Trip Report: Moab and White Rim Trail - Page 2

Aldercrest · 05-07-2010, 06:32 PM

Phil - shoot, it makes me want to go back!

Daveb - a couple of ideas:

1. Overnight: I got my reservations last summer. BUT, I would call Canyonlands NP and see what options you have. They require check-in on reserverations one hour before the visitor center closes. Close was 6pm and check-in deadline 5pm last week. We were very close to the deadline, and it looked to me like some people did not claim their reservations. So, you might be able to slide into one, especially mid-week. They may also have (less desireable) campsites still open. Somehow we poached a spot at Potato Bottom, most likely because the rightful owner never showed up.

2. Day trip: You can do a day trip without a permit. Two options:

a) East side (easier). Head in Potash Road from Moab. Turn left on the White Rim. Visit the Colorado River Overlook and Musselman Arch. Maybe go as far as Airport or Gooseberry for lunch. If you're more adventurous, head down/up Lathrop Canyon. Return the way you came and climb up the Shafer switchbacks.

b) West side (harder). Drop down Mineral Bottom Road/switchbacks. Enter the park and go as far as the top of Hardscrabble Hill. Hike the trail to Fort Bottom indian ruins and cabin. Take the side trip up Taylor Canyon. Return up Mineral Bottom Road.

Of course with either option you could go farther if you feel like it, but once you get as far as the area from White Crack to Murphy Hogback, you might as well complete the loop. It could be done, but about all you would do is drive.

I bet if you plan on a day trip but check in late afternoon for a site, you could get lucky. The reservation desk people were really helpful on the phone.

**daveb** · 05-07-2010, 08:19 PM

Thanks I'll look into that. Looks like you took it at a great time of year. I just want to miss the heat. One year I was there it was about 90 degrees at 7am in early June

I drove quickly to Colorado.

I was surprised how clean your vans were. No mud? If it had rained would you have taken the trail? The way it's been in Ca I figured it would have been stormy there.

Aldercrest · 05-07-2010, 09:24 PM

We might have had a little mud if we had stayed out one more night, but because the high winds drove us off, we avoided it. I expected to at least hit something after seeing pjpvi's photos, but it was bone dry. I don't remember even seeing any water except for what was in the Colorado and the Green rivers.

90 degrees at 7am would be rough. We didn't have to run the A/C any time on the White Rim - not that I'd want to - just opened the windows and lived with the dust...

slfjas · 05-08-2010, 09:16 AM

Cool report, even cooler trip. Sounds AMAZING. I'm pretty sure I saw your SMB headed south through the Salt Lake Valley on you way down. You were on the highway, I wondered who that was and where they were going! Now I know, and am quite jealous.

I'd love to see more pics of your bike rack setup. Looks way cool. Who built it up for you?

Thanks
John

VANMAN4LIFE · 05-08-2010, 07:49 PM

I was in Canyonlands last spring and wanted to drive the White Rim Trail so badly....only I had no other vehicle to come along so I decided against it. SInce then I have been thinking about it tons and your trip report has just relit the canyonlands fire!!! Now I have a buddy with another van too, so who knows?...

Aldercrest · 05-09-2010, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slfjas

I'd love to see more pics of your bike rack setup. Looks way cool. Who built it up for you?

Thanks
John

John - the swingarm and generator box are Aluminess. The bike rack was added to the Aluminess swingarm by a local, Oregon coast fab shop and then powder coated by another local guy. There are a couple of photos in my gallery or here: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=3583&start=465

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANMAN4LIFE

I was in Canyonlands last spring and wanted to drive the White Rim Trail so badly....only I had no other vehicle to come along so I decided against it. SInce then I have been thinking about it tons and your trip report has just relit the canyonlands fire!!! Now I have a buddy with another van too, so who knows?...

VanMan - Having two vehicles definitely provided some peace of mind. Even slow and steady, something could happen. There are plenty of people on the road so you're not going to be stranded, but your rig might be without the extra help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bitburger

Great trip report! Super pictures especially the night shot with the vans and the stars.

You give a good preview of the trail.

Bitburger - Thanks. I read up here on SMBF, in the book Guide to Moab, UT Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails, and at WanderTheWest.com, but there wasn't anything comprehensive that described the route for vans. Last year I drove Potash Road, up Shafer Trail, and up/down Mineral Bottom, but I'm relatively new at this, and I really didn't find enough information on the rest of the White Rim. In fact, there was a comment at WTW, something like, "I don't know how those van guys make it under these overhangs and around the tight switchbacks" (like at Hardscrabble).

So, I thought I could shed a little light on the trail and give back. Bottom line is it is possible, a bit of a challenge (I am not a hardcore 4wd guy), and a lot of fun, and it can be done with a voyager top (but probably not with a box on top of the voyager top!).

Still waiting on a couple of those photos from the other guys. I will post again when I get them.

CJ · 05-10-2010, 01:20 PM

We ran this trail two or three years ago and it was one of the best trips ever. We ran it solo in the middle of the summer just before the big "no-see-um" on slot. Due to the high heat and fear of bugs we had the place all to ourselves. We camped in all but two of the campsites on the entire trail, spent three days out at the ' 'White Crack’ site. Took a leisurely six days to run the whole trail and only saw three people and two other trucks, one motorcycle.

I could go on and on, but best to just say it was one of our best.

I'd like to do it again, same timing but with at least one other truck. It would be fun to bike allot of the trail while others drove from camp to camp.

BC · 05-12-2010, 12:45 AM

Looks like fun, great report. Love the rack set-up, probably a must for the Voyager no matter how you cut it. I mean really, would anyone really mount bikes on top of a Voyager? Too bad you missed Porcupine, not as cool as Amasa but the view from the top is awesome ! But snow and rain on some of that, yeah ick.

UJOINT · 05-17-2010, 08:46 PM

Great pics & report, thanks for sharing!

jima · 05-19-2010, 01:38 PM

thanks for the pics, did the same trip last April, I think it is probably a smoother ride on a dual suspension mountain bike than in a truck, loved the climb up Mineral Bottom, not as hard a climb as it looks, and hard to believe where you are going to go looking from the bottom, next time I should be in a SMB with the family along, awesome place.

Jim