Darrell, Brad, Danny and Jim
Thursday Evening
Darrell and Jim came from the Virgin River Casino in Mesquite, NV that morning. Danny and Brad had left a few days earlier and explored areas outside of Moab. The 4 of us met up in time to set up camp, eat dinner and enjoy a fire as we discussed the game plan for the days ahead.
Jim’s Jeep was not ready for the trip, so he rode shotgun in Darrell’s rig, thus we only had 3 vehicles on the trails. We kept things fun with a few challenges but didn’t want to push our luck with a smaller group. It paid off as the only damage was Brad adding another dent to his rear bumper cover, but otherwise, we stayed safe with little issues.
Friday – Hell’s Revenge and Fins & Things
We decided to skip the optional obstacles and mostly stick the main trail and try to avoid any issues which we did. However, Danny did show off a little on one optional obstacle. It was near Mickey’s Hot Tub, sort of a mini-Mickey’s. We saw someone do the official hot tub, but it as a very built UTV. With all the times Jim has been to that obstacle, it is the first time he has seen someone do it. Still waiting to see a non-UTV complete it in person.
Jim felt somewhat vindicated that a very well-built Jeep fell into the same hole in the Escalator that he did last year. However, this Jeep had very wide axles and was eventually able to get himself righted and up the hill without aid, it just took a while.
Like last year the wind was obnoxious, we had a little less sand blowing around than at the site last year, but it still made preparing dinner difficult. Sand was still blowing everywhere, so on both Friday and Saturday nights we went into town to have dinner. It was a nice break from the weather. Things settled enough that we could still have a campfire every night though.
Saturday – 7 Mile Rim
This was a very scenic trail with spectacular views of Arches National Park and the La Sal Mountains. One of our favorite things to explore was Uranium Arch. With the right camera angle, it made for some interesting views. Here is Darrell looking like he is crossing a sky bridge of some sort. The photo after that gives you fuller perspective of the arch though.
We avoided the optional obstacles on this trail too, but if we do it again next year and some folks want more of a challenge there is an interesting obstacle called Wipeout Hill.
The next part was probably the scariest moment of the trip. A rainstorm broke out just as we were approaching an obstacle called “I-Lean”
Luckily everything cleared up. As often happens it is difficult to capture the intensity of an obstacle with an iPhone. Trust me, this one had not only our group a little nervous, but folks in other groups that were near us as well. It was off camber and was a terrifying slide down if you lost traction. However, it was the classic Moab sticky rocks and even with moisture in the air everyone stuck to the ground like it was sandpaper.
Sunday – Cameo Cliffs and Wilson Arch
This is part of what is called the Hook and Ladder Area. One of the highlights is an overlook of Wilson Arch, per the name of the trail, but we were running short on time, and you could access Wilson Arch easily from the 191 (main road). Instead, we took an optional route to Lopez Arch. It was a bit of disappointment. See 2nd picture and squint your eyes!
As with most of Moab, overall, the sites were fantastic and always a challenge or two along the way, but nothing serious.
We had planned to spend another night camping, but the wind was so inhospitable that we broke camp after the day’s run and headed towards home. We all spent the night at various hotels to get a much-needed hot shower and shelter from the wind!
Very successful trip, with excellent sites, some challenges and no significant issues or damage. For those with Moab on your bucket list, but worried it is too crazy for you, we can put together a relatively safe fun trip if you join us in the future.