BananaJeep
Caught the Bug
Wow, those salt flats look incredible. Great pictures, as always. Can't wait to see more.
Jeeping Across America - Western Follies
- Thread starter NFRs2000NYC
- Start date
CrazyTrainJK
Caught the Bug
Great video :thumb: Looks like a great time.
NFRs2000NYC
Caught the Bug
So once we packed on from the salt flats, we had to head back east towards Salt Lake City,
but didn't really have a plan of where to go, nor did we have anything booked for the night. We were fairly hungry, as we were just eating health bars throughout the day, so I was pretty happy when we passed by a Longhorn Steakhouse (which is actually pretty damn good for the money) so we can get a hot meal
His and Hers
While we ate, we talked about a few options. I've been to all 5 of the "big 5" in Utah, but my wife has been to only 4, leaving just Capitol Reef National Park. She also wanted to go to the carribbean for this vacation, so she kind of wanted to swim as well, so we threw around going to Capitol Reef and Lake Powell. After a little more deliberation, she says she wouldnt mind going back to Colorado, especially since she's now on board with moving out there, and the fact that she had a great time the last time we were there...so both agreed that we can save a few days and have extra time to spend in Colorado, so looking at the map, if you look carefully, you'll understand why it didn't take much convincing to get me to agree with this plan.
Passing through Moab meant that I can have a day to relax, maybe run a trail, before heading into the mountains....this plan would bring us into Moab at around 3am, far too late to camp, so we had to find a hotel for the night.
Driving was slow going, as it wasn't an interstate, but a dark and lonely B road with one lane in each direction with the occasional passing lane.
We arrived in Moab in the middle of the night, found a cheap motel, booked 2 nights (hotel made us book for the night we checked in at 4am) and went to bed.
We woke up, and the first order of business was to get the salt off the Jeep. The guide at the Salt Flats told us to make sure we get it off ASAP, so I obliged.
Stopping by my favorite car wash in Moab
After that, we had breakfast along the colorado river...
on our way to run just 1 trail, a trail that I got blocked off from during my first year in Moab, Chicken Corners.
Trail starts as an easy graded road
But then quickly gets rocky and tippy as you climb
Wife was annoyed that the cliff edge is always on her side lol, and she asked me why the trail was called "Chicken Corners"...well, the answer is that a few of the turns towards the top are very off camber and they make the Jeep lean towards the cliff face, and it's pretty damn unnerving.
Finally, as you crawl your way to the top, you are rewarded with a great view
We wanted to have a little lunch up here and relax, but the weather had other plans. It started to drizzle, and then some nasty looking storm clouds rolled in. I know from reading the trail book (as well as my own experience from 4 years ago) that you can get trapped on this trail, as rain quickly turns the exit of this trail into a river, and then you are basically stuck here until the river subsides.
My instinct was right, as soon as be got past the point of being trapped, it started to pour, and it would have certainly trapped us. We drove down to the Moab brewery for an early dinner, and just as we pulled up, the rain stopped, and the sunset started peeking through.
We relaxed the rest of the evening, walking around town, wife was visiting the gift shops, and then we called it a day, for tomorrow, we head into Colorado.
but didn't really have a plan of where to go, nor did we have anything booked for the night. We were fairly hungry, as we were just eating health bars throughout the day, so I was pretty happy when we passed by a Longhorn Steakhouse (which is actually pretty damn good for the money) so we can get a hot meal
His and Hers
While we ate, we talked about a few options. I've been to all 5 of the "big 5" in Utah, but my wife has been to only 4, leaving just Capitol Reef National Park. She also wanted to go to the carribbean for this vacation, so she kind of wanted to swim as well, so we threw around going to Capitol Reef and Lake Powell. After a little more deliberation, she says she wouldnt mind going back to Colorado, especially since she's now on board with moving out there, and the fact that she had a great time the last time we were there...so both agreed that we can save a few days and have extra time to spend in Colorado, so looking at the map, if you look carefully, you'll understand why it didn't take much convincing to get me to agree with this plan.
Passing through Moab meant that I can have a day to relax, maybe run a trail, before heading into the mountains....this plan would bring us into Moab at around 3am, far too late to camp, so we had to find a hotel for the night.
Driving was slow going, as it wasn't an interstate, but a dark and lonely B road with one lane in each direction with the occasional passing lane.
We arrived in Moab in the middle of the night, found a cheap motel, booked 2 nights (hotel made us book for the night we checked in at 4am) and went to bed.
We woke up, and the first order of business was to get the salt off the Jeep. The guide at the Salt Flats told us to make sure we get it off ASAP, so I obliged.
Stopping by my favorite car wash in Moab
After that, we had breakfast along the colorado river...
on our way to run just 1 trail, a trail that I got blocked off from during my first year in Moab, Chicken Corners.
Trail starts as an easy graded road
But then quickly gets rocky and tippy as you climb
Wife was annoyed that the cliff edge is always on her side lol, and she asked me why the trail was called "Chicken Corners"...well, the answer is that a few of the turns towards the top are very off camber and they make the Jeep lean towards the cliff face, and it's pretty damn unnerving.
Finally, as you crawl your way to the top, you are rewarded with a great view
We wanted to have a little lunch up here and relax, but the weather had other plans. It started to drizzle, and then some nasty looking storm clouds rolled in. I know from reading the trail book (as well as my own experience from 4 years ago) that you can get trapped on this trail, as rain quickly turns the exit of this trail into a river, and then you are basically stuck here until the river subsides.
My instinct was right, as soon as be got past the point of being trapped, it started to pour, and it would have certainly trapped us. We drove down to the Moab brewery for an early dinner, and just as we pulled up, the rain stopped, and the sunset started peeking through.
We relaxed the rest of the evening, walking around town, wife was visiting the gift shops, and then we called it a day, for tomorrow, we head into Colorado.
jeeeep
Hooked
So once we packed on from the salt flats, we had to head back east towards Salt Lake City,
but didn't really have a plan of where to go, nor did we have anything booked for the night. We were fairly hungry, as we were just eating health bars throughout the day, so I was pretty happy when we passed by a Longhorn Steakhouse (which is actually pretty damn good for the money) so we can get a hot meal
His and Hers
While we ate, we talked about a few options. I've been to all 5 of the "big 5" in Utah, but my wife has been to only 4, leaving just Capitol Reef National Park. She also wanted to go to the carribbean for this vacation, so she kind of wanted to swim as well, so we threw around going to Capitol Reef and Lake Powell. After a little more deliberation, she says she wouldnt mind going back to Colorado, especially since she's now on board with moving out there, and the fact that she had a great time the last time we were there...so both agreed that we can save a few days and have extra time to spend in Colorado, so looking at the map, if you look carefully, you'll understand why it didn't take much convincing to get me to agree with this plan.
Passing through Moab meant that I can have a day to relax, maybe run a trail, before heading into the mountains....this plan would bring us into Moab at around 3am, far too late to camp, so we had to find a hotel for the night.
Driving was slow going, as it wasn't an interstate, but a dark and lonely B road with one lane in each direction with the occasional passing lane.
We arrived in Moab in the middle of the night, found a cheap motel, booked 2 nights (hotel made us book for the night we checked in at 4am) and went to bed.
We woke up, and the first order of business was to get the salt off the Jeep. The guide at the Salt Flats told us to make sure we get it off ASAP, so I obliged.
Stopping by my favorite car wash in Moab
After that, we had breakfast along the colorado river...
on our way to run just 1 trail, a trail that I got blocked off from during my first year in Moab, Chicken Corners.
Trail starts as an easy graded road
But then quickly gets rocky and tippy as you climb
Wife was annoyed that the cliff edge is always on her side lol, and she asked me why the trail was called "Chicken Corners"...well, the answer is that a few of the turns towards the top are very off camber and they make the Jeep lean towards the cliff face, and it's pretty damn unnerving.
Finally, as you crawl your way to the top, you are rewarded with a great view
We wanted to have a little lunch up here and relax, but the weather had other plans. It started to drizzle, and then some nasty looking storm clouds rolled in. I know from reading the trail book (as well as my own experience from 4 years ago) that you can get trapped on this trail, as rain quickly turns the exit of this trail into a river, and then you are basically stuck here until the river subsides.
My instinct was right, as soon as be got past the point of being trapped, it started to pour, and it would have certainly trapped us. We drove down to the Moab brewery for an early dinner, and just as we pulled up, the rain stopped, and the sunset started peeking through.
We relaxed the rest of the evening, walking around town, wife was visiting the gift shops, and then we called it a day, for tomorrow, we head into Colorado.
Good times!
back in the late 80', my buddy and I drove his truck out in the Great Salt Lake - back when the beach was clean and the Saltair Pavilion was functioning.
The truvk floated great and with the oversized tires on it we could maneuver around pretty good lol...however, the rust and corrosion that hit that truck within 2 weeks was unbelievable!
Moab! some of those trails get scary slick when it rains, not to mention the mini flash floods. It's always amazed me how quickly water moves even with a small amount of rain.
BananaJeep
Caught the Bug
Great pictures, can't wait to see what happens in Colorado! This is starting to be like a TV series... lol.
NFRs2000NYC
Caught the Bug
Haha, I actually didn't speed too much on it, I was mostly in the passenger seat flying the drone 
Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
NFRs2000NYC
Caught the Bug
We wake up the next morning and begin our drive into Colorado....
When my wife and I first met, we actually took a trip to Vegas, and included some canyons in the trip, and stumbled upon this place....and decided to stop by for some photos nearly 9 years later, for nostalgia sake
Those that have been in Moab will surely recognize it, but for those that don't the "Hole in the Rock" used to be a small home of a couple in the 20s. The home belonged to Albert and Gladys Christensen, that over the span of 12 years carved/blew up a 5000 square foot home inside, as well as an operational diner, and would serve the multiple of uranium and copper miners. The place has been bought and sold a few times, but tours still run to this day, and it's worth the few bucks to stop and check it out.
We continued onwards, slithering through the canyons (some of the best sports car roads you will find anywhere)
until we finally cross a very understated and sudden state line
Once we got into colorado, I really wanted to do some fishing in the pristine waters. Im no fisherman, nor have I ever went fly fishing, but I did want to give it a try....so we looked at a map, and followed a route to the San Miguel river and had a little bit of R&R.
After a little bit of fishing (water was pretty chilly) it was time for lunch
Usually I have steaks, but this time, we had a little bit of salmon that I still had from Moab and some delicious rainbow trout.
Everything did come out delicious if I may say so myself,
And it was a superb place to kick back for a little while, enjoy some fresh air, and just take in the quiet with the serenity of the flowing river in the background.
After our lunch, we packed up, cleaned up, and headed out, as we still had a long drive, some through awesome twisties
And the rest painfully climbing a very tall mountain (I can't wait until the new Wrangler has 8 gears instead of 5)
But we finally made it to our destination in Telluride just as the sun was beginning to set. We got a smoking deal on Kayak (technology really made travel like this easy and possible, with you being able to book the room literally a few minutes before arriving, and it's currently the ONLY way we travel, regardless of where/how we go, saves a lot of money too) for a superb 5 star hotel in Telluride Village (the ultra exclusive/luxurious part of telluride on the side of the mountain) for the Inn at Lost Creek..really a terrific hotel, and the views were to die for
We took advantage of their reservation only rooftop hot tubs and soaked our stiff limbs, and then went to dinner in the village. Our original plan was to spend the night here, do some trails and then head to Vail, then Aspen, then home, but we liked it so much we decided to spend the rest of our time in Colorado right where we were, which didn't bother me since all the awesome trails are around these parts anyway!
When my wife and I first met, we actually took a trip to Vegas, and included some canyons in the trip, and stumbled upon this place....and decided to stop by for some photos nearly 9 years later, for nostalgia sake
Those that have been in Moab will surely recognize it, but for those that don't the "Hole in the Rock" used to be a small home of a couple in the 20s. The home belonged to Albert and Gladys Christensen, that over the span of 12 years carved/blew up a 5000 square foot home inside, as well as an operational diner, and would serve the multiple of uranium and copper miners. The place has been bought and sold a few times, but tours still run to this day, and it's worth the few bucks to stop and check it out.
We continued onwards, slithering through the canyons (some of the best sports car roads you will find anywhere)
until we finally cross a very understated and sudden state line
Once we got into colorado, I really wanted to do some fishing in the pristine waters. Im no fisherman, nor have I ever went fly fishing, but I did want to give it a try....so we looked at a map, and followed a route to the San Miguel river and had a little bit of R&R.
After a little bit of fishing (water was pretty chilly) it was time for lunch
Usually I have steaks, but this time, we had a little bit of salmon that I still had from Moab and some delicious rainbow trout.
Everything did come out delicious if I may say so myself,
And it was a superb place to kick back for a little while, enjoy some fresh air, and just take in the quiet with the serenity of the flowing river in the background.
After our lunch, we packed up, cleaned up, and headed out, as we still had a long drive, some through awesome twisties
And the rest painfully climbing a very tall mountain (I can't wait until the new Wrangler has 8 gears instead of 5)
But we finally made it to our destination in Telluride just as the sun was beginning to set. We got a smoking deal on Kayak (technology really made travel like this easy and possible, with you being able to book the room literally a few minutes before arriving, and it's currently the ONLY way we travel, regardless of where/how we go, saves a lot of money too) for a superb 5 star hotel in Telluride Village (the ultra exclusive/luxurious part of telluride on the side of the mountain) for the Inn at Lost Creek..really a terrific hotel, and the views were to die for
We took advantage of their reservation only rooftop hot tubs and soaked our stiff limbs, and then went to dinner in the village. Our original plan was to spend the night here, do some trails and then head to Vail, then Aspen, then home, but we liked it so much we decided to spend the rest of our time in Colorado right where we were, which didn't bother me since all the awesome trails are around these parts anyway!
Mybadjk
Caught the Bug
Awesome trip! We were wanting to go visit Yellowstone as well when we went up to Wyoming in august, but decided not too. As for the tree. I believe it is a cell phone tower. My uncle installs them in Vegas, but they usually look like palm trees.
Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
cashin
New member
The tree is a sculpture by a Swedish artist. It is titled,Metaphor, The Tree Of Life.It was located next to an interstate without an exit. Doh!Stopping is illegal, no parking.
Sent from my LG-P769 using WAYALIFE mobile app
Sent from my LG-P769 using WAYALIFE mobile app
NFRs2000NYC
Caught the Bug
WE didn't stop, pic was taken at speed from the highway.
NFRs2000NYC
Caught the Bug
So all the long driving and the constant plan changing has been tiring us out, so we were excited to just relax for the few days we had left, and enjoy the Colorado scenery. We once again discussed moving here, what we were going to do for work, where we would live, and both of us agree that it's going to be an exciting new chapter in our lives. We woke up refreshed and were eager to start the day. My wife really wanted to go shopping in Silverton, she liked the stores there, so I obliged...this of course also gave me the opportunity to get there by going over a mountain, so we got dressed and headed out.
The road is scenic in any direction you look
As we pulled off the paved road and onto the dirt track leading into the town, we smelled what we thought was a wildfire, but as it turned out, it was just a construction crew burning wood
As you head into this tiny town, it makes you wonder how people live up here in the winter time, the amount of snow they get must be measured with a 10' pole, and it's not as if the local plows come up here
The town folk have seized on the opportunity to capitalize off of all the 4 wheeling tourists, so you see a lot of stands right in front of their house for lemonade, t shirts, trinkets, etc. I bought an Ophir Pass tshirt from a little kid, do my part of contributing to the local economy. Once you pass the town, you enter the tree line with all the insects
Then you quickly ride above the tree line
The snowmelt is almost all gone, but there are a few creeks that are left flowing, which was a plus, since I can say I've actually had some water crossings on this trip
Once you get high enough, a few alpine lakes come into view
Finally when you really get above the tree line, you are rewarded with the true magnificence of the San Juan mountains
The road is scenic in any direction you look
As we pulled off the paved road and onto the dirt track leading into the town, we smelled what we thought was a wildfire, but as it turned out, it was just a construction crew burning wood
As you head into this tiny town, it makes you wonder how people live up here in the winter time, the amount of snow they get must be measured with a 10' pole, and it's not as if the local plows come up here
The town folk have seized on the opportunity to capitalize off of all the 4 wheeling tourists, so you see a lot of stands right in front of their house for lemonade, t shirts, trinkets, etc. I bought an Ophir Pass tshirt from a little kid, do my part of contributing to the local economy.
Once you pass the town, you enter the tree line with all the insects
Then you quickly ride above the tree line
The snowmelt is almost all gone, but there are a few creeks that are left flowing, which was a plus, since I can say I've actually had some water crossings on this trip
Once you get high enough, a few alpine lakes come into view
Finally when you really get above the tree line, you are rewarded with the true magnificence of the San Juan mountains
NFRs2000NYC
Caught the Bug
As you climb higher, the trails turns quickly from fairly easy, to dangerous (not so much difficult.) The rocks are fairly large, they are sharp, and they are extremely loose. They are constantly shifting, making the vehicle seem like it's sinking in some spots. It also has the weird effect of acting like ice, making the rear end dance around and slide, not too pleasant when you have in spots, 1-2 feet of space before a tire slips off the edge. My wife managed to snag a little bit of footage when we were climbing the final leg towards the summit.
Just recently, a family in a rental Jeep rolled off one of these trails, and have to be med-evaced out by helicopter. Inexperience on these trails can really lead to serious issues, and I myself have run across quite a few of them on the trail.
The top of the trail brings you between two peaks
Looking back at Telluride
And somewhere in the distance is the town of Silverton.
As we descend, we stop and admire the views once more, and you can see the empty channels where snowmelt in the spring would turn them into a raging cascade of alpine water.
After we enjoyed a little time in Silverton, we headed back towards our hotel (a 2 hour drive on pavement through the windy mountain roads) but we made it just in time for a beautiful sunset. Tomorrow would be our final day before we had to start our trip back home.
Just recently, a family in a rental Jeep rolled off one of these trails, and have to be med-evaced out by helicopter. Inexperience on these trails can really lead to serious issues, and I myself have run across quite a few of them on the trail.
The top of the trail brings you between two peaks
Looking back at Telluride
And somewhere in the distance is the town of Silverton.
As we descend, we stop and admire the views once more, and you can see the empty channels where snowmelt in the spring would turn them into a raging cascade of alpine water.
After we enjoyed a little time in Silverton, we headed back towards our hotel (a 2 hour drive on pavement through the windy mountain roads) but we made it just in time for a beautiful sunset. Tomorrow would be our final day before we had to start our trip back home.
RanchoRubi
Caught the Bug
NFRs2000NYC
Caught the Bug
On our final day, we just wanted to relax a bit, and while earlier in the trip, we planned on doing the hanging lake hike one more time, since we weren't going to be near Vail, we decided to find a nice mountain lake to relax near and enjoy a nice afternoon. So after doing some research, we decided to head to clear lake, which was 12000' high surrounded by mountains on all sides, and is actually pretty well hidden.
We first had to follow a dirt road for a few miles,
until you had to find a turnoff that was heavily hidden in some brush
The trail is long, rocky, twisty, and a lot of it is on a shelf road which winds it's way up the mountain, similar to black bear, just not as tight (although there were a few sections that I had to back up with my unlimited)
Gaining some altitude
As you get close you start wondering if you are lost, because all you can see are mountains on all sides
Thankfully, some helpful local 4WD clubs put cairns to mark the right path
More and more switchbacks which got my wife nervous, especially the tight ones that I had to back up, notice the guy and his dog, some people hike up to this lake
Views in every direction
This is also the first place in Colorado that we saw some snow on the mountains still remaining, this was late August mind you.
Wildflowers everywhere, it was starting to flatten out and look like a meadow, so we knew we were close
Finally we arrive, and marvel at how amazing the color just looks, especially when the sun is obscured by a cloud so the natural color can pop
We ate a nice lunch, I snapped a few shots, and then we headed back to the hotel for the night.
Drone issue #3, for some reason, when I tried to fly the drone here, it would only go up around 50' or so, and they tell me max altitude reached. Yes the drone is limited to 400 feet high, but its 400 feet from where it took off, not from sealevel, so I couldn't for the life of me figure out why it refused to fly any higher. It was probably for the best however, as the winds were pretty decent up there, and above the peaks would have probably been a real problem, as I already almost lost the drone twice this trip.
The sun was already below the mountain line of sight, so I knew it wouldn't be long before the light was gone like a lightswitch, and I really didn't want to be going down those switchbacks in the dark, so we bolted out of there, and settled in for the long drive back to the hotel.
Amazingly, we managed to get back to the hotel right as the sun was basically about done for the night
The next morning, we woke up, said our goodbye's to the amazing scenery, and headed back towards Omaha, where my wife would be catching a flight, and I would continue to NJ by my lonesome. As odds would have it, I made it to Omaha ahead of schedule, it was 3am when I was just outside of Omaha (80 miles) and my wife's flight wasn't until 8pm that night. On top of all of that, we looked up her flight and already it was 3 hours delayed, so that makes it 11pm. We calculated that if she rides home with me, and we drive nonstop like we did going out west, she would arrive in NJ at almost the same exact time as the flight, assuming nothing else goes wrong with the flight. She didn't want to, but she was comfortable and half sleeping, so she decided to stick with me and drive all the way back home. I awarded here an honorary road warrior badge, NJ to Wyoming then Colorado to NJ nonstop, so she can brag proudly. We made it home unscathed, the Jeep in perfect working order, and another item crossed off the bucket list. Thanks for reading, and until next time.
We first had to follow a dirt road for a few miles,
until you had to find a turnoff that was heavily hidden in some brush
The trail is long, rocky, twisty, and a lot of it is on a shelf road which winds it's way up the mountain, similar to black bear, just not as tight (although there were a few sections that I had to back up with my unlimited)
Gaining some altitude
As you get close you start wondering if you are lost, because all you can see are mountains on all sides
Thankfully, some helpful local 4WD clubs put cairns to mark the right path
More and more switchbacks which got my wife nervous, especially the tight ones that I had to back up, notice the guy and his dog, some people hike up to this lake
Views in every direction
This is also the first place in Colorado that we saw some snow on the mountains still remaining, this was late August mind you.
Wildflowers everywhere, it was starting to flatten out and look like a meadow, so we knew we were close
Finally we arrive, and marvel at how amazing the color just looks, especially when the sun is obscured by a cloud so the natural color can pop
We ate a nice lunch, I snapped a few shots, and then we headed back to the hotel for the night.
Drone issue #3, for some reason, when I tried to fly the drone here, it would only go up around 50' or so, and they tell me max altitude reached. Yes the drone is limited to 400 feet high, but its 400 feet from where it took off, not from sealevel, so I couldn't for the life of me figure out why it refused to fly any higher. It was probably for the best however, as the winds were pretty decent up there, and above the peaks would have probably been a real problem, as I already almost lost the drone twice this trip.
The sun was already below the mountain line of sight, so I knew it wouldn't be long before the light was gone like a lightswitch, and I really didn't want to be going down those switchbacks in the dark, so we bolted out of there, and settled in for the long drive back to the hotel.
Amazingly, we managed to get back to the hotel right as the sun was basically about done for the night
The next morning, we woke up, said our goodbye's to the amazing scenery, and headed back towards Omaha, where my wife would be catching a flight, and I would continue to NJ by my lonesome. As odds would have it, I made it to Omaha ahead of schedule, it was 3am when I was just outside of Omaha (80 miles) and my wife's flight wasn't until 8pm that night. On top of all of that, we looked up her flight and already it was 3 hours delayed, so that makes it 11pm. We calculated that if she rides home with me, and we drive nonstop like we did going out west, she would arrive in NJ at almost the same exact time as the flight, assuming nothing else goes wrong with the flight. She didn't want to, but she was comfortable and half sleeping, so she decided to stick with me and drive all the way back home. I awarded here an honorary road warrior badge, NJ to Wyoming then Colorado to NJ nonstop, so she can brag proudly. We made it home unscathed, the Jeep in perfect working order, and another item crossed off the bucket list. Thanks for reading, and until next time.
BananaJeep
Caught the Bug
Great pictures. Awesome trip. Can't wait to see more trips in the future!