Everyone together now..........U um tah! U um tah! U um tah! U um tah! U um tah! U um tah! U um tah!



Sat 21st-Leave Wichita and travel to Pagosa Springs, CO.



Sun 22nd-Travel to Halls Crossing to meet folks and then out in the desert to camp that night.



Mon 23rd-HITR trail. Go in to the end with as few stops as possible.



Tues 24th-HITR trail. Work our way out with stops for pics and side trips.



Wed 25th-HITR trail. Finish up and return to Halls Crossing for showers and supplies then back to camp in the desert.



Thur 26th-HITR trail. Start at the fort and follow the trail toward Bluff as far as we can and camp in the desert.



Fri 27th-HITR trail. Finish up to Bluff what we didn't get done thursday.



Sat 28th-Leave by noon for Pagosa Springs, CO.




Clint (Mad Max) & I (Happy Jack) 88 Bronco II pulled out on Clint's car trailer behind his SD



Larry (Outlaw) & Larry Don (Gadget) stock Xterra Pro 4X



Bob (Sundance) stock ZR Blazer



Bob (Santa Anna) & Son Nathan in a stock Grand Cherokee flat towing a Jeep Cherokee



A friend of Nathan, Chris with two children towing a Jeep Wrangler on a trailer



Ed (Snapshot) locked 4 Runner



Chip (Shutterbug) and dog unk vehicle



Who else?



I have never so much as scratched paint on this trail. Run it at least 3 times (the old way, new way is easier but longer) I can remember and did the best with a 89 BII and 30" tires with 4.11 gears. New Page 0

 

Guess I forget some key info. SE Utah, target is around May 20th 2011. I will have dates in stone this December.

 

Very tempting. But a bad time of year for me. Probably not going to work out this time. Take lots of pics!

 

There is new route going in over Nokia Dome now. The old route skirts the original route and that original route is in a study area that some folks want to lock us out of. The plan is to do again as much of the original route as possible and go in the new route and out the old route. Guess we'll find out if that is still possible or not. Hope we are not too late.

 

If you were going for exactly one week, I could ride shotgun..

 

Clint is!!

 

I bet you are wrong-- I bet YOU are riding shotgun-- Clint will be driving.

 

Clints goin fer zactly one week!

 

K. Time fer some info. From my house to Halls Crossing it is 870 miles according to Delorme. Right now I plan to drive with Clint from my house to Walsenburg, CO on Saturday May, 21st. I will stay in a motel that night. There are campgrounds in town if folks want to do that. Sunday I will drive to Halls Crossing. Halls Crossing has storage available. Have to check with Clint if he wants to store his SD and trailer or leave it parked in the desert. Halls Crossing has a campground Halls Crossing Marina RV Park & Campground - Lakepowell.com with family units. Lake Powell Family Lodging Units - Accommodations - Lakepowell.com I will camp out in the desert Sunday night. Monday we will go in the new route over Nokai Dome road. We do not plan to go all the way in and will most likely check out the some side trips. We will camp on the trail. Tuesday we will go the rest of the way in and back out trying the old route and camp another night. Wednesday we will go into Halls Crossing for showers and ice and then start working the rest of the trail to Bluff. We will camp that night in the desert. Folks can either spend another night at Halls Crossing or move to Blanding. Blanding has motels and a campground. Thursday we should be very close to if not finished near Bluff, UT. No plans for Friday other than finishing up and getting a shower and supplies.

There are many things to do in the area if you only want to join us for the difficult section of HITR. I recomend you drive the Moki Dugway Moki Dugway and Valley of the Gods Valley of the Gods, Mexican Hat, Utah and Monument Valley Gouldings Lodge at Monument Valley

Those are all 2wd things.

Near Blanding there are several 4wd trails. Arch Canyon and Hotel Rock are the closest. Up west of Monticello is Elephant Hill in the National Park but a fee is charged. Course if you want lots of folks and more expensive stuff you can go up to Moab. Folks are welcome to join us for as much as you want.

I can leave early and stay late if folks want to do trails in the area. The above is the closest I can get to in stone on a start and finish date. The rest most likely will change from day to day depending on weather, trail conditions, and vehicle conditions.

 

U um tah! U um tah! U um tah! U um tah! U um tah! U um tah! U um tah!

Man it's callin me. Had a good September out that way and I'm ready ta go back. Anyone wanta move it up ta next week? JK I'm not ready yet. Did buy new shoes fer Green and have the tranny stuff figured out I think. Plan is ta have Green and Jr. ready by the first of the year and then just drive um ta make sure they are good ta go. Then in May just change tires an oil and head west.

This is a lock for Clint and I. We are goin an it's written in stone. Come on folks this may be the last time we will ever get ta drive over some of this trail.

 

wife informed me that I am out no budging.... Girls have dance recital, new baby, and about 6 other things including my three neices graduations.

 

This is a map I made showing the original Hole In The Rock Road. The black line is the road where it leaves the main highways. All of it cannot be driven. What cannot be driven can be hiked if you are able. I can post other maps of what can be driven. This will give folks an idea of where we will be at. The idea is to find and drive as much of the original route as possible.

Halls Crossing has a campground with family units (house trailers for rent) and showers, gas, and a few supplies (Quick Trip stuff and 4x prices). Fuel used to be purchased at the airport 10 miles east of Halls Crossing. Blanding is the nearest full service town with a grocery store, motels, restaurants, auto parts, and repair shop. Bluff has motels, restaurants, fuel, and a few supplies (QT stuff)

The north spur SW of Halls Crossing is "The Rincon". That is not part of HITR but a side trip worth the time if possible.

 

K. This is the mapping I have so far. The red and blue lines where the black lines were on the first map is where we can drive the road. I have been on the road between Cottonwood Hill and The Fort many times but wasn't set up to map then. That's what this trip is for. To get the stuff I'm missing.

I have the map files if you'd like them. I can send you the jpeg maps or if you have Delorme Topo I can send the draw files. Just send me an e-mail.

 

A little history on this trail. In the 1870's Morman pioneers were looking for a direct route to the SE Utah near where Bluff Utah is today. An expedition took place as show by the dash lined counter clockwise route on the map.

The south part of that expedition route used some of the Honeymoon Trail I was out exploring in September. From just west of Navajo Well to near Moenkopi is the same route as the Honeymoon trail used.

On the north part of that route it looks like the section between Moab and Green River is close to what is called the Crystal Gyser trail today. That is done by Jeep Easter Safari. Red Rock 4-Wheelers, Inc.- RR4W- Moab, Utah

The south route had trouble with indians both back then and today. Today there is Indian reservation land from the east side of Lee's Ferry all the way to Bluff/Montezuma.

The north route was very long and so they decided to make the HITR direct route that is shown with the dotted line. The section of HITR was use for about 2 years then the actual HITR section was move north a bit using the Burr Trail. The Burr Trail went north from Escalante to Bluff then east to Capital Reef and south to Halls Crossing. Bullfrog is accross from Halls Crossing today and a Ferry runs to transport vehicles from one side to the other. East of Halls crossing the HITR road remained the same to Comb Ridge.

 

The news and pictures of the area where the Park Ranger was shot near Moab last weekend has the cabin fever going. I dug out my DVD of Riders of the Purple Sage (1995 Ed Harris & Amy Madigan). If you've ever been on Hwy 211 NW of Monticello headed for Canyonlands Needles district you'll remember 6 shooter peak. Purdy country everyone should see at least once.

Been workin on my trucks tryin to shortin the to do list afore Christmas. Green (94 Explorer) needs the lift finished, front end alligned, TK trans and Stubler installed, door hinge pins installed (drivers side for sure), winch brackets removed, gas smell fixed, fluids changed/checked and the tires changed and it's ready to go. Jr. (88 Bronco II) needs trans shifter installed, Fuel pumps and sending unit so the gas gauge works, fluids changed/checked and tires changed and it's ready to go.

4 weeks till Christmas. 25 weeks till U um tah! Sure hope I goes fast. I have some tent repairs to make loading up to do but most likely I'll be able ta hold off on that till after Christmas.