COMPLETED: Western Roadtrip, long overdue

[mikekey]

One cheesy video of Canyon Lands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTLWI-FO-mA

I gotta go thru the rest, but first some work on TB today.

[Conner299]

Nice video... Really digging the head-lights. Who makes those, If you don't mind me asking?

[Cable810]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390425512934?ss ... 296wt_1141

viewtopic.php?f=62&t=825&start=320#p60959

I asked Mike the same question a while back and this is what he gave me.

BTW I subscribed to ya Mike!

[mikekey]

Yup, but I think I got a better deal than the one you listed. I put 55W HIDs at 5000K temp and they project nicely, I say the output and projection is better than the factory. I know a lot of the guys who don't lift their cars on GMT think the factory headlights with HID's are fine. I thought they where terrible. I wear glasses and night vision is a problem for me. My HID's weren't any better in the factory housing, they are worlds better, brighter and shine further, IMO with these projectors. Even if their not retrofits which are actually better projectors. Just my two cents.

Just spent the day fixing the one thing we broke on this trip, which I should of fixed way way way long ago.

[JorDaneeKey]

After that adventure, we were ready to have an easy drive. At this point we were sitting on Route 12, and so we headed South. Our next destination was the Burr Trail. Route 12 has some really amazing sights. Once again we had found ourselves going from red rock canyons to the gray granite mountain ranges.



There were plenty of cattle guards in the road as we passed through ranch after ranch, and once we came to a really quick stop while a herd of cattle crossed the road. Dinner anyone??? The drive would have been thoroughly enjoyable were it not for a black Chevy Suburban with distinct California plates, but more on that later.

Burr Trail starts off as a rough gravel/partially paved road turning into dirt once you hit the park boundary, and Mike had one goal in mind as we headed back into Capitol Reef, find the place that JamesDowning had taken his epic avatar pic.



Several trails branch off from Burr Trail, and we explored a few.



Unfortunately there were a few others exploring as well. The trails became a bit crowded, and finding the exact place was proving to be a challenge. We decided to press on, taking a left at the end of the Burr Trail to head up County Rd to Route 24. What we didn’t know was that County Rd inside Capitol Reef was mostly sand.......washboard sand......approximately 13 miles of it.

Remember that episode of MythBusters where they tested the theory that by driving faster over washboard-like roads you actually have a smoother ride? It’s true, if you are comfortable going 60 mph on a road you don’t know that twists and turns and has a few “humps” that potentially hid on-coming traffic. Add to that the road was really only wide enough for 1 vehicle to get by......

By the time we got out of the park and onto the paved section of County Rd, I was pretty sure my truck was going to fall apart. The front right side had developed a rather annoying squeak, so while we aired up our tires we took a look. This is when we noticed the bushing failure Mikekey had posted about a few weeks ago. We didn’t have a replacement, but Mike was pretty sure if we took it easy, we could make it home without too much trouble. The bottom bushing was still holding nicely.

To make matters worse, our air compressor had developed a funky sound as well. Combined with the events of the morning, not being able to find what we were looking for, and the last 13 miles of washboard road, I was feeling pretty high strung and tense. At this point I REALLY wanted to stay in a hotel again, but Mike was adamant that we camp that night.

He was determined to find the perfect campground.

A quick fill up and pit stop later in Torrey, we headed back down Route 12 from Route 24. I know, the irony is not lost on me; we’ve made a giant loop. In fact, about a ½ mile from where we had dumped back out onto Route 12 from the Pleasant Creek/South Draw trail, there were two BLM campsites just off the main road.

This looks familiar......



But those weren’t good enough for Mike. He wanted the perfect campsite, so we continued down Route 12 into Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.



Remember that black Chevy Suburban I mentioned earlier? Well, we came across them again, or rather, they came across us. And they had brought a sedan with California plates along as well. It was REALLY annoying to have them behind us, trying to give our Trailblazer and enema with their Suburban. It was probably made worse by the fact that we had an older pickup in front of us, and it was easier to downshift than have to keep on the brakes every time we came into deep descents, which only had the Suburban seemingly glued to our tail.

Why don’t we just pull over you ask? We certainly would, if there was anywhere to do so safely. This section of Escalante runs along the top of the peaks, dropping down into narrow valleys. There are no shoulders. There are either drop offs (and no guardrails) or rock walls, and passing was just too dangerous with all the curves.

It was about this moment that our Trailblazer’s gear box stopped working. She was stuck in third according to the instrument panel, regardless if we shifted into second, drive or neutral. Thankfully we came to a turnoff about a mile later, finally losing the annoying Californians, who had the audacity to lay on the horns as they passed us. At this point our dislike for Californians was complete.

Since the Trailblazer wouldn’t shift into park, Mike killed the engine, put on the parking brake, and had me climb into the driver’s seat and keep on the break while he slid underneath to take a look.

I’ll admit, I consider myself a tough cookie, but I was beginning to lose it here. The day had been too long, super tough in many ways, and I was just tired. I am thankful though to have married a guy who spent enough time turning a wrench on every car he’s owned that he knew what the problem was before he even looked. The stupid GM OEM rivet on the shifting cable had snapped. Easy fix, mostly. Mike was able to get it back on and shift the vehicle back into park.

A few tears later, we started to take notice of where we were. Mike had done it, he had found the perfect campsite. I don’t remember the name of the campsite, but it may have been Hole-in-the-Rock. What I do remember as we sat in the gravel turnoff was looking down into this campsite area from 300+ feet above seeing a stream cut through densely wooded rock. It was beautiful and looked absolutely perfect.

And it was full.

So moving on......we finally got to test out the lights Mike had rigged up. I think the two front Hellla lights mounted over the bumper were the most useful for distance (especially since he had swapped out the standard bulbs with the same HIDs we were running in the projectors).

We also discovered that finding any camping around Bryce Canyon was next to impossible since the area is so heavily trafficked. There probably was some camping, but after 25 mins driving down another washboard road, the attitude was F-it! We actually did find another campsite on the other side of Bryce, but it was right on the road. So, we turned around and headed back up to the campsite on Route 12 by the South Draw trail a few hours away. About the only good thing that came out of this midnight expedition was testing the light set-up, seeing the Milky Way, and discovering what is now Mike’s favorite radio program to listen to, “Coast to Coast AM”.

Just an aside, it is really freaky to be out in the middle of nowhere without even a moon to light the way, where looking out the side window would leave one feeling like they are looking into the eye of a black hole, listening to some program talking about the Anunnaki and some lost planet and aliens returning to earth...... Okay, in hindsight, it was actually entertaining, but I claim a lack of sleep and a long day made for poor perceptions.

[JorDaneeKey]

So day “I lost track”....

We left our campsite around 9 and got back on the road. We got to see everything we had missed during the night....





....and passed Bryce Canyon without much fanfare. We were definitely in tourist territory as we headed into Zion. In fact, it was bumper to bumper traffic through Zion itself.

There are only 2 campsites within the canyons of Zion. Both can hold over 100+ campsites I believe, and they looked mighty full. However, we were about as out of place there as our red rock dust coated expedition vehicle was, so on some advice from a wild outdoorsman friend and a leap of faith on my part, we made our way through Zion, right onto Route 9, and then right again onto Kolob Reservoir Road.

Fun fact, the roads in Zion are made with red asphalt to match the landscape, so even driving on the Kolob Road, it would change from black to red to black as we drove in and out of Zion.



We drove about 18 miles, and our elevation changed from approximately 1500 ft to 7800 feet. Our intended stop, Lava Pointe, is located a few miles off the “red road”. It’s a primitive campsite, only 6 slots, but it’s on BLM land and free. Best of all? We had our choice of campsites. I had been sure that since it was "so great" it would be full (only 6 sites after all), but it was apparently too remote and too primitive for the average tourist.



Also a fun fact, BLM isn’t as strict as NPs with fire restrictions, so this was the only campsite we were aware of that allowed open pit fires, or fires of any kind for that matter. Every other campsite/park we had looked at before going on the trip had strict fire restrictions. So this definitely made it the “perfect” campsite.



We did some hiking and had a great view of Zion to the South. It’s behind the grey rock you see in the picture. You can also see the storms to the left, which really cooled the area nicely.



The next morning we were off early. I asked Mike if we could go back through Zion to get some pictures since the traffic had been so bad the day before, and it was early enough that most families would just be waking up.

Zion is really beautiful, and I’m sure some of the hikes are amazing. We’d definitely like to go back and traverse the Subway.





On to our last stop, which was both exciting and bittersweet. A relaxing evening in Zion by the campfire and a long night’s sleep was enough to wash away the stresses of the previous day and create a new thirst for never ending adventure.

[JorDaneeKey]

I’m sure I sound like a broken record now, but I gotta say it. The drive from Zion to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was just amazing. The diversity of the landscape was spectacular. From red rock to national forests to desert plains and back to national forest only to be dumped on the top of more red rock canyons again.....seriously, it’s just amazing!

The last big leg of our adventure was the North Rim. We were hoping to luck out and get a backcountry pass to Point Sublime, which we did and made our day. I know, prior planning 6 months out would have ensured we got a reserved spot, but we didn’t even know if we could make this trip until 2 months out. Anyways, we got our pass.

We knew the trail was approximately 18 miles long, but what we didn’t know until the ranger told us was that a series of storms (many of which we had seen during the previous days) had really eroded the trail. The ranger even made a visual inspection of our rig to make sure we had the capability to make it up there. (Apparently he wouldn’t take my word for it. Something about never seeing a lifted/modded Trailblazer before). He was still skeptical about our clearance, but told us to be careful and sent us on our way. Mike had the foresight to ask about any trees being down on the trail. We were told that we should be good, but if there was, to come back and let them know. See, the night before we had discovered the axe we had brought along was rather dull and useless, so we’d be pretty SOL if we had to cut wood.

It was for this reason that we decided to head up the trail shortly after visiting the gift shop to get my decal. As someone who absolutely abhorred stickers on her rig, I figured the stickers on the Trailblazer were sort of like trophies to prove she conquered the trails well. Except for Zion, but that’s just because the name “Zion” is so cool. Anyway....

We aired down at the trailhead, much to the bewilderment of hikers parking their Outbacks, and started out.

The trail itself is pretty tame for the first 4 miles or so as you pass through some woods and open areas along twin tracks.



And this was boring for Mike.



So when we came up to a part of the trail that was broken up by 7 different, deep looking puddles, he punched it.

Skid plate to the rescue!

Seriously. If I didn’t have such healthy teeth and bones I’m sure I would have broken something. Apparently some knuckleheads had gotten themselves stuck at some point and the water had covered the evidence of their trials. We found them though, and I’m pretty sure the only reason we got out was the momentum of the vehicle forced us out. We had a good chuckle at the mud stuck in the holes in our radiator skid.



Not to long after the trail left the flat, open areas and began to follow along the rim of the canyon. The rain had washed a good chunk of dirt away, leaving a lot of rock exposed that would slip and shift in the soft mud under the traction of the Trailblazer. It made for a pretty fun drive, but I gotta be honest, I’ve been a REALLY great wife up until now, and I wanted to drive dangit! I haven't driven since Canyonlands!!

But the scenery was still beautiful and worth a few stops to explore!







We even “passed” (read: climbed up off the trail just enough to let them by since they wouldn’t budge) oversized, overdone show Jeep that was suspiciously covered in mud spatter.....

And this is the other reason I wish we had a GoPro. While climbing up a hill, we both caught a glimpse of a very large, very tan cat with a very long tail dart across the trail before disappearing into the woods. Suddenly I was very glad with had a few guns locked away in the back. Really wish I had gotten a picture though!

We arrived at the campsite and explored a bit, enjoying the view from Point Sublime.



However, it was only 2 in the afternoon, and Mike didn’t feel like sitting around camp for the rest of the day. There aren’t many trails to hike at Point Sublime either, just lots of air on 3 sides of the immediate area. The drive into the campsite itself traverses a ridge that at its narrowest was less than twice the width of the Trailblazer. Space was really at a premium up here, as we would discover later that day.However we were also low on supplies for food. So we headed back down the trail to hit up the small convenience store just outside the park. And guess what? I got to drive, finally! Happy day!

About 2 hours later, on the way back to our campsite, we came across these guys.



Back at our campsite, we came across an old Dodge diesel with an old camper on the bed. It was a family of 4, young couple with two kids around 2 and 5. They also had a mutt, and they were the best campsite buddies you could ask for. We had some great conversations about our travels and the trails while we cooked dinners and enjoyed the sunset. We even scared away a fancy looking Nissan Armada and the French owners who didn’t understand the concept that just because you have 4x4 doesn’t mean YOU have the skill/capability to hit the trails.

The sunset was absolutely gorgeous.



This was the view from our tent.





It was a bittersweet end to our adventures. We weren’t looking forward to starting the journey home the next day.

[JorDaneeKey]

The next day dawned foggy and quiet. I still wish we had stayed longer that morning, but we quietly packed up and eased our way out of there.

It had started to sprinkle, and we were hoping to get out before the heavy rains hit (had excellent cell reception up there). On the trail, it was pretty apparent where the Armada had traveled. It was torn up to hell and back. There were a few places you could see how often and how deep the underside of their vehicle had been hit. The evening before, we had overheard the family conversation enough to understand the son had done most of the driving, until reaching the end of the trail at the campsites. There he had told his mom to drive, even though she kept saying in broken English that she didn't have her license. So you can just imagine how that must have looked.

Just outside the park at the small convenience store, we came across the same Armada. The rims were scratched to hell and the back bumper was bent out in an odd way. The son certainly didn't look happy, and I'm pretty sure it was a rental judging by the bar code tapped in the window.

We left the North Rim back through the surrounding forest, which as of August of last year was mostly burned out tree stumps and logging roads, and started the journey back home. First, we had a slight detour to make at Monument Valley.





Some advice, don't pay the fee to the Navajo Nation to go into the actual park. We made that mistake, and it would have been fun if it hadn't been for the:
1.) Minivans, sports cars, and sedans getting stuck in sand.
2.) The average jow driving at 30mph+ over sand roads, nearly hitting people and then getting stuck slamming on the breaks.
3.) Stock Jeeps being driven by French teenagers who felt the need to drive up our ass until the first Jeep lost control in the sand, got stuck in a dune and rear-ended by his buddies.
4.) Excessive amounts of washboard road under the 6+ inches of sand.
5.) Guided tour trucks and SUVs that were unsafely modified to carry passengers on bubba-rigged benches that raised the center of gravity well over center mass and looked like the damn things would tip over as they passed all of us on the "road" in a cloud of dust......

It was hell.

And the best views were had from outside the park anyways.



After that we realized we were really close to the "Four Corners, USA", so we were dumb enough to think about checking that out. BUT you have to pay there too, and it looked like a cheap Indian reservation tourist trap. So yeah, we said forget it and started home.

The drive through Arizona was beautiful. The Navajo Nation, which is a lot larger than we realized, sits on some beautiful territory. We even came across the Colorado River, one last time.



After that, the trip was uneventful. We left the North Rim on a Saturday morning, arriving back in Florida sometime around 3am Monday morning.

And we can't wait to go back.

[mikekey]

My wife didn't explain it well enough. Monumentlley was terrible, horrible waste of time/money. Tourist trap from hell that is being ruined. Best seen from around the park. It always looks so amazing in photographs, but in real life.... It's like hotel photos. We actually didn't finish driving the whole thing. It was so horrible we turned around with the first 15 mins and left the park.

Four corners... Well that might of been cool, but not cool for 12 dollars after I paid that for the horrible experimce at monument valley.

And for driving thru Navajo Nation, i recommend everyone does it at least once, so you have a good visual of what America will look like once Obama is done with it.

[mikekey]

And finally, all we have from pleasant creek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2S0yHTBf5M

[KE7WOX]

And for driving thru Navajo Nation, i recommend everyone does it at least once, so you have a good visual of what America will look like once Obama is done with it.

No thanks. A friend was towing a repoed RV and had to spend the night in Kayenta, he stopped by the police station and asked where he could safely park it, they told him to chain it behind their building but there was no guarantee it was going to be there in the morning.

I lived in Mexico for 15 years without being a victim of anything. I almost got trapped in a bank that got robbed here, and almost got mugged by a hobo, all this in less than 5 years. Not taking my chances.

[Trail X]

I'm still slowly getting through this... so, my apologies at my lateness.

...and Mike had one goal in mind as we headed back into Capitol Reef, find the place that JamesDowning had taken his epic avatar pic.

Did you guys drive the length of the road/trail? The location was 37.849104,-111.025872. If you missed that, you REALLY missed out on the main attraction of the whole area! You'll have to make a do-over next time.

[JorDaneeKey]

I'm still slowly getting through this... so, my apologies at my lateness.

...and Mike had one goal in mind as we headed back into Capitol Reef, find the place that JamesDowning had taken his epic avatar pic.

Did you guys drive the length of the road/trail? The location was 37.849104,-111.025872. If you missed that, you REALLY missed out on the main attraction of the whole area! You'll have to make a do-over next time.

Well, we had trouble finding the exact spot at the time. I kick myself now to see exactly where it was taken, especially since yes, we were there. I just never turned back and looked to realize the scenery behind us was the same. We picked up the Burr Trail from Route 12, and after going through the switchbacks at Mulley Twist we took a left and headed North (and suffered a bushing failure due to the 13 miles of washboard sand).

[Trail X]

Ah, now I'm following you. For some reason I thought you were on Rt 12 originally, then went out and back on Burr. So you guys traveled north on the Notom-Bullfrog Road, and that is where your bushing failure occurred? Man, I enjoyed that road!

Reference: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... l_Park.png Is "South Draw" trail the one from the previous page, where you were wading through mud and grass? I had considered that trail, but ended up deciding on Notom-Bullfrog to Burr instead.

If I go again, I want to camp in Cathedral Valley, to the north.

[JorDaneeKey]

Yes, we picked up South Draw and took it all the way to Route 12, and then we traveled down Route 12 and picked up the Burr Trail Road to the Burr Trail and then headed North on the Notom-Bullfrog Road. South Draw by far offered the greatest challenges for us, especially since we went through just after a series of storms had washed out much of the trail. On our list is check out the North side (everything North of 24) of Capitol Reef on our return trip. However, if someone does meet up with us while we are in this area, taking on the South Draw trail with someone who's not been on it is a must!

[mikekey]

I forgot to add in one other cheesy video, this is of not so pleasant creek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2S0yHTBf5M

I think I'm going to invest in a Go Pro and a tripod, maybe some other stuff this year to make some better videos. I'm also thinking of purchasing the SOLOSHOT. So much to see, and I made a few mistakes with my photo-storage and backup that we are now missing a number of shots. Not going to happen this year.

[Trail X]

Just checked out that soloshot - that's really cool. I wonder how steady it is in reality. They would have to put a lot of filters on the signal to keep it from jumping around too fast.