[fyi, Shiloh is the name of my Jeep.]
February, 2020
For me, where and why I go wheeling is all about the views (which is why I have to have a soft top I can put down on the trail). So, that's what these photos and videos are about. You won't see any technical rock crawling here. I can't do that anyway because, except for my 31 X 10.5 tires, my TJ is totally stock.
My primary goal on this trip was to not bang or scrape... not even once. Given that, then, I wanted to explore what my TJ is really capable of. I went with a buddy who has a modified FJ40 with a winch, a high lift jack, and onboard air, so that did give me a little more margin for pushing the edge of the envelope. However, we are both pretty risk averse and have no tolerance for damage. Still, I gotta say, I was shocked, thrilled, over-joyed, and ecstatic - all those words - over what my TJ could do. We traversed stuff that I would have never dreamed of doing in a rental Jeep all those years ago. Shiloh and I would confer on our line, and then he'd climb right up it without even breathing hard. And then he'd smile at me at the top. My buddy in the FJ would literally throw his hands in the air in amazement.
With one brief exception, late on Friday afternoon, we never saw another vehicle out on the trails the entire time. It was fantastic!
We did these trails, and they're listed here in order of difficulty according to the Moab book: 55 Potash Road & Shafer Switchbacks, 32 Hurrah Pass, 22 Gemini Bridges, 40 Picture Frame Arch, 14 Willow Springs Road, 25 Long Canyon, 58 Chicken Corners, 18 Dellenbaugh Tunnel & Secret Spire, 56 White Rim Road, 48 Dome Plateau, and 5 Tower Arch. I have to say, though, that both Gemini Bridges and Long Canyon had long stretches of ice that ramped-up their difficulty level a lot. Those stretches of ice were my only pucker moments.
(Please forgive the volume of photos, just pick and choose what you like.)
It was a little chilly going through Gunnison:
Who knew Mater lived in Moab?!?
Sunset at the campground the first night:
Best breakfast anywhere:
The desperadoes who joined me. My buddy with the FJ is on the left. My son, Ryan, is on the right. Ryan's buddy Sam is in the middle:
First day of wheeling:
Had to put the top down right away:
This is a happy guy right here:
Loved this:
There's really only one "chicken corner":
Not a bad lunch spot:
I took this next photo from Dead Horse Point a couple days later. That yellow arrow points to the lunch spot in the photo above... just to give you some perspective of where we were.
Yes, that's my son standing out there:
Going back out around Chicken Corner:
"Birthing Rock" petroglyphs:
A little more obvious:
My favorite color mud, "Moab Red":
I might need a tailpipe extension:
February, 2020
For me, where and why I go wheeling is all about the views (which is why I have to have a soft top I can put down on the trail). So, that's what these photos and videos are about. You won't see any technical rock crawling here. I can't do that anyway because, except for my 31 X 10.5 tires, my TJ is totally stock.
My primary goal on this trip was to not bang or scrape... not even once. Given that, then, I wanted to explore what my TJ is really capable of. I went with a buddy who has a modified FJ40 with a winch, a high lift jack, and onboard air, so that did give me a little more margin for pushing the edge of the envelope. However, we are both pretty risk averse and have no tolerance for damage. Still, I gotta say, I was shocked, thrilled, over-joyed, and ecstatic - all those words - over what my TJ could do. We traversed stuff that I would have never dreamed of doing in a rental Jeep all those years ago. Shiloh and I would confer on our line, and then he'd climb right up it without even breathing hard. And then he'd smile at me at the top. My buddy in the FJ would literally throw his hands in the air in amazement.
With one brief exception, late on Friday afternoon, we never saw another vehicle out on the trails the entire time. It was fantastic!
We did these trails, and they're listed here in order of difficulty according to the Moab book: 55 Potash Road & Shafer Switchbacks, 32 Hurrah Pass, 22 Gemini Bridges, 40 Picture Frame Arch, 14 Willow Springs Road, 25 Long Canyon, 58 Chicken Corners, 18 Dellenbaugh Tunnel & Secret Spire, 56 White Rim Road, 48 Dome Plateau, and 5 Tower Arch. I have to say, though, that both Gemini Bridges and Long Canyon had long stretches of ice that ramped-up their difficulty level a lot. Those stretches of ice were my only pucker moments.
(Please forgive the volume of photos, just pick and choose what you like.)
It was a little chilly going through Gunnison:
Who knew Mater lived in Moab?!?
Sunset at the campground the first night:
Best breakfast anywhere:
The desperadoes who joined me. My buddy with the FJ is on the left. My son, Ryan, is on the right. Ryan's buddy Sam is in the middle:
First day of wheeling:
Had to put the top down right away:
This is a happy guy right here:
Loved this:
There's really only one "chicken corner":
Not a bad lunch spot:
I took this next photo from Dead Horse Point a couple days later. That yellow arrow points to the lunch spot in the photo above... just to give you some perspective of where we were.
Yes, that's my son standing out there:
Going back out around Chicken Corner:
"Birthing Rock" petroglyphs:
A little more obvious:
My favorite color mud, "Moab Red":
I might need a tailpipe extension:
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