Joe, did you see the pics I posted of Jay Dunford's plate (I can't find that posting)? I called it the "Jock Strap" 'cuz it only covered the esentials..
Although I do have a full length plate, via Tone, and it works very well in Moab, here in Colorado, the granite is much harder and the plate will hang up and you cannot just "Cheese Grate" the stone down and get over the obstacle. With the Jock Strap, it still allows for all the little spaces that allows for the rocks and trees to "poke into" without touching.