Folks ready to try Utah again. I'd pay fuel cost out and back to ride with someone. HITR is still calling me. Could still do it this fall but I figure folks already have this years time off and vacation $$$'s spent.

 

I really enjoyed our trip out there. Beautiful country.

 

I want in. The trooper should be ready for this no problem. I`d drive it to either coast right now. Just no A/C.

 

When are you thinking Jack? Carolyn and I have to decide on when we are going to Cancun (well or at least when I am going), then We are goiung to take Calista to see Mt Rushmore sometime...

 

Not sure on dates yet. Not sure Jr. is up to another run at HITR or not. But I have been thinking about putting the suspension from Jr. under Green. Boss says he goes in May and I could ride with him. With the new long loop at the beginning of HITR near Halls Crossing we will need 3 days for that section. There is just one technical spot till we start the approach to the top of the Messa. Then starting where the original trail came off the Messa is a series of technical sections to the top. The most difficult being the last stort section to the top. After that is a dirt road on top of the Messa that we can run 40mph on. Then we go down the "Chute". Then up the vertical wall. Then another little fun rock section at "Cheese Camp". Then a section that I remember is really difficult to follow the road across rock to the end.

West side HITR from Escalante is a car road these days but there are side trips that are fun. The other section to Bluff is a nice scenic trip that is an easy 4x4 trek with lots of neat spots and ruins.

This is a good link on the trail with maps. Only thing is that the 4x4 trail no longer goes through Lake Canyon. Hole-in-the-Rock Trail Maps

 

What are these trails rated at? I`m pretty much stock. I`m running 30" BFG ATs, skyjacker Nitro shocks, and smaller urethane bump stops for more front suspension travel. I`ve upgraded the brakes with slotted rotors and stainless lines all around but that`s about it. There is a rear locker available for my truck but it`s not cheap..

 

I have done the difficult part before the new loop was added 3 times. Once with a 73 CJ-5 on 32's. Once in a 97 TJ on 33's. And once in a 89 BII on 30's. They all had 1 locker. The BII did the best and was auto trans. The Jeeps were stick shifts. In his younger days Larry would do the shorter trail in a stock truck with open dif's and a winch. But he was worn out back in 2011 just getting to near the top of the Mesa in a Pro4X with a locker on 32's. This is the link for the difficult section on Trail Damage. TrailDamage.com - Hole In The Rock Trail The thing is the extra time the new loop adds to the trail. You could do it in your truck but you'd need to do a lot of road building and it would take even more time. The rest of the HITR trail can be done with a stock truck. There is only one technical obstacle near the east end of the Cow Tank section.

The SE part of Utah is one of the areas I prefer to visit. Central Utah west of Green river is another. The HITR trail went from Escalante to Bluff Utah. The difficult section in the link above is only a small part of that trail. There are many trails to do in the area west of Blanding. Arch Canyon, Beef Basin, and the Blue Mountains to name a few. So there is plenty to do if folks decide not to do that difficult section. From my house it's about 800 miles and can be driven to in one day. I plan to take a weeks vacation and I can leave on Friday at 10:00AM after work if someone can take Friday off.

 

This what we`re looking at?

 

Yup, that is the difficult part near Hall's crossing. And 95% of that video was shot on the approach, and dissent of the mesa.

 

Some what if's.

If folks decide to do the difficult section of the HITR trail near Hall's Crossing, I'd like to do that first. I plan to take a weeks vacation. I can usually leave before noon after work on Friday. But if others can't that's ok. Folks can spend the night at my place Friday night if they want. I have 2 showers, 2 sofa's, a cot, and plenty of floor space for the 4 air beds I have. I would like to be camped west of Blanding Utah Saturday night. It is a 800 mile drive from my house and with another driver we should be able to do that in one day. Folks up north may want to consider going out I-70 and through Denver. That would be 900 miles but would be mainly interstate. So it would be faster and an easier drive than all the small towns and 2 lane roads I would be on.

If we were camped at Comb Ridge west of Blanding Saturday night, we could move to near Hall's Crossing Sunday morning and drop off any tow vehicles and trailers. Then grab showers at Halls Crossing. Fuel up the trucks and get ice or anything else needed and head for the trail.

If that goes as planned and the weather holds I'd like to be out of Hall's Crossing and on the trail around noon. I'd like to get far enough in that we can get to the end and back out to camp on Monday. This way if we have folks along that have stock or near stock trucks, they can make it to the Sunday night camp and then see about maybe catching a ride in one of the other trucks over the really difficult section up on and down the other side of the Mesa.

If that goes as planned we can drive out Tuesday morning. Then Tuesday afternoon do the reverse of Sunday morning. Pick up trailers and tow vehicles. Then get showers and ice or anything else need and head back to Comb Ridge. If we get off the trail late we could just camp near Hall's Crossing.

If we are still alive Wednesday would be a personal day for everyone. Thet thar means thet yall kin just do what's yall wants ta. There are museum's in Blanding. You can sleep all day and hang out at camp if you want to. There are ruins in the area to visit. Arch Canyon trail is a half day trail that can be done. If folks want to we can even do the rest of the HITR trail to Bluff. And Natural Bridges Monument is close if folks want to go see in. Shucks pilgrim, folks could even go over and down the Moki Dugway into Monument Valley and on over to Gouldings Trading Post. Valley Of the Gods is at the bottom of the Dugway and another option if folks want.

If all that goes well we could maybe head up over Big Notch into Beef Basin on Thursday. Up over Bobby's Hill and Elephant Hill. That will take us into the Needles District of Canyon Lands and is a fee area. There are no gates or collectors going in from the south but there is on the north when we come out. I have my life time access pass and some others on this site do also. I will check and see what the fee is or you can if you want on the national parks site for Canyon Lands Needles District. This will depend a lot on the weather as Beef Basin is snowed closed for much of the year from the south. Course we could move camp up to Lockhart Basin road on Wednesday and then go in over Elephant Hill and do a loop and come back out.

If we are still alive and the wheels on the trucks are still rolling on Friday there are a few more things in the area we can do. Hotel Rock is close to as difficult as the Halls Crossing section of HITR but not as long. Black Mesa is a nice easy drive. Or maybe do the HITR trail through the Cow Tank section on over to Bluff on Thursday and do Canyon Lands on Friday.

Lots of stuff to do. Sometimes a good plan is no plan at all..........kind of. Just a general go to Blanding and have fun plan. Best time to go is the first part of May. Even then the temps are really warm and the sun will fry you up like crispy bacon. Nights will be cold so bring warm clothes and a good sleeping bag. The last part of April might be doable every few years for the locals. June is also doable but yall gonna make this old guy sweat and chaff a bunch. Late September/early October works also.

Now you all have a bunch of stuff to run through your search engines. Some of you may ask why start this now? Well some folks have to put in for next years vacation in December of this year. This way folks will have plenty of time to fire up the ole search engines and look at calendar's, and find a 2 driver, and ....................

 

I'm definately interested will have to see how the money situation will be like.

 

I am interested, I just don't know if I can swing it yet.

 

Interested

 

Im interested too, but I may have to retire so I have time to go. But then I may not be able to afford it.

 

Coolness. Bunches of places to go in Utah. This is another that I like. Anasazi In Beef Basin Canyonlands - 4X4 Offroad - 4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine and this: Shortcut To Birthing Rock - 4 Wheel Drive and Sport Utility Magazine


Or we could even go up north along I70. Swasey's Cabin Swasey?s Cabin | Destination Green River Eagle Canyon, Fixit Pass, Devil's Racetrack, Wedges Overlook.


Or in the middle and up on Robbers Roost.


Much more in all those area's.


Guess we'll just keep kicking it around till we get it locked down on who is going and when then decide where.