, and a prospect I relished! As I drove a little further, the clouds subsided and the sun came out. The road was wet and sandy. Many of the wash crossings had minor amounts of water in them. One of the great things about the desert is that after a microburst waterfalls appear everywhere, and that was the case here. The scenery was stunning.
[video=vimeo;130399349]https://vimeo.com/130399349[/video]
I took a left at the top of the canyon to The Wedge Overlook. I had camped there many times, but had never been to the Western fork of the campground so I headed that direction. I found a spot right on the edge of the cliff:
But I thought I might be able to find something better, and hadn't explored all the forks of the road yet so I headed on. In the end I found a lovely spot with views in every direction:
I wasn't at the edge of the cliff and I figured it couldn't be far so I headed for a hike after setting up camp. I found the best veiw of the trip!
As I spotted FIDO on the horizon on the hike back the sun was setting and it was one of those magical moments. What a way to celebrate the last night out!
I settled in for the evening, cooked some dinner, read a book, and went to sleep all with this view out my window:
Day 17 Mileage Paved:25 Dirt:75
Last edited:
yabanja
Explorer
Day 18: Further exploration.
Day 18 June 29th.
I woke up at 5:15 well rested and ready to hit the road. I decided that I wasn't ready to head straight home yet. There was a highway on the map from Huntington to Ephram over the mountains I had not been to before, and since I had such an early start I figured I would check it out.
I drove the 30 miles of dirt road to Huntington and then headed west towards Joe's canyon. It is a beautiful windy road with a nice sized river flowing on one side and a cliff rising from the other. About twenty five miles from Huntington I reached Joe's reservoir. The road circled around to the west side of the lake and became dirt. Another "highway" in my Delorme book! Luckily FIDO is up to the task. The road went higher and higher until I was in the aspens with breathtaking scenery all around.
I was nearing the summit and it was starting to get pretty muddy with significant snow drifts everywhere:
[video=vimeo;130491879]https://vimeo.com/130491879[/video]
Three times I had been turned back by snow on this trip. Was so glad to explore new territory though.
Here is a picture from my short hike up the road:
I turned around and started heading back down towards Joes Reservoir. There were some awesome campsites up here! I would have to come back later in the year.
The views of the sun coming up over the Reservoir were outstanding:
I figured I would drive as far as the reservoir, and then stop and fix some breakfast before heading back to Price and the highway home.
I pulled into a parking lot for fishing access and fried up some veggie sausages and eggs for breakfast. Just as I was sitting down to eat, a ranger pulled up. I exited the camper, food in hand to greet him with a smile. He asked me if I was camping there(not allowed) and I said"nope, I just got turned around by snow on the Joes canyon"highway" and was having some breakfast before hitting the road." He seemed relieved that there wasn't going to be any kind of confrontation and started asking about the truck. I told him about all the fun I had been having on the road and how sad I was to be abandoning the dirt roads for pavement. He said "you know, the Skyline Drive road is open." I did a double take. I had taken that route the year before, and it is not only breathtakingly beautiful, but it takes nearly half the distance to Salt Lake without touching pavement. I had rejected the idea of going there because of my bad luck with snow on this trip. This was good news! I had told Sakshi I would be home that day, but I didn't say when. I thanked the ranger for the information, finished breakfast, and started heading north on Skyline Drive!
The road was good and I made good time. If you haven't had the chance, Skyline Drive is a great route with stunning vistas. I highly recommend it.
After winding along the ridgeline for miles, the road finally joins Highway 6 at Tucker. I headed left down the valley towards Spanish Fork canyon. I got about 8 miles down the road and decided I had had enough of Civilization! I took a right up Sheep creek road towards Strawberry Reservoir.
After Strawberry reservoir, the dirt road really was over.... I drove the highway to Heber, and then up and over parley's canyon to Salt Lake. I was home in time for dinner!!
[video=vimeo;130492164]https://vimeo.com/130492164[/video]
Day 18 miles Paved:116.7 Dirt:134.3
Day 18 June 29th.
I woke up at 5:15 well rested and ready to hit the road. I decided that I wasn't ready to head straight home yet. There was a highway on the map from Huntington to Ephram over the mountains I had not been to before, and since I had such an early start I figured I would check it out.
I drove the 30 miles of dirt road to Huntington and then headed west towards Joe's canyon. It is a beautiful windy road with a nice sized river flowing on one side and a cliff rising from the other. About twenty five miles from Huntington I reached Joe's reservoir. The road circled around to the west side of the lake and became dirt. Another "highway" in my Delorme book! Luckily FIDO is up to the task. The road went higher and higher until I was in the aspens with breathtaking scenery all around.
I was nearing the summit and it was starting to get pretty muddy with significant snow drifts everywhere:
[video=vimeo;130491879]https://vimeo.com/130491879[/video]
Three times I had been turned back by snow on this trip. Was so glad to explore new territory though.
Here is a picture from my short hike up the road:
I turned around and started heading back down towards Joes Reservoir. There were some awesome campsites up here! I would have to come back later in the year.
The views of the sun coming up over the Reservoir were outstanding:
I figured I would drive as far as the reservoir, and then stop and fix some breakfast before heading back to Price and the highway home.
I pulled into a parking lot for fishing access and fried up some veggie sausages and eggs for breakfast. Just as I was sitting down to eat, a ranger pulled up. I exited the camper, food in hand to greet him with a smile. He asked me if I was camping there(not allowed) and I said"nope, I just got turned around by snow on the Joes canyon"highway" and was having some breakfast before hitting the road." He seemed relieved that there wasn't going to be any kind of confrontation and started asking about the truck. I told him about all the fun I had been having on the road and how sad I was to be abandoning the dirt roads for pavement. He said "you know, the Skyline Drive road is open." I did a double take. I had taken that route the year before, and it is not only breathtakingly beautiful, but it takes nearly half the distance to Salt Lake without touching pavement. I had rejected the idea of going there because of my bad luck with snow on this trip. This was good news! I had told Sakshi I would be home that day, but I didn't say when. I thanked the ranger for the information, finished breakfast, and started heading north on Skyline Drive!
The road was good and I made good time. If you haven't had the chance, Skyline Drive is a great route with stunning vistas. I highly recommend it.
After winding along the ridgeline for miles, the road finally joins Highway 6 at Tucker. I headed left down the valley towards Spanish Fork canyon. I got about 8 miles down the road and decided I had had enough of Civilization! I took a right up Sheep creek road towards Strawberry Reservoir.
After Strawberry reservoir, the dirt road really was over.... I drove the highway to Heber, and then up and over parley's canyon to Salt Lake. I was home in time for dinner!!
[video=vimeo;130492164]https://vimeo.com/130492164[/video]
Day 18 miles Paved:116.7 Dirt:134.3
Last edited:
Ford Prefect
Expedition Leader
An excellent adventure! Thanks for sharing.
VistaCruiser
Observer
Awesome rig and adventure story! Thanks for sharing.
Sam
Sam