Moab Info and Trail Run

[Gone&DoneIt]

I thought I would post the info I have on the various trails and obstacles in Moab for everone. Also, if anyone is going to be in or around "Jeep Heaven" the first week in March let me know. We will be up there from the 27th through the 10th. Love to drink a cold one with any one of you. I am also posting a mod list on my Jeep for those trying to build a Moab rig... Hope to see you all on the trail!!

These are MY mods. Not necessarily the best for Moab, but they have served me very well in Jeep Nirvana...
03 TJ RUbicon
Stock Dana 44 front and rear
Stock air locker
Superior Evo front and rear axles
6" Teraflex LCG max kit.
Custom fab'd high steer kit with heim joints (chrome molly 1" OD tie rod)
35" MTR's
full weld in roll cage by KOZ 4WD
Teraflex Belly Up skid
Warn Gas Tank Skid
Shrock Works Rock Sliders
Shrock Works bumper
Warm 8000 winch
bilstein 5150 shocks 33" extended 19" collapsed
Corbeau Moab Seats (front)
Corbeau 5 point harness mounted to a Rock Hard 4x4 spreader bar behind rear seats.
Scorpion Motorsports rear tire carrier
Daystar 1" poly body lift
Custom Exhaust with single barrel flowmaster muffler
Custom OBA kit using York (Volvo) air compressor and VAIR tank
Cobra CB w 10' steel whip
Garmin Quest GPS with Mopar base hooked to a Panasonic Toughbook on a RAM laptop mount
Tom Woods drive shaft (always carry a spare).
High Lift Jack (the good one, the crappy black on snapped)
CTM joints on the axles (not on but carry as spares for when the Superior joints snap)
Volant CAI
Thumb throttle
Brute Force Clutch

Coming soon Golden Engines 4.0
Jeep 4.6L / 260hp Long Block


Peak Horsepower: 260 bhp @ 5000 rpm
Peak Torque: 295 lb/ft @ 4000 rpm




When we stay now, we rent a condo at Rim Village. For 10 nights or more is $100.00 a night, and it is a 3 bedroom condo with everything from dishes and washing machine to wireless internet.


Here's the trail guide/list I compiled for friends who are going with me when we head up: I don't gaurantee or accept liability for any of the information that follows. As always do your own research and only attempt obstacles within your vehicles and your driving capabilities. I am not responsible for any damage to you or your property based on this data. (sorry, I've already been sued once...):spank:

Golden Spike Trail
Much of the route is near the rim above Moab Valley and offers gorgeous views in all directions. Its main claim to fame, however, is that some bypasses (where they exist!) still rate a 4+.
Difficulty Rating: 4+
Scenery: Most of the trail is just atop the sloping layer of Wingate Sandstone and offers vistas to the west and north. Of note are the Colorado River canyon in the vicinity of Amasa Back, the fin country of the north end of Behind the Rocks, and Jeep Arch. The higher north end of the trail opens vistas in all directions. Especially rewarding are the breath-stopping peeks over the cliff rim toward Arches National Park. (Warning! The cliff rim here overhangs in places and has been known to fall!)
Road Surface: The easy parts are layered broken rock and dirt, while the challenges are solid rock ledges. There is some slickrock, but it is those short, vertical sections that favor tall tires and locking differentials.
Obstacles: After passing the 4-rated Poison Spider Mesa obstacles there is some easy slickrock fin driving with one very steep uphill (the Launching Pad) and one steep downhill. There are tight turns in a canyon bottom and one short slickrock ledge, followed by a long stretch of ups and downs over broken rock, with a few sharp steps. The Golden Crack marks the beginning of the final nasty mile to Gold Bar Rim. Highlights are the Golden Steps, Golden Ramp, Double Whammy, and the Body Snatcher. Bring only the best of equipment; the tow truck can't make it.

Moab Rim Trail
The Moab Rim is the cliff rim seen just to the southwest of town. Its only four-wheel-drive access begins just downriver from town and the first mile has about the highest density of obstacles of any of the area trails. Many vehicles have "bit the rocks" on the succession of rock ledges and tight turns that lead to the rim. On top, the trail is sand and rock as it leaves the rim, but it returns at another overlook. A spur, sometimes used, visits Indian ruins and rock art. After closing a short loop, the trail returns on the same rocky mile it started with. A formerly used trail loop to the famous Egg Ranch Fin and Death Row has been closed for more than ten years to all motorized travel by BLM's Resource Management Plan. Approximate mileage: 12 total, 7 off highway.
Difficulty Rating: 4+
Scenery: The first mile of trail follows the slope of the tilted rock layers and has increasingly high overlooks of the Colorado River gorge in one of its most beautiful areas. The rim view includes the La Sal Mountains, Moab and Spanish Valleys, some of Arches National Park and distant features such as the Book Cliffs. Behind the rim are displays of rock domes and fins and some of the rims of the Colorado River gorge farther downstream.
Road Surface: The first part of the trail is mostly on bedrock that nature has broken into ledges and steps. The higher country has slickrock, blow sand, and some sandy dirt with broken rock mixed in.
Obstacles: Highlights among the many steps in the first mile are the Devils Crack and the Z-Turn. The former requires a tricky turn onto a ledge to avoid dropping a wheel into the crack beyond, and the latter has two turns over irregular rocks and ledges. On top, a slickrock dome has an optional climb with about 85 percent grade. Excellent ground clearance and large diameter tires are useful throughout, and a locking or limited-slip differential helps a lot.


Hell's Revenge Trail (My absolute Favorite)...
This premier slickrock trail lies northeast of town between the Sand Flats Road and the river. The trail is clearly visible on the sandy parts of the route, but there are long stretches of slickrock where the 4WD trail has only recently been marked (a yellow paint design that resembles a flame). The most difficult obstacles are well out of the stock-vehicle class, but the worst ones have easy bypasses. There are steep climbs and descents and some edges that are not for the faint of heart. In a few places, the trail crosses the now-famous "Slickrock Bike Trail," a motorcycle and mountain-bicycle trail. The Lion's Back and Potato Salad Hill are nearby.
Difficulty Rating: 4+
Scenery: The large vistas sweep full circle from the La Sal Mountains through Arches National Park to the cliff rims that overlook Moab Valley. The nearby country is an amazing stretch of bare sandstone with clefts and canyons, including the Colorado River canyon.
Road Surface: In addition to the slickrock, there are rock ledges, broken rock, sandy dirt, and a little blow sand.
Obstacles: The first clump of slickrock has high mounds and steep descents that lead to a second mound that does the same thing. The major slickrock area includes steep climbs, sharp turns, and a hair-raising descent along a steep ridge with little room for error left or right. "Tip-Over Challenge" is a brief rock hill with a sandy base that requires tight maneuvering, an excellent line of attack, some help in the differentials, or the easy bypass on a slickrock fin. Just above Tip-Over is a shortcut to avoid the final hill, called "Rubble Trouble" because of its large loose rocks and a couple of tough ledges.
Another option is to drive "Tip-Toe through Hell." It follows most of the Hell's Revenge trail route but skips the difficult obstacles and is rated a 3½. The scenery and many of the thrills of driving long stretches of slickrock remain, but the emphasis is on making the trail accessible to stock vehicles and drivers not anxious to break their equipment.
WP # Latitude Longitude Description Mileage
1 N 38°33.905' W 109°32.084' Intersection of Sand Flats Road and Mill Creek Rive
2 N 38°34.565' W 109°31.464' Start Hell's Revenge (left turn off Sand Flats Road) 0.0
3 N 38°34.599' W 109°31.464' Dump Bump (our trail went up the easier east end) 0.1
4 N 38°34.864' W 109°31.787' Right Turn 0.5
5 N 38°34.986' W 109°31.801' Top of First Slick Rock Mound 0.7
6 N 38°35.258' W 109°32.036' Right Turn Off Slick Rock onto Sand Trail 1.3
7 N 38°35.341' W 109°32.007' Right at Y 1.4
8 N 38°35.796' W 109°31.913' Right at Y 2.0
9 N 38°36.464' W 109°32.138' Colorado River Overlook (Hell's Gate just a little S and W) 2.8
10 N 38°36.083' W 109°32.037' Right Turn off Overlook Spur 3.3
11 N 38°35.551' W 109°32.560' Bath Tub AKA Car Wash Obstacle 4.6
12 N 38°35.629' W 109°32.406' Mickey's Hot Tub Optional Obstacle 4.9
13 N 38°35.628' W 109°32.309' Long Steep Drop 5.0
14 N 38°35.241' W 109°32.515' Tip Over Challenge Obstacle 5.7
15 N 38°35.157' W 109°32.662 Rubble Hill 6.5
16 N 38°35.079' W 109°32.490' Right Turn 6.6
17 N 38°35.020' W 109°32.538' Left Turn 6.7
18 N 38°34.708' W 109°32.085' Right Turn 7.4
19 N 38°34.197' W 109°31.544' Sand Flats Road 8.2

 

[Gone&DoneIt]

Pt II


Fins and Things Trail
The "fins" are the Navajo Sandstone slickrock northeast of Moab, and the "things" are what remains as the fins erode. The fins started as wind-blown sand dunes some 200 million years ago, they got cemented into sandstone, and they are now going full circle back to sand blowing in the wind. The trail is reached via the Sand Flats road, and the territory it covers is the rolling country east of the Hell's Revenge trail and between Negro Bill Canyon and North Fork of Mill Creek Canyon. Sand Flats is now a fee area for individual visitors. There are a few sudden and steep climbs on and off the slickrock that can be difficult for vehicles with long overhangs. Any tire tread will do on the slickrock, but the clearance added by tall tires is always an advantage, while an aggressive tread helps in the sand. Approximate mileage: 25 total, 13 off highway.
Difficulty Rating: 3½
Scenery: The views near and far are exceptionally scenic. The Navajo mounds and fins are themselves interesting, and the deep canyon system of Negro Bill adds a special dimension. Farther to the east are the red mesa rims at the base of the snow-covered La Sal Mountains.
Road Surface: Most of the travel time is on slickrock or very sandy dirt. Some of the climbs are aggravated by a loose-sand approach, and there is some deep, loose sand.
Obstacles: One hill of deep sand has a sharp turn that thwarts the high-speed approach often needed in sand, but the hill can be bypassed. There are several steep ups and downs on the slickrock that will drag front, rear, and maybe middle of some vehicles. Slickrock climbs called "Frenchie's Fin" and "Ken's Climb" are very steep.

Metal Masher Trail
A major trail goal is Arth's Rim, which overlooks Highway 191 about 1300 feet below. The route first angles up the sloping part of the cliff to a gap in the rim rock. It follows Little Canyon partway into the mesa to resume the climb along the more gentle slope of the tilted rock strata. Much of the trail is routine four-wheeling, but there are a few spots, notably Mirror Gulch and Widowmaker Hill, where many will not make it on the first try. The narrow Mirror Gulch often damages full-width vehicles, and it is especially difficult for those with long front or rear overhangs. Widowmaker Hill is extremely challenging for long wheelbase vehicles because they become high-centered amidships.
Difficulty Rating: 4
Scenery: The road portion on the slope beneath Arth's Rim climbs to increasingly fine views of Arches National Park, Moab Valley, and the La Sal Mountains. That is just a warm-up for the later perch on the cliff top. Little Canyon has beautiful vertical walls, and a few arches may be spotted by alert riders.
Road Surface: This trail varies from easy dirt to some tall sandstone ledges, with some relatively level slickrock and sand mixed in.
Obstacles: The slickrock slopes on the way to Arth's Rim have one step that will warm up a few tires. Near the rim the trail passes Rock Chucker Hill, once the way to go but now a 4+ playground that triumphs over some awfully good equipment. The "easy" route through narrow Mirror Gulch includes difficult rock steps. A few miles farther is Widowmaker Hill, which climbs a big ridge in two stages. The lower section is tippy and narrow at its top and warrants care in choosing a route. The second section is steep and has a smooth rock ledge with a low-traction base that is being dug increasingly deeper. Long vehicles are unable to do anything but break something and/or take a winch. There is another short, but vexing option called Mother-in-Law hill.


Copper Ridge Trail
This trail is a combination of several roads north of Moab and near the western boundary of Arches National Park. It lies east of the Moab Fault, so is in younger rock formations than many of our trails. Its slickrock is the top of the Entrada Formation, and its views are often of erosions into that formation. Prominent scenic exposures are in an area called Klondike Bluffs; you may have seen a preview on your way here from Highway 191. Some of the roads are on the softer Morrison Formation, which can be impassably slippery when wet. In case it is completely dry, most of the trail could have a lower rating, but there are eroded trail portions that can challenge stock vehicles. Approximate mileage: 64 total; 35 off highway.
Difficulty Rating: 3
Scenery: The trail goes to an unexpected and beautiful pour-off of lower Sevenmile Canyon and past the slickrock area where Courthouse Wash first cuts into the Entrada Formation. The Klondike Bluffs exposure of white-capped red rock towers and canyon walls are at a moderate distance. There is a good view of Tower Arch, and some other arches are seen at a distance.
Road Surface: Most of the trail is dirt and rocky dirt, but there are a couple of long stretches of slickrock, and some broad, sandy washbottom.
Highlights: After a brief ride in sandy Courthouse Wash the trail goes near colorful hills that have yielded dinosaur bones. Toward the end of the day, some nicely exposed dinosaur tracks are visited on foot. Following the main section of slickrock are two steep climbs on eroded dirt and rock. It also passes a few remnants of a movie set used in the 1960's film "Blue" with Ricardo Montalban.

Hell Roaring Rim Trail
The four-wheeling part of the trail is on Mineral Point, part of the mesa country between the long, deep gashes of Mineral and Hellroaring Canyons. These side canyons drain into Labyrinth Canyon of the Green River. The headwaters of these and many other canyons around here are shallow, normally dry drainages that suddenly plunge over rimrock into deep canyons. There are just over 20 miles of paved road to the trail start near the Dubinky Well Road. This is a pleasant, scenic family trail, but inexperienced drivers will have a chance to be amazed at what their vehicles will do. Approximate mileage: 80 total, 37 off highway.
Difficulty Rating: 3
Scenery: There are glimpses of Hellroaring Canyon along the way, but the final overlook near its confluence with the Green River in Labyrinth Canyon is exceptional. Hellroaring Window is viewed from the upper part of the canyon rim. A ridge top provides a view 50 miles or more in all directions.
Road Surface: Most of this trail, like many other local trails, was scratched into the formation called Kayenta. It provides a variety of shale and sandstone that erode into rocky ledges, broken rock, and sandy dirt.
Obstacles: Several ledgy, sandy, and switchbacked hills provide interesting four-wheeling. One sand hill can be difficult when dry, but it can be bypassed.





Hole in the Rock Trail
Use of this famous and historic Mormon Trail starts about 150 miles from Moab. The off-highway portion begins and ends near Halls Crossing on Utah Highway 276 and travels to within a couple of miles of the pioneer crossing of the Colorado River (now Lake Powell). A large group of Mormon settlers in wagons used some of this route on a journey from Escalante to Bluff, a trip they expected to take six weeks but actually took six months. It is an amazing expanse of open country.
Difficulty Rating: 4
Scenery: The nearby country is a sea of weathered Navajo Sandstone. If any southern Utah scenes inspire awe, the overview of the Great Bend of the San Juan River has to be on the list. Navajo Mountain is in constant view throughout the distant part of the trail.
Road Surface: Most of the route is on sandstone, either in its slickrock form or its weathered and wind-blown sand grains.
Highlights: Lake Canyon is fascinating for its recent human and geologic histories - possibly interesting for trail washouts. The approach to and ascent of Grey Mesa is challenging. The slickrock channel called The Chute and canyons beyond are the most difficult parts.
Special Considerations: Because of the trail's remoteness, a fuel fill near Halls Crossing is recommended. The off-highway drive is only about 60 miles round trip but the start is about 75 miles from Blanding and 12 miles short of Halls Crossing. Remember, the country is remote, dry, and unforgiving.



Tip-Toe Behind the Rocks Trail
This trail tours the "Behind the Rocks" country without need for a vehicle that is modified from its original condition. It avoids the very difficult and the very easy routes but visits the hills at High Dive Canyon and White Knuckle Hill for the amazement of those who keep their driving at the 3½-rated level. The tip-toe routes intersect the difficult version of Behind the Rocks, and even share a few miles of easy trail portions, but the portions that are exclusive to this trail are especially scenic.
Difficulty Rating: 3½
Scenery: The rock layers slope downward behind the cliffs, and the virtually impenetrable Navajo Sandstone domes and fins of the Behind the Rocks Wilderness Study Area are in view most of the time. Balcony Arch, Picture Frame Arch, and Pritchett Arch may be seen at a distance. There is a spectacular (usually dry) pour-off of Hunters Canyon with a small natural bridge above a pool and hanging gardens that are fed by perennial dripping springs.
Road Surface: Most of the road is sandy dirt with occasional rock outcrops.
Obstacles: There are a few minor drainage crossings that have exposed rock ledges requiring a bit of technique to climb with stock equipment. The downhill route into Hunters Canyon may require some rock positioning to carry stock vehicles.

 

[Gone&DoneIt]

Pt III






Gold Bar Rim Trail
Gold Bar Rim is a cliff rim that stands about 1200 feet above Highway 191's path in Moab Canyon. Because the rocks behind the cliff slope downward to the southwest, the rim has a 360° vista. Gold Bar Canyon drains away from the rim into the Colorado River. The trail climbs the cliff in stages, first angling up to Little Canyon, then working its way to Gold Bar Canyon to follow the slope of the Wingate Sandstone layer up to the rim. After doubling back from the rim, the trail begins a loop to include Bull Canyon bottom for a view of Gemini Bridges from below. Approximate mileage: 47 total, 25 off highway.
Difficulty Rating: 3½
Scenery: The Gold Bar Rim vistas take in almost all of the local country, including Moab and its valleys, the La Sal Mountains, the Book Cliffs, and parts of the Colorado River canyon. The Bull Canyon portion includes the top of a 300-foot pour-off to a lower canyon and follows the deepening canyon upstream to where the canyon is again 300 feet deep. The canyon walls have several hard-to-find arches, but the double span of Gemini Bridges makes it one of the prizes of the region.
Road Surface: Sandy dirt punctuated by some surface rocks. There is quite a bit of slickrock near Gold Bar Rim, a little blow sand in Bull Canyon and Little Canyon bottom, and some rocky washbottom in Bull Canyon.
Obstacles: The most difficult driving is up the final slopes to Gold Bar Rim and returning across Gold Bar Canyon. Some prefer to walk a short distance to the rim rather than risk the sheet metal damage that has befallen others on the last rocky step (see photo).

Pritchett Canyon Trail
Some believe that this trail is one of the toughest because its difficult obstacles have no bypasses. Pritchett Canyon is a gem - deep, steep-walled, often wet, simply beautiful. The trail climbs the lower part of the canyon and exits via a side canyon over a divide into the Hunter Canyon system. As the trail grows tougher vehicles should have at least one locking differential, and drivers should be mentally prepared for the possibility of vehicle damage.
Difficulty Rating: 4+
Scenery: While in the canyon, the views are of the steep canyon walls, large side-canyon pour-offs, and a pool-speckled creek bottom. Pritchett Arch, Window Arch, and some smaller spans are visible from the trail. The canyon is within the rock fin country of Behind the Rocks, and is the boundary of the Behind the Rocks WSA.
Road Surface: The trail follows the bouldery creek bottom at first but then climbs onto ledge routes on a mixture of rock layers and dirt. The major obstacles are several forms of bedrock now exposed after erosion of the early roadway.
Obstacles: Upon entering the canyon there is a ledgy descent that will be tough if you have to return that way. The first real test is a couple of miles up the canyon at the nastily angled ledges of the Rocker Knocker. A little farther, a rock fall into the trail requires a bypass and a once-minor ledge has become a major hazard. Just above that is The Rock Pile, a several-foot ledge that requires a pile of rocks just to get wheels on the slope. Next is Yellow Hill, where the road reaches for the canyon top on a very uneven ledge of multicolored rock.

Top of the World Trail
"Top of the World" is a viewpoint on Waring Mesa. It has a spectacular view of Fisher Valley, Onion Creek, and the La Sal Mountains, but this view is only part of a variety of landscapes seen from this trail. Waring Mesa is east of Moab and south of the Dewey Bridge crossing of the Colorado River. In addition to the 7,000-foot viewpoint at Top of the World, the route sometimes includes Sevenmile Mesa, the canyon of Fisher Creek, Fisher Valley, and Onion Creek with its unusual, narrow canyon. Above Fisher Creek is possibly the longest of the steep and rocky hills (called "Rose Garden Hill"). There are 32 miles of pavement at one end of the off-road trail and 22 miles at the other with about 40 miles off-highway in between.
Difficulty Rating: 3
Scenery: The Entrada Sandstone is beautiful wherever it is exposed, and you will travel the base of a long stretch of its cliffs near the rivers. The Top of the World viewpoint is a cliff edge above Fisher Valley and Onion Creek with the La Sal Mountains in the southern background, but there are vistas of distant plains and the Book Cliffs to the north. Narrow Onion Creek canyon is different from anything else in the area.
Road Surface: There is some graded road, but most is broken layered rock.
Obstacles: The Top of the World viewpoint is worth the trip even without the other good stuff. This trail will go down Rose Garden Hill, but that is an interesting ride either way. Onion Creek has spectacular narrows either from the county-road route or the older creek-bottom option. Rose Garden Hill Trail, rated 4, is a shorter and more difficult version of the Top of the World route. It travels Rose Garden Hill both up and down. Remaining are the marvelous experience of squeezing into the Onion Creek narrows and the thrill of a short cliff-hanging section above the deep Cottonwood Canyon that drains from Fisher Valley. The trail climbs onto the southern part of Waring Mesa and views the Dolores River canyon in the near distance, and it includes all of the challenging sections of the parent route. It will go out and return the same way with a scenic loop at the top. Total travel distance is 81 miles with 37 miles off highway
Kane Creek Canyon Trail
The trail follows Kane Creek along the bottom of its canyon (officially named Kane Springs Canyon on the maps) between its mouth at the Colorado River and Highway 191. It runs in and out of the creek - more than 50 crossings - but in one area, climbs high on the canyon wall. The latter section merits the 3½ rating, but the creek bottom parts are a real puzzle to rate for difficulty in advance. When the creek is wet, as it is likely to be in springtime, there is mud and really nasty quicksand. After a storm, which is possible, it can be impassably deep. Wet or dry, plenty of brush grows in from the sides of the road. Approximate mileage: total 38, off highway 20.
Difficulty Rating: 3½
Scenery: The lower portion of the canyon is narrow, tortuous, and one of the most beautiful. Farther upstream, it becomes wider, straighter, and deeper (1000 feet), but it changes character again above the junction with Hatch Wash. There, the water is clear, the bottom is gravelly rather than sandy, and the canyon is more intimate.
Road Surface: The lower canyon road has a 2WD gravel surface as far as the first creek ford, at which point an amphibian is sometimes needed. The next few miles upstream are on a silt bench with many "gotcha" gullies eroded across the trail. When it reaches the section that crisscrosses the creek, the bottom is sandy - sometimes with quicksand. The upper part of the trail has rocky creek bottom and rocky steps on the narrow shelf road above the creek.
Highlights: Other than the possibility of mud and quicksand, the major obstacle is the eroded, rocky portion along a shelf above the creek. A major rock ledge at Muleshoe Canyon once required a rock pile to ascend, but it has been altered enough to be merely a tough "3½."

 

[Gone&DoneIt]

Pt IV (last installment I swear)

Upper Helldorado
Serious, Moab Hard Core
During the Fall months, Moab sees a lot of rain as winter sets in. Flash floods are common and the trails can get altered almost to the point of being impassable. Upper Helldorado winds up a canyon that funnels water from the La Sal Mountains down a chute, barely wider than a Jeep. Major erosion is common in this trail and the difficulty rating can change dramatically from storm to storm.
We took our local group through Lower Helldorado first, which proved to be getting easier by the day. It seems that someone who couldn’t make it through the Sharks Tooth, which is the hardest obstacle on the trail, decided to winch the tooth out of the way!! The obstacle is no longer and Lower Helldorado is reduced to about a 3 1/2 rating! People are going to have to realize that if they can’t make the trail as-is, then they should TURN AROUND instead of destroying the trail.
Upper Helldorado, on the other hand proved to be very washed out, which resulted in a 4 foot deep hole in the middle of an already tough section. The hole made for some very technical terrain and a lot of fun. The hole has to be straddled just right or a tire will drop in the hole which either pins the Jeep in place or dumps the whole rig on its side!
I didn’t have very good luck this day and tipped the Jeep over on both sides as well as taking the winch in 3 different spots. A truly hard core obstacle, Breakover Rock, proved to be a pretty serious obstacle to this day. It’s a huge boulder about four feet tall that has to be driven over, followed by another huge boulder of equal size. Getting high-centered or breaking is very common here.
On this run, the transmission pan got crushed in about 3 inches but didn’t crack, even with 38” Swampers for clearance. We decided to not press our luck and moved on instead of playing on the rocks in this section of the trail.
The rest of the trail has remained fairly untouched by the floods. The winch section was still a fun, challenging part of the trail. It was filled in with boulders over Jeep Safari, some half the size of a Jeep, so the obstacle could be driven instead of winched. The flash floods had totally removed these rocks and washed them so far down the canyon that they couldn’t even be found!
For those of you looking forward to Jeep Safari but thinking that you’ve “been there and done that”, think again, the trails have changed dramatically and can end up being easier or WAY harder than you remember.
See you in Moab........
Trail Rating: Lower +4, Upper 5
Location: The Helldorado Trail is located south of Moab near Upper Kane Springs Canyon.
Trail Condition: The Lower section of the trail is mostly boulders, rock ledges and sand. The Upper section is pure terror. Obstacles include large rocks, boulders, and huge boulders. All that followed by more boulders and some really large rocks. The final obstacle is a near-vertical waterfall that must be winched.
Obstacles: Numerous rock ledges, boulders and stair steps on the Lower Section. On the Upper section, the entire trail is 1/8-mile of Nutter-eating terror!
Approx. Mileage: n/a
The Helldorado Trail has two components. The Lower section winds its way through a steep creek bed with numerous boulders and rock ledges to negotiate. The Upper section is guarded by a giant slab of sandstone that must be negotiated. If you cannot make it over this obstacle, you'd better just turn around and go home, as there are no bypasses on this trail! Once you clear this obstacle, many, many more await you around each corner. The trail is only a couple hundred yards long, yet it can take all day to traverse. The finale to this trail is a near vertical waterfall that must be negotiated using a winch. Rigs get so inclined that often times their spare tires are dragging on the ground behind them as they winch themselves up and out of the canyon.

The last Friday of Easter Jeep Safari, our group of 4x4Wire.com staff members and friends planned on running Lower and Upper Helldorado to finish out the incredible week of four-wheeling. This Friday trip to Helldorado has become a yearly ritual for us and this year was no exception. As with most years, our trip leader was Jefe Reynolds in his tan CJ8. The rest of the group consisted of TJs, XJs, CJs, YJs, and Terry and Diane Howe's flat fender machine.
We all met up at the McDonalds on Main Street for the chilly run down Highway 191 and the turn off to the trailhead. Once we all got to the trailhead, we aired down our tires and locked in the 4WD. The Lower section of the trail follows a twisty creekbed where large boulders, off-camber sections and some rock ledges await those willing to negotiate this section. Lockers are recommended, but not required for this lower section. One particularly tight squeeze, dubbed the "Can Opener" tested both driver and rig. You had to put your rig high on the right side, which caused you to tip to the left and come perilously close to the rock ledge on the left. Most of our rigs made it through unscathed, however, some rigs, particularly one full size Cherokee, came away from this obstacle with a little memento of Lower Helldorado...

Once past this section, the trail winds up, around and through the tight spots and rock ledges and finally emerges with a sharp right turn, up a rock ledge and out onto the main trail. From here, just follow the trail up to the top of the ridge and then down beneath the power lines to the beginning of Upper Helldorado. By the time our group got to the upper section, there was already a line of rigs prepared to tackle Upper Helldorado. The group ahead of us consisted primarily of Suzuki Samurais and one Suzuki Sidekick. This Sidekick was build by Calmini to tackle the trails of Moab. One by one, the 'Zuks made their way over and around the first obstacle called "Gatekeeper." The Sidekick attempted the first obstacle, but ended up breaking his front left axle and had to be winched out of Gatekeeper to take the only bypass out of Helldorado.




Berkeley Johnston got hung up on a large rock while coming down the upper trail into the canyon. The Calmini Suzuki Sidekick in Gatekeeper.
Our group was up next and Jefe Reynolds was first up in his CJ-8. Since his rig has such a long wheelbase, he had to choose a route through Gatekeeper which put his left front tire on the big rock so that he could swing the front end around and miss the rock wall on the right. Jefe ended up getting pretty tippy and at one point required several "rock surfers" to help balance the weight. Up next was John Nutter in his CJ-7. Last year you may recall John breezed right through, but this year... well, things were a bit different for John. While attempting to get into Gatekeeper, John broke an inner axle shaft near the diff and in the process of being extracted, broke the main leaf spring on the back left pack. It took 3 winches, a tow strap and a Hi-Lift jack to extract John from his predicament. Fortunately, John had a spare main spring back at camp and hitched a ride back to town to get the parts needed for the repairs. While we were waiting for John to be extracted, 4x4wire.com Managing Editor Randii Burleson and Berkeley Johnston showed up at the trailhead. These guys had just spent the past 15 hours on an overnight road trip from California to make it to EJS. Since there were so many other rigs getting stuck and needing a winch, Berkeley wasn't to be left out. While negotiating the upper road into the canyon, he and Randii successfully got their XJ hung up on a large rock. A quick winch from Vance Anderson and Berkeley was on his way. Welcome to Moab, Berkeley!
The rest of the group filed through Gatekeeper and into the steep canyon. From this point on to the end is nothing but a series of rock ledges, huge boulders and a waterfall! All within a span of a couple hundred yards! Most everyone made it out alive and for those who had never run this trail before, they conquered the demons of Helldorado... until next year!

 

[redrooster]

Awesome writeup. I will have to remember this for future reference. I am planning a trip to Moab as soon as my little boy is old enough to endure the trip. That's about 3 years out. I can hardly wait.

 

[redrooster]

Got any photo albums to link to the narrative. I would be interested in seeing them.

 

[brokejeep]

I know that you wont believe it but I will be going to Moab this year,my junk is coming along faster than expected and my junk will run soon.Come by the shop next time your in town.
Shea Irwin
Scorpion motorsports

 

[Gone&DoneIt]

Sure, tons of photos. You can check them out at SouthwestJeeps.com or http://community.webshots.com/album/554515366pYIHpa

I really hope you get the opportunity to go. It is pretty surreal.