2012 Moab VX Run

[pbkid]

Please only vote for a trail if you are attending moab so we can get an accurate count of what trail everyone would like to run.

[pbkid]

Here is a little description for everyone of each trail-

Elephant Hill-
The trail requires more highway driving than most day trips -- about 75 miles each way. Vehicles should be capable of maintaining 55MPH highway speed. It is best to plan for enough fuel to complete 175 miles of travel, although gasoline is available at the Needles Outpost. The Park Service will require that a normal entrance fee be paid and that all National Park regulations be followed (the trail is within the park's "backcountry plan," and pets are not allowed even if they are inside vehicles). The 2005 fee will be $10 per vehicle, but annual permits, Golden Eagle Passports, or Golden Age Passports may be used. The optional hikes are about one-half mile each way and require some minor rock scrambling. No long wheelbase (more than 115 Inches), please.

Elephant Hill itself has difficult climbs in both directions -- even after cement was added to some ledges to obviate the need for chinking them with loose rocks. There are other ledges between grabens, and a little slickrock at the Silver Stairs.

Gold Bar Rim-

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.
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.

Fins and Things-
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, but because this event pays a land-use fee, the Moab Easter Jeep Safari trips pay no additional fee.) 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.
The trail opens with a sand hill featuring 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 climbs called "Frenchie's Fin" and "Ken's Climb" are about as steep as we can do.
(Dragging is generally not an issue for the VX on this trail, more applicable for Troopers)

Top of the World-
"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 our 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.

Klondike Bluffs-
Klondike Bluffs is an easy to moderate trail for stock SUVs. The main attractions are the dinosaur tracks in the slickrock and the view into Arches National Park after a short hike at the end of the trail. Parts of the trail can be slick when wet so use caution. Route finding is easy as the trail is well marked with sign posts or with white painted dashes on the slickrock.

The trail begins as a wide, dusty dirt road until you get to a parking area where the trail intersects with the Copper Ridge trail. Many people drive their bicycles in to this point and start biking from here. After the parking area, the trail follows a creek bed. There is one optional obstacle about halfway to the top that can be very challenging, but you can drive around it on the main trail.

The trail is still dirt for awhile, with rocky sections. Then the trail moves to solid slickrock, and this is where you should watch for dinosaur footprints. They're easy to spot if the rings of rocks put around them are still in place, but these can be dislodged. Do not drive over the tracks, and replace the stones if they've been disturbed. There are many tracks both close to the trail and a short walking distance away from it.

After the slickrock slab, the trail begins to alternate between slickrock and a sandy road. Continue to follow signs for Klondike Bluffs. There is a right turn off of the main trail where you can view the ruins of the Brontosaur Copper Mine very close to the main trail. Return to the trail from the mine to continue on.

Soon the trail is closed to vehicles with signs. There is parking here. It appears that a large rock now blocks the trail, though it seems that vehicles could once drive past this point. If you are in a vehicle you must hike up the hill from here. If you are on a bicycle you can continue your ride a bit further.

At the top of the first hill is the boundary with Arches National Park, and only hikers are allowed. There is a bike rack where bikes can be left, and everyone must hike from here. Follow the cairns across the slickrock to amazing views of the Klondike Bluffs themselves, Arches National Park, and the northern section of Highway 191.

You can return the way you came, or continue on. Near the end of the trail at mile 6.3, a side road labeled as "Baby Steps" heads northeast off the main trail. Take this trail if you wish to continue on and exit on the far north end of Highway 191 just before I-70. The trail is considerably rougher as you climb up and over the last hill. It can be narrow and loose as you come over the top.

After you decend to the bottom of the hill, the trail smooths out and it is a wide, easy dirt road.

[JoFotoz]

Elephant Hill is a bit of a trek......

...but 20 - 25 VX's cruising along together will make it seem like two minutes away.

For those that have not done Moab before.....

..even the paved road VX convoys will put a shiver in yer timbers.


I give it a

jo

[Triathlete]

Jack, I think for a group as large as the VX run, Elephant Hill would be a loooooooooooooonnnnnnnnngggggg day.
The slickrock of Fins and Things is always a blast and there are a lot of fun obstacles to keep everyone from getting bored plus you can hit baby lionsback on the way out and your pass is good for 3 days for those that want to hit hells revenge or porcipine rim.
Gold bar rim has a lot of variety plus gemini bridges is a nice side trip.
I think rose garden/top of the world would be fun in the opposite direction than we did it...though with a smaller group not as the VX run .
Just my 2 cents for anyone that cares.

[VX KAT]

I really liked Top of the World, the scenery, that view, and that photo op make it spectacular. Noobes will take away one heck of a memorable experience!

Fins & Things is also a great choice.

[VX KAT]

Can't recall which this is on... Fins & Things or Hells Revenge?


MAV->->->TAKE NOTICE:
A front plastic skid and a Westin bull bar will get scraped up really good coming down this.....think the backend drags too. About half way down you slide down this hill, even with full brake on, so you will hit the front on the slickrock. ***don't ask me how I know****
This was from '09:

[VXobsession]

I prefer to not scratch up my pretty VX on any rocks that my rearend or frontend might drag on. However, I have never been that far west.....I'm looking for a memorable experience with my fellow VXers. What day will the VX run take place?

[MSHardeman]

Just about any of the trails that Jack suggested can be run, scratch free, in a stock VX. Just take your time. Others can attest to this; I drive like a little ol' grandmother going to church on Sunday's out in Moab. The first year I was totally stock and didn't even get the D-shaped Moab tailpipe that others have gotten. Take your time, trust your spotter, and it'll be a great time.

[VXorado]

I really liked Top of the World, the scenery, that view, and that photo op make it spectacular. Noobes will take away one heck of a memorable experience!

Fins & Things is also a great choice.

I think rose garden/top of the world would be fun in the opposite direction than we did it...though with a smaller group not as the VX run .
Just my 2 cents for anyone that cares.

+1, I remember Top of the World going very slow with everyone. It would be fun to try on another day with a smaller group.

I prefer to not scratch up my pretty VX on any rocks that my rearend or frontend might drag on. However, I have never been that far west.....I'm looking for a memorable experience with my fellow VXers. What day will the VX run take place?

Tuesday, May 15th

Everyone splits off into smaller groups for the rest of the week.

[VX KAT]

Mark, how did you get down this hill w/o hitting front end??


Yeah, I forgot, TOTW did take a long time when there's a large group, but dang it sure is spectacular!


OK, OK call me a wuss... . .(and totally set JoFotoz off ) but I don't want to get much damage to my plastic skids...so.....

The trail book listed Hell's Revenge and Fins & Things as "Difficult"...yet I wouldn't rank them that hard...so looking in the trail book for degree of difficulty doesn't give real world experience like you all have.

1) Jack and everybody...why don't you give a ROUGH estimate of time including to/fromfor each of the 5 you listed (say we have 15 VXs or something like that).

2) Also, I know the trail books rank them as far as difficulty, but why don't you give some idea of real obstacles etc... that could cause damage to front or rear. I've only done Fins and TOTW, haven't done the other three..
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please don't shoot me anybody.....

[VXorado]

OK, OK call me a wuss... . .(and totally set JoFotoz off ) but I don't want to get much damage to my plastic skids...so.....

Can you remove the skid plates at the stoop and leave them off until the end of the week? I remember someone removed their skid plates the year I went to avoid damage.

[crager34]

Can't recall which this is on... Fins & Things or Hells Revenge?


MAV->->->TAKE NOTICE:
A front plastic skid and a Westin bull bar will get scraped up really good coming down this.....think the backend drags too. About half way down you slide down this hill, even with full brake on, so you will hit the front on the slickrock. ***don't ask me how I know****
This was from '09:

Looks like Hells Revenge. The orange/yellow flame on the rock is the clue.

[vt_maverick]

I'm leaning towards Top of the World so far, even if it does take awhile - Sue is right, I am NOT driving all the way to Utah only to come home without that picture! However I am a little scared that I might forget to drop her out of 1st when I let go of the clutch. I'm imagining Wile E. Coyote vanishing in a little puff of smoke way down below...

Can you remove the skid plates at the stoop and leave them off until the end of the week? I remember someone removed their skid plates the year I went to avoid damage.

It's kind of a pain in the *** but yes you can. The plates fit so snug that tightening and loosening the bolts can be time consuming, but it can be done without anything other than an allen wrench.

[Dumke]

1) Jack and everybody...why don't you give a ROUGH estimate of time including to/fromfor each of the 5 you listed (say we have 15 VXs or something like that).

Also if anyone knows how to get to said trails include that as well. In 2010 I do remember a certain person (not naming names)taking us to Posion Spider instead of Steel Bender.. HAHA man I cant wait, Moab is right around the corner.

[Dumke]

Elephant Hill is a bit of a trek......

...but 20 - 25 VX's cruising along together will make it seem like two minutes away.

For those that have not done Moab before.....

..even the paved road VX convoys will put a shiver in yer timbers.


I give it a

jo

Also I would love to do EH however with that many people we may not get it done in time. I remember first year I went had to cut it short. Buut that was my first and really unsure of what hold up was. I do know green river and colorado river confluence would be cool to see this year.