Trip Reports
| Moab | ||||
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| Date: | Sep 29th - Oct 4th, 2009 | |||
| Trip Leader: | Mike Borum | |||
| Members Present: | Rob Cooper, Bob Novak, Glen McMullan, Fred Haskell | |||
| Guests Present: | Marilyn Borum, Fred Cooper, Jim McCoin | |||
| Picture Link: | Mike's Pics | Bob's Pics | Fred's Pics | Rob's Pics | |||
| Description: |
Well, there Marilyn and I were, sitting at the County Line Rd on-ramp with our truck camper loaded, and the solar yellow Jeep LJ Rubicon--sporting new tube fenders--being towed on a trailer behind it. Fred snuck up with his slate gray JK Rubicon--sporting a new front bumper and winch--just before Bob and Glen showed with Bob's white LJ Rubicon--sporting shiny new tires and wheels. Rob and his dad Fred were waiting to join us as we were expected to cruise through Summit County, with Rob's TJ--sporting ??
So here we are trying to get through morning rush hour in Denver, when I had to make a panic stop due to a clog of commuters near the Alameda Blvd exit. The truck stopped; the trailer stopped; and the two Jeeps following me stopped. But my Jeep on the trailer decided to keep going, right after both of the rear tow strap hooks failed. My rig slammed into the plastic storage box (which was destroyed), and rested against the rail at the front of the trailer. All of the extra weight proved too much for the 18 inch extension coming off my receiver, and it bent right to the pavement! When I heard the screech of metal to asphalt, I thought the worst...my receiver must have busted, or the trailer separated from the hitch. Bob and Glen and Fred met me behind the truck and we quickly decided to pull my truck forward enough to unload the Jeep. With traffic whizzing by on both sides (not a cop to be found), we backed my Jeep off the trailer, which allowed it to lift off the ground enough for me to drive it to the nearest exit, which luckily was only a hundred yards away. Luckier still, there was a Home Depot just off the exit, and after hooking the trailer up to Bob's Jeep we pulled all of the vehicles into the parking lot, where we could decide what to do next. Fred whipped out his Blackberry and found a truck equipment place just a few miles away, so I jumped in Bob's ring and sped to Lampert Hitch, just off Federal Drive. While Bob and I were getting snarled up in traffic to and from, the guys checked everything out to make sure nothing important was damaged. We showed up with a beefier 12 inch extension and new tow straps, and within 2 hours of the mishap, we were back on the freeway. Rob called, and we decided it was okay for he and his dad to head for Moab ahead of us. The remainder of the trip was uneventful, and although we'd been delayed, there was still plenty of daylight remaining to enjoy the majestic scenery of Hwy 128 into Moab. We met up with Rob, his dad Fred, and Jim McCoin (Fred's friend who lives in Cedar City, UT and has wheeled with us for several years now) and went to Eddie McStiff's for dinner. Wednesday brought cloudy, windy weather. Along with Jim, now sporting a new "swamp water green" JK, we decided to run Fins 'n Things, and as the morning progressed the weather improved. We played around on the steep fins and marveled at the traction. Even Bob, who we could tell was a bit apprehensive, started to gain some confidence as he realized how capable our vehicles were. Near the end of the trail, Rob was hearing some funny noises underneath his rig, and a closer inspection showed a driver side u-joint had deteriorated enough that it would need to be fixed before we attempted another trail that afternoon. Back at the Slickrock campground, Rob and Fred went to work removing the axle shafts, and took only an hour or so to get back from town with the shafts already reassembled with a new joint. That afternoon, we took off for Poison Spider Mesa. Although it was already about 2:00pm, I felt we'd be through the trail before dark. Once again, everyone's rig was up to the task. We hit all of the obstacles without incident, including the mini Launch Pad, the Wedgie, and the Waterfall. We took in a breathtaking view of Kane Creek Road, and even saw a birds-eye view of the Moab Rim trail (including the infamous Z-turn). Quickly, though it began to settle into dusk, and we were worried that we would still be on the trail when it got dark. As we hurried along back down, we met some guys in a red Jeep that had just flipped over backward on the mini-Launch Pad. His rig was smashed in all four corners, and he's lucky the front windshield frame and stock roll cage held up, because it was obvious he had landed upside-down. They insisted they didn't need any help, so we skedaddled down the last few obstacles and hit the pavement just in time to switch on our headlights. The following day, we opted for Rusty Nail. This trail offers a little of everything: the steep ledges and steps of "Riff-Raff", that even with the bypass will test your fortitude, a pucker-packed "No Left Turn" obstacle to threaten you with a 400 ft drop off a canyon ledge, some serious off-camber sections around that same canyon rim, and a chance to experience the best obstacles on the Golden Spike and Gold Bar Rim trails--"Golden Crack", "Double Whammy", "Golden Staircase", the "Wall", and "Body Snatcher". Not everyone tried every obstacle, and not every obstacle was conquered. But those who did attempt them were thoroughly challenged, and those who didn't were thoroughly entertained. Once again, this trail took all day, but at least we made it back to the camp site in time to stoke a roaring fire and a charcoal grill. Along with our wives, we ate a lot of good food, drank lots of beer and wine, and told lots of stories that evening. Our last day in Moab was a trip to Sevenmile Rim. None of us had done it before, and it turned out to be a treat. We skirted along the rim high above Hwy 191 north of town, took in the Uranium Arch, as well as the Monitor and Merrimac Buttes, dog-piled our rigs in front of the Merrimac Butte for a "beauty pageant", and found "Wipeout Hill". After I went down with Glen in the passenger seat, the rest of the guys got a bit apprehensive, and while I ate my lunch at the bottom and glared up at them, they ate their lunch at the top and glared down at me. That is, until a side-by-side ATV nearly climbed it unaided. After I finished my lunch and climbed right back up this very steep hill, Fred and Rob decided that they'd better try it (else I'd never let them hear the end of it!). Both of them glided down and back up and both commented that "it wasn't as scary as it looked". You don't say. As we made our way to the end of the trail, past the Determination Towers and the green-sided hills of copper, the reality of the end of our Moab experience started to weigh on us. At the parking area, Fred aired up and said his goodbyes. The rest of us headed back to the campsite, planning our return home the next morning. I have been going to Moab nearly every year since I joined the Bighorn 4x4s. Every time is with a different group of people, and every time I see something new and unique. For me, it never ever gets old, and I always look forward to the next time. It's an experience that is impossible to put into words, but there is no doubt that the memories will stay with you forever. |
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