September 8th - 16th 2012.

K, Clint and I went out last May and missed kicking that trails butt "by that much".

I wanna go back. Thinkin bout flat towing Jr. behind Black Star. Curtman? Chad? It'll have ya giggling like yer girls fer years. Anyone else? Please please please.

I kin even do regular vacation stuff ifin folks want. A PU truck ur Hoe (aka Tahoe) kin do the west side if folks want. Actually a car or mini van these days. There are campgrounds and motels in Escalante. Primative camping (free) just out of town on the trail. A modified rig is a lot less work for the section south of Halls Crossing on the east side. Plan on a bit of vehicle damage if you take a stock truck on this section. Need to camp one night on the trail but there are family unit 3 bedroom trailers that can be rented at the campground in Halls Crossing. Again primative camping just down the road on the trail. After that there is the Cow Tank section. That is the second most difficult section. Nothing to test a modified truck but a little caution would be needed for a stocker. Rooms fer rent and campgrounds in Blanding. And primative camping out of town. The last section to San Juan Hill is really nice if you by pass a section of the original trail that is now atv width. Last time I was on that section was with Mule (96 full size Bronco) and it was hard on the paint.

First time I did HITR 1996 May Campfire Tales

Last time I did it in the spring will be in a series of articles in 4WheelDrive magazine starting with Novembers 2011 issue that is due out on the news stands and in folks mail boxes this month.

Come on ya know ya wanna!

Fer sure gonna go:

Jack
Garrett
Curtis
Chad

Thinkin hard bout it:

Clint
Ian

 

I am giving this due consideration, if I was able to do it at all, it would have to be next year or even the year after. Perhaps around Aug of next year so the girls can go?

This isn't going on the calendar till probably some time next year, due to I got to see where I am with the world next year, finances, health, etc, etch.. but it a possiblility. Keep reminding me.

 

"Best Yoda voice" Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.

Really should be spring or fall. Just too hot in the desert in August unless we stay in roomin houses with ac. The trailers at Halls Crossing are about $170 a night. If ya split that by three (three bedrooms) and maybe add a 4th on the couch it's not to bad. I would like a co-driver for Jr. but if I can't get one I could flat tow an Eppie or Sploder instead and ride with someone else. This would most likely be next year or early 2013 if I am still able.

 

K. Some very usefull info for folks. August is ok for going up in the mountians and lookin for snow. And there are some Mountians in Utah not too far from HITR. Big Notch is closest. And the Henry's home of the Lonesome Beaver Campground are not far. Was out that way in July not long ago and added LB to my stuff as I escaped from the desert to the cool mountian camp LB in the Henry's. Now folks want to do HITR in August ya'll gonna need to do it without me. Purdy sure the difficult section section would killed me ta death. Could do the rest as not much if any spotting is needed and stay in a roomin house with ac. But as the title of the thread says the object is to kick the trails butt not to git my/our butts kicked. Ya'll like pokin yer self in the eye with a hot sharp stick an bein hot, burnt, hurtfull, tired, and miserable, well ya kin have at it.

Somethin else. I may need a co driver. Maybe. Garrett is going to try to go if he can get the time off. But that is difficult. He was not able to get the time off to go with Clint and I this year. Clint has plans next year and I think he had enough of that trail. I'm taking 2 trucks but only Jr. will go in the difficult section. I'll have 1 open seat for that if Garrett can't go. Might be able to squeeze another in there. Black Star will be used to flat tow Jr. out but I will need to drive Jr. over Wolf Creek. Might just get a $35 room in Walsenburg an unhook there. Then hook back up at Mancos. So ifin Garrett can not get the time off I'll be looking for a co driver to drive Black Star over the mountians in Colorado. Or someone with an open seat for the difficult section. Chadly? Del? Need ta call Jen an J.Lo again. Love ta ride in Garden Spider with Curtman even.

There is lots and lots to do on the difficult section. But some folks don't care the least bit bout that stuff. Those folks kin git up at zero dark thirty an leave Blanding and run the trail to the end and back out to Blanding and be back in bed at the roomin house a bit after midnight. And they might have a few pics taken from inside the truck while on the trail. I move slower. Plan a day in. One day out. And at least another 1/2 a day exploring the old way in and the original trail.

I need folks with good vehicles and good drivers on this. Not a trail for your first time wheeling. But my co driver don't need a lot of trails under his/her belt. I've done that trail enough times I can keep us out of trouble. And I can drive as much as needed. The rest of the trail we can just use Black Star or we can take Jr. along also.

 

Curtman, how bout spring break next year?

 

oooh... I think that might be too close to the SD trip to maybe make that happen, maybe the year after would work for that one.

 

Talked with Garrett and Spring break in March is out for him. Best times to go are early May or September. When is it that Chadly and Curtman has to put in for Vacation? Garrett has that happen in February.

 

I have to put it in sometime in Jan. Fall would would be the only time I could go- or wait until the following spring. (18 mos from now)

 

Best time to go is spring or fall. Course we are on this side of the devide and the trail is on the other side. A late or early season snow storm could cause problems getting there or back. Might have to spend a extra night either in the desert or flat lands waiting for the roads to clear. Most times that is done about noon. So not too early or too late and it can go the other way and cook us. This is an article on a conecting trail that starts a 4 part series on what I'd like to do: The Wolverine Loop -Burr Trail Side Roads - 4 Wheel Drive Magazine

This is a trip report on the trip for the above article and several others. We don't take ourselves very serious as you can tell. "Trip report for March 2011"

 

As with my trip to HITR in May of this year, my motive for this trip is to map the old route south of Halls Crossing. I am missing approximately a 3 mile section of that route. I have been talking to my sons, Clint and Garrett, and to Chadley, Curtman, and Del as well. There is a trip to South Dakota that will eat up resources for some in the spring. Other issues in the spring make this difficult for Garrett. If others would like to do this in the spring of 2012, I would be like to do it then and I need you to post dates before the end of the year. Right now though, I’m looking at September 2012 for this.

That is a long way to go from KS for a 3 mile section of trail so I figured folks might want to do the whole thing from Escalante to Bluff. The Escalante side story is on line at: Hole In The Rock - Part 1 The San Juan Trail - 4 Wheel Drive Magazine On news stands and in mail boxes the first week of November will be the story on the section south of Halls Crossing. The issue out in December will have the remaining section to Bluff.

Now if folks want to do other things there is other stuff in the area like, Natural Bridges National Monument, museums in Blanding and Bluff, and Valley of the Gods. Other trails are Bears Ears, Arch Canon, Hotel Rock and the Moki Dugway.

 

Moki Dugway? Ok now you are making stuff up!


(J/K :-)

 

Clint was not impressed. We drove down to look at it and were on our way back north when the t-case let go on "Jr.".

Sump thin bout T-cases seemed ta be goin round I guess.

 

First for Chadley: Utah State Route 261 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jr. made it's first magazine showing: http://www.4wdandsportutility.com/ad.../photo_05.html

That is a lot of the difficult section south of Halls Crossing.

Next month will have more pic's of Jr. as the Jeeps went to do other stuff while Larry, Clint and I did the Cow Tank section. Then after the t-case in Jr. blew Fox did the section on over to San Juan Hill.

 

K. Looks like dates are September 8th - 16th. Curtis and Chad would have to put in by next week so if you need it moved a bit yall need to post up in the next few days.

When this started the kinda, sorta, maybe, general plan was for Garrett and I to go out with others. Clint went out in in May this year and did not seem impressed. No trouble with that as we all have our flavor of ice cream and it seemed HITR was not on Clint's fav list. Sides, it's Garrett's turn anyway. Plan was to pull Jr. out part of the way on a tow bar behind Black Star. I did plan to drive Jr. over Lavetta and Wolf Creek passes. I intended to use Jr. for the difficult section south of Halls Crossing and for the narrow original section from 261 highway to Snow Flats rd. if folks want to do that. I would use Black Star for the rest of the HITR trail that we do. I need other capable rigs and drivers to go in the old way south of Halls Crossing. Was hopping Curtis and Chad would go. 2-4 vehicles would be perfect but more would be welcome just take a bit longer.

Now plans change. Garrett has put in for a supervisors job at work. And even if that don't work out he will not know if he can have time off till next March. Clint has a friend that may go and he may want to go out again with his friend. His friend will most likely have an open seat so both boys can go. Curtis is going and will have an open seat. I think we can talk Chad into going even with Elvis's problems. If all else fails we can pull some stuff out Green and loan it to him for next year. So we are going to have room for others. Del? Ian? Travis? Matt? If Garrett can't make it I'll be looking for a driver/navigator. And I'd buy the fuel if someone wants to drag Jr. out for me. Figure fuel is only part of it and the miles on the truck and maintence ought ta be worth something so I'd even pick up some meals and motel bills.

I'll bring stuff with me to Christmas party for folks to look at.

 

Part 3 of HITR is now on line at: Hole In The Rock Trail Part 3 - 4 Wheel Drive Magazine
That is the last part.

I have a video of my first trip to HITR in 1996. Was thinkin folks could come to my home place and we can look stuff over and I can answere questions and tell folks about the video. Figured either on the weekend of Jan 22nd when Ian is down or the weekend of Feb 3-4 when folks come down for the Sunflower swapmeet. I have coppies of the vid converted to dvd I'll get to Chad, Curtis, and Ian.