White Rim Trail - Utah - Feb 2021

[jhmoore]

I did Potash Road and the White Rim Trail February 17-20 of this year, perfectly book-ending the trip with serious snowstorms in the mountains the morning before and afternoon after... but with perfect weather on White Rim itself. I was solo in my stock 2018 4Runner TRD Off Road and saw more bighorn sheep than people on my three days on the trail. It's an absolutely gorgeous place. I was nervous about the couple of harder parts of the trail, what condition they would be in, my personal experience level, and whether my stock vehicle would be OK. This was exacerbated on Day 1 by running into an old guy running the trail the opposite direction from me on a bicycle, who said that there were parts with 1-2 foot drops. He looked at my 4Runner and told me he doubted that I'd make it without being lifted. Sadly I let that guy get in my head. As it turned out, my stock 4Runner was more than up to the task and more capable, frankly, than I am! It just went.

If you ever have the chance to do the White Rim Trail, do it.

First up is Part 1 of my trip videos, which covers Potash Road from Moab out to the bottom of the Shafer Road switchbacks and the beginning of White Rim. Shafer was still closed for the winter.

I'm still processing video, but will add to this thread as I go. I hope you enjoy!

 

[jhmoore]

I was both shooting video (not very well yet!) and taking still photos on this trip:

 

[jhmoore]

 

[jhmoore]

 

[jhmoore]

 

[Ace Brown]

That guy that said there were 2’ drops must have crashed on one and hit his head.

Nice photos.


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[Aussie Iron]

Video is a good start. But the pics are really great, keep showing us your beautiful backyard.

Dan.

 

[jhmoore]

Video is a good start. But the pics are really great, keep showing us your beautiful backyard.

Dan.

Thanks, Dan. I’ve been a photographer for a long time... the video thing is new. Trying to teach an old dog new tricks!

 

[biggerbearser]

Looks like you had a great time. My partner, 9 year old son, and 15 month old daughter along with a friend and his partner in their Tacoma stayed at Shafer, White Crack and Potato Bottom 2/15-2/17. When we ran into the bike packer on 2/17 he had not seen anyone else for 3 days at that point. He was the only person we saw on White Rim. Glad to hear he kept rollin

 

[aequitas3]

friend and his partner in their Tacoma

?

an old guy running the trail the opposite direction from me on a bicycle, who said that there were parts with 1-2 foot drops.

Well, he wasn't wrong about the 1-2 foot drops. They were right behind me in this photo above the passenger mirror (I didn't get a photo of the drop itself as I peeked and sent it). Picking the right line, a stock 4x4 Toyota has no problems - even if you don't have sliders.

 

[jhmoore]

Well, he wasn't wrong about the 1-2 foot drops. They were right behind me in this photo above the passenger mirror (I didn't get a photo of the drop itself as I peeked and sent it). Picking the right line, a stock 4x4 Toyota has no problems - even if you don't have sliders.

View attachment 648391

Looks like the backside of Murphy's Hogback. After coming up the frontside (doing the trail clockwise) and crossing over, I believe my quote when I saw the snowy shaded steep downhill hanging off a cliff was "are you ******king kidding me?" I had been so happy about making it up Murphy's Hogback and thought I was done with the sketchy parts! That said, there was no dropoff there... just a steep slope. Old guy on the bike was talking about actual ledges in the road. Old guy on the bike also wasn't that much older than me!

 

[Ace Brown]

Having run the White Rim four times, three on my mountain bike, I say the old guy is wrong. Sure if you try you might find a two foot drop somewhere but with a reasonable effort you don’t have to drive over it. Hey, there are plenty of places you could find a 500’ drop out there, but hopefully no one would drive over it either.


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[DetroitDarin]

beautiful. thank you!

 

[4x4tripping]

Thank you for give us a virtual trip!

Beautiful landscape and pictures!

 

[jadmt]

In December we met a guy traveling alone in an older 2 wd van on street tires between white crack (we had stayed there) and Murphy (he said he stayed there) and he said other than having to drive faster than he wanted to he did not have any trouble. looks like you saw this guy's harem..