Hells Revenge

If you can ride only one trail in Moab, in my opinion, it should be Hells Revenge. I would not recommend it for beginners or anyone who has a fear of heights but for experienced riders it has a little bit of everything including two really gnarly climbs, "Hells Gate" and "The Escalator". Fortunately, they are optional so you can still enjoy the ride without having to take them.

Here are some examples of the more difficult sections and as you veteran riders know, hills are actually steeper than they appear on film/video...

"Hells Gate"

"Hells Gate"

"Mickeys Hot Tub"

"The Escalator" (that's motor oil flowing down the hill)

Hells Gate video from inside the jeep...

Hole N" The Rock

The Hole N" The Rock is a tourist attraction 12 miles south of Moab that features a unique 5,000 square foot home carved into the side of a solid rock cliff. The entire business is "For Sale" and the asking price is only $2,900,000.

Click on photos to enlarge

Miner humor

What's Wrong With This Picture

Shafer Trail & Long Canyon Loop

Bob and I drove from Potash up to Canyonlands National Park via the Shafer Trail and then took Long Canyon back to the Jug Handle Arch at Highway 279. This is one of the more scenic routes you can take here in Moab. It's like driving through the Grand Canyon. Click on photos to enlarge.

Mashed Potatoes

While everyone else drove Mashed Potatoes, I pretty much walked it. It was my job to mark the difficult and optional routes over or around obstacles. If you are on this trail in the future and see a bright green stripe marking the way, I'm the one to thank (cash donations are accepted).

Unimog

On Saturday's ride, there was a very unique vehicle, made by Mercedes-Benz, called a Unimog...

Although it was too big to handle the narrow trails and sharp turns that the Jeeps could, it appeared to be able to go up and over just about anything it came across. If I ever had to drive across Siberia, I think this would be the vehicle I would choose.

Poison Spider, Golden Spike, Eagle's Dare, Rusty Nail

I enjoyed yesterday's jeep ride so much that I joined Bob and a smaller group to tour Poison Spider, Golden Spike, Eagle's Dare, and Rusty Nail. If you would like to test your and your vehicle's limits... or just scare the crap out of a newbie passenger, then these are the trails for you.

You would not think that riding around in a jeep all day would tire you out but I am absolutely beat. Then again, wondering if you are going to slide off the side of a cliff and go up in a fiery ball of flames may have been a contributing factor. Click on photos to enlarge.

What do you mean we're going up that!

What do you mean we're going down that!

Corona Arch (note people in bottom left)

Here's a video of Bob going up the Witch's Crotch (I did not name it) on Golden Spike...

Here's a video of a hill climb taken from inside the Jeep...

Flat Iron Mesa

My neighbor, Bob (The Grey Fox), invited me to join him and a group of his rowdy friends to go "jeeping" on the Flat Iron Mesa where you encounter obstacles such as the Easter Egg Roll, the Tilt A Whirl, and the Intimidator. Bob is one of those ORV veterans (million plus miles), whose driving skill and encyclopedic knowledge of the area, made my first "jeep experience" an absolute delight.

Moab ORV Trail Guides

In researching ORV trails in the Moab area, I came across two great online guides, Rally on the Rocks and Red Rock 4-Wheelers. Trails are rated from 1 to 10 with 10 being the most difficult. So far, the most difficult trail I have ridden has been "Steel Bender" (trail rating 6)...

I am waiting on my friends from the Arizonian to attempt "Pritchett Canyon" (trail rating 9+) so I can get some really good action shots like these...

Highway 279

The day started out overcast with a 20% chance for rain but the sun popped out after lunch so I drove Highway 279 south along the Colorado River to Potash. The climbers were out en masse scaling near vertical rock faces...

Click on photos to enlarge

Jug Handle Arch

Sand Flats Recreation Area

Back in January I was contacted by a representative of the Sand Flats Recreation Area asking if they could use one of my photos for a informational kiosk that was to be posted at the entrance to the area. Of course, I said "yes" as I figured this is as close to fame and fortune as I will ever get...

Posted at the entrance to the Sand Flats Recreational Area

Click on photos to enlarge

As you are returning to Moab just outside the Flats entrance, you will see the "Lion's Back", a stone structure that people used to ride down (it's now closed and privately owned). If you look closely at the following photo, you can see in the bottom right hand corner a vehicle that crashed and is wedged between the rocks...

Click here to see a video of a jeep driving down the Lion's Back. Click here to see a vehicle crashing at the base - fortunately, the passengers suffered only minor injuries.

Back In Moab

It's no secret - Moab is one of my favorite places to visit. Over the next month or so, I hope to document why I enjoy this area so much.

Here are some photos I took while walking around the park after dinner...

Spring is here

La Sal Mountains

Having this many buzzards circling your RV cannot be a good sign

Replacing Power King Tow Max RV Tires

Last October I had a tire on my RV separate doing $2600 in damage. It only had about 12,000 miles on it and was properly inflated. I even had a tire pressure monitoring system which gave me no warning at all.

Working with a subrogation specialist from my insurance company, I discovered the tire, a Power King Tow Max, was made in China and distributed through a Canadian company, Dynamic Tire, which did everything it could to delay taking the tire back for inspection. After three months, they finally had me ship the tire to them only to deny my claim two months later. The subrogation agent indicated that she would continue to pursue the matter in as much as she had four other claims with this same tire.

Knowing that I had three more of these tires on the RV, I decided to replace them with something else. In doing my research, I was shocked at the number of fifth wheels that have had tire separations. It appears that the RV manufacturers choose to go with tires that are rated too close to their max load for the vehicle. For this reason, I chose to move from “E” class tires to “G” which at 110 psi are rated at 3750 pounds (make sure your rims/wheels are made for 110 psi). Time will tell if I made the right decision.

Here are some links detailing other owners’ experience with the Power King Tow Max: http://www.aboutautomobile.com/Tire/Complaint/Power+King/Towmax/Tire+Tread+and+Belt, http://www.vehicletire.com/Complaint/Power+King/Towmax, and http://www.heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/29525-Tire-separating-after-200-miles-Power-King-Towmaster

Extreme Rock Crawling

Terry and I attended the W.E. ROCK West Round 1 at Thompson’s Ranch - Congress, AZ. It's hard to believe what these custom machines can do until you see it first hand. Click on photos to enlarge.

These next photos are examples of what we here in the park like to refer to as "doing a John Richter"...

Waterfalls Climb

Here's a great video of Chris going up the "Waterfalls" the hard way...

Ride Photos

Rare sight in the desert

Not so rare sight

Genetic Defect

I have often joked that I must have a defective gene that causes me to do things and take risks that normal people avoid (I offer this blog as evidence). It turns out I may be right.

"There is a mutation of a variant of a gene called DRD4, which helps control dopamine, a chemical brain messenger important in learning and reward. Researchers have repeatedly tied the variant, known as DRD4-7R and carried by roughly 20 percent of all humans, to curiosity and restlessness. Dozens of human studies have found that 7R makes people more likely to take risks; explore new places, ideas, foods, relationships, drugs, or sexual opportunities; and generally embrace movement, change, and adventure. Studies in animals simulating 7R’s actions suggest it increases their taste for both movement and novelty."

Please excuse me but I have this sudden urge to explore new places, ideas, foods, relationships, drugs, and sexual opportunities.

Woodpecker Trail

If you are into "rock crawling", then this is the trail for you. It follows a creek bed littered with huge boulders. It took us about two hours to go approximately five miles. Picking the "right line" determines whether you will succeed or not. There are several by-passes around some of the tougher sections but we chose not to use them. Be prepared to use your skid plate...

Here's a photo of a structure at the entrance to the "Highway to Hell" made up of vehicle parts that were lost to the trail...

The Woodpecker Mine is actually a group of huge mines scattered over several acres...

If you enter Woodpecker from Mineral Mountain, you will know in the first hundred yards if this is the ride for you. Here is a video of the beginning of the trail...