Moab/Kokopelli in September?

[EatonKyleH]

My wife and I are planning our first Moab trip and want to combine it with completing the Kokopelli trail from Loma, Colorado into Moab.

We both have 9 days of vacation in September and plan do the approx 145mile Kokopelli trail in about 2.5/3 days then spend the next 3 days in Moab.

Having never done the Kokopelli or been to Moab I'm interested in any advice you guys have for us regarding the trail, time of year, resources I should get or read (I have a book on the Kokopelli trail and maps and the Charles Wells book for Moab)

Also if any of you would like to join and be open to plan something out this September we would love to have company at any point whether it just be in Moab or doing the whole darn thing. Just post or PM me!

 

[KidVermicious]

Kokopelli is on my list, what dates are you looking at?

 

[EatonKyleH]

Kokopelli is on my list, what dates are you looking at?

Still trying to work out a few things with my wife's work but I should have some dates posted up here in the next couple days.

Hope it will work out man.

 

[EatonKyleH]

Kokopelli is on my list, what dates are you looking at?

Will be leaving September 27th and returning October 4th.

 

[ARC]

My wife and I have been talking about this very thing, but were planning to do it 2-4 weeks later in the year. I'll talk to her and see if we could move it up. We were struggling to find anyone willing to commit to running it. We probably won't be able to get enough time off to hang around in Moab, but would love to at least join you for Kokopelli. I have been to Moab several times and am pretty familiar with the area, but have wheeled there very little. In the past the focus has always been mountain bikes and dirt bikes.

Please post links to any good maps/descriptions/etc. you find for Kokopelli.

Will you be starting the trail on the 27th?

 

[ARC]

Will be leaving September 27th and returning October 4th.

Talked it over and we can go 9/28-30th and would love to come along depending on your itenerary. Were you planning to jump right into Kokopelli on the 27th or travel to the western slope and start the trail on the 28th?

 

[EatonKyleH]

Talked it over and we can go 9/28-30th and would love to come along depending on your itenerary. Were you planning to jump right into Kokopelli on the 27th or travel to the western slope and start the trail on the 28th?

Excellent! We can start the trail on the morning of the 28th since we will need to spend most of the day on the 27th traveling to the Western Slope/Grand Junction area so it should work out perfectly with those dates.

So far my wife and I and one other couple from Denver are committed.
We are all in our mid to later 20s and there will be a few friendly dogs joining the mix.

I picked up this book recently. It breaks down the trail very well and provides all the info on doing it in a 4x4 vehicle vs. single track/bike and provides details on bypasses of the single track only parts, water access, and so on. Pretty excellent resource.

Kokopelli's Trail: a complete guide: Rad Anzulovic: 9780989143905: Amazon.com: Books

Anywhoo! PM me if you have any more questions as I typically will see it more quickly.

Glad this is starting to come together!

 

[ARC]

Sounds great. Keep me updated as you develop a list of trails you plan to run in Moab. I doubt we can get any more time off but I would like to dream anyway.

 

[KidVermicious]

Here's [MENTION=52371]Gerdo[/MENTION]'s trip report that I bookmarked. ? View topic - Kokopelli Trail, trip report and pictures

Call me 50%. I need to see how some other things on the calendar play out.

 

[Dirtco]

I might be interested in this. I’ve wanted to run this trail for a while now, and I’ve been looking for a small group of good people to run it with. I'll know later this summer if I can get the time off to join you guys.

I have done a bunch of research on Kokopelli, and even pre-ran the Dewey Bridge to Moab section last month. Kyle, your going to be blown away by the terrain and scenery! Most people that run this trail have been to Moab before and know the terrain. Taking Kokopelli into Moab for your first time would be epic!

Here is a good article, if you have not seen it yet:

Chasing the Music: In search of Kokopelli - Toyota Cruisers & Trucks Magazine | Land Cruiser, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Tacoma, Toyota Trucks

 

[EatonKyleH]

I might be interested in this. I’ve wanted to run this trail for a while now, and I’ve been looking for a small group of good people to run it with. I'll know later this summer if I can get the time off to join you guys.

I have done a bunch of research on Kokopelli, and even pre-ran the Dewey Bridge to Moab section last month. Kyle, your going to be blown away by the terrain and scenery! Most people that run this trail have been to Moab before and know the terrain. Taking Kokopelli into Moab for your first time would be epic!

Here is a good article, if you have not seen it yet:

Chasing the Music: In search of Kokopelli - Toyota Cruisers & Trucks Magazine | Land Cruiser, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Tacoma, Toyota Trucks

That would be great if you can join! I'm absolutely thrilled about the trip and read that article recently which was also great. I think I've read almost everything I could find online and in the process felt like I should buy a mountain bike haha.

I'm definitely only used to the terrain that covers most of Colorado and Wyoming really so the change up in scenery and wheeling will be interesting all on its own. Really part of why I am making a longer trip out of it since it wont feel like anything I'm used to.

I'm planning on attending the Jambo in Salida this August that I was asking you in your build thread about awhile ago. I think I'll spend the weekend down there and tag along on whatever trail runs I can. It'll be good to meet you guys and see some sweet rigs.

 

[KidVermicious]

Will be leaving September 27th and returning October 4th.

It's looking more likely that I can make at least the Kokopelli portion of this, though if you were starting on the 27th it'd be easier. Are you figuring two or three nights for the Kokopelli itself?

 

[EatonKyleH]

It's looking more likely that I can make at least the Kokopelli portion of this, though if you were starting on the 27th it'd be easier. Are you figuring two or three nights for the Kokopelli itself?

I can start the 27th or 28th and could still go either way but I've been trying to keep it a bit flexible on my end to allow others to join. Maybe as time draws nearer and if more people can only do one day or another for departure will adjust accordingly.

I'd like to plan 3 nights for Kokopelli but again am very flexible. Personally I'd like to do 3 though just so I don't feel rushed. Its something I won't probably do again soon after so I'd like to not feel like I missed a lot due to time constraints.

It seems this trip has gotten a fair amount more interest than I thought it would and I'll do my best to lock down some more rigid meet times and plans soon so everyone can get on the same page.

 

[ARC]

I can start the 27th or 28th and could still go either way but I've been trying to keep it a bit flexible on my end to allow others to join. Maybe as time draws nearer and if more people can only do one day or another for departure will adjust accordingly.

I'd like to plan 3 nights for Kokopelli but again am very flexible. Personally I'd like to do 3 though just so I don't feel rushed. Its something I won't probably do again soon after so I'd like to not feel like I missed a lot due to time constraints.

It seems this trip has gotten a fair amount more interest than I thought it would and I'll do my best to lock down some more rigid meet times and plans soon so everyone can get on the same page.

Starting the 27th is likely a no go for me, but if that's what works for the majority we will try and get it off.

As far 3 nights that means 4 days on the Kokopelli right? Based on what I have read that sounds like a lot of time, but I'm not sure. Kyle do you have areas in your mind you want to try and camp at each night?

 

[ARC]

Kyle, I have a few questions about what you are thinking.

-Where do you plan to start the trail? Some write ups I have seen say to start at the official trailhead for the bike trail, but it is basically single track right off the bat. Most of the people I know recommend starting at the Rabbit Valley exit of I-70. By doing this you skip a few miles of paved HWY and gravel road that essentially parallels I-70. Being from the area I can promise you won't miss anything by skipping this part.

-Where do you plan to make the first nights camp? Fish Ford/West Water boat launch seems to be a popular choice and seems to take right around 6 hours including lunch for large (7+ vehicles) groups to drive. This is a large section, but I think most of the driving is pretty easy/quick.

-Second camp seems to usually be between Dewey bridge and the trail head for "Top of the World". There is lots of camping opportunities in this area, the wife and I spent a night here a few weeks ago during the Moab trip. Nice and remote and cooler than Moab itself.

-Do you plan on doing "Top of the World"? My vote is for yes, but am not stuck on it either way.

-Generally the third and final day coming into Moab via Sand Flats, taking you right passed Porcupine Rim, Fins N Things, and Hell's Revenge.

If you have planned this out for 4 days I am curious where you plan on stopping each night so I can gauge where I will have to peel off from the group. We can only get the 28-30th off so we are out for either day 1 or 4.


What I can tell you from experience is the section north of HWY 128 (Owl Draw to Dewey Bridge) Took us right at 2 hours stopping to look at arches etc.
when we pre-ran it during the Moab trip.

I may try to do a day trip pre-run from Rabbit Valley-West Water depending on how schedules open up. If I do I will update you on time/difficulty/camping opportunities.

 

[EatonKyleH]

First off,
I really appreciate the info and sharing your knowledge of the area. Like stated before I've never been out there and know little about it other than I want to experience it lol.

We can do 2 nights/3 days. I'll spend the rest of my time wandering Moab and trying to get in and out of trouble there.

I definitely want to do Top of the World.

So... let's start locking some plans down.

Meet/Start: Sept. 28th at approx 7am-8am?

Location: Rabbit Valley exit of I-70

First night camp: Fish Ford/West Water boat launch

Second night camp: between Dewey bridge and the trail head for "Top of the World"

Finish Kokopelli

We will do Top of the World and roll into Moab where I will be wandering around with anyone who wishes to join the rest of the week.

Let me know if that sounds good and we can make the needed changes and update the first post with official details then.

Also curious if you have info on any necessary permits for the area?

 

[ARC]

Sounds good to me, I am going to keep consulting an of the local experts I can track down on any questions we come up with.

I will look into the permits, but I assumed that if we keep the group small none will be required.

This is a really well broken down write up I found:
Kokopelli 4×4 Trail | IntrepidXJ's Adventure Blog
The GPS tracks are areally nice. As well naming different legs of the trail by landmarks so we can all have some common names of the different sections to use as we plan. I'll try to relearn (it's been a few years) Google Earth and see if I can modify the track and upload it based on our plans and put in some checkpoints we can all reference.

I think this is going to be really fun and I think we should keep our plan flexible. A trip like this we may be able to travel some sections much faster than some groups assuming we keep the amount of vehicles down, but need to be ready to change plans should we run into problems. That's the fun of remote overland travel though isn't it?


Tentative itenerary using the names in the write up linked above:

Day 1 9/28 Rabbit Valley to Westwater area maybe a little further towards Cisco Wash, find nice camp for the night. This should be a day with lost of easy miles covered and neat views of the Colorado River.

Day 2 9/29 Westwater to Top of the World. Many camp right at the trailhead for TotW and I have heard of small groups camping at the top. I can imagine the top can be extremely windy depending on weather. This will be by far the most technical day, but should be really fun and scenic. We have a little flexibility here to either run TotW or save it for the morning.

Day 3 9/30 Top of the World to Moab Via Sand Flats. This is leg I know the least about until we get onto SF road. It is higher elevation and I don't believe will provide any technical challenges. Should be a nice and relaxing finish.

Let me know what you guys think. And if you are reading this and have knowledge of the trail please share it.

 

[ARC]

CB's

Are you guys using/have CB's? I don't have one but would be willing to pick one up if needed. Never owned one before so any advice would be appreciated.

 

[KidVermicious]

I use a CB. It's great for trail comm when things start getting stretched out.

 

[ARC]

I use a CB. It's great for trail comm when things start getting stretched out.

I figured. Any advice on what I should look for as far as brand, model, or features? Literally know nothing about these things outside of what I saw on Dukes of Hazard as a kid.