Planning spring break trip to moab (trail advice and possible meet up)

[Black798]

Just saw this now, but I've been thinking about headed to that area for my spring break as well. I'd be coming from Alabama though, leaving on the 10th (two days of 12 hours driving), and hopefully wheeling by the 12th.

I've got a pretty well built rig, minus a rear locker. It's the only time I'll have a long enough break to go out west until spring break next year. I still need to think about it and plan out the logistics, but I may be out there around the same time as you if I do go.

Lots of good information in this thread, thanks for all that responded. You're helping more than just OP.

Just read through the first few pages of your build. Very clean rig. Im running a slightly smaller lift and stock skids so Im a little limited there but if the logistics work out as the time comes closer and you want to meet up shoot me a PM

 

[Unner]

Just read through the first few pages of your build. Very clean rig. Im running a slightly smaller lift and stock skids so Im a little limited there but if the logistics work out as the time comes closer and you want to meet up shoot me a PM

Thanks and will do!

 

[TBuzz]

Tried posting in the offroading section but wasn't getting any traffic so figured Ill give it a shot here.


Just like the title states. Im currently looking to head down to Moab over spring break for some wheeling. Currently the plan is to drive down to Moab on the 11th of March, wheel on 12th,13th,14th, and head home on the 15th.

The top three trails on my hit list currently are Hell's Revenge, Top of the world, and Fins n Things. Im open to any other trails, Im looking for moderate difficulty that will test me and my rig but isnt going to just beat on it and break stuff. So to those of you that have been and ran these trails, are these three trails within the capability of my rig?

Also looking to see if anyone else is going to be in town or would like to come out and join to run these trails. Having another vehicle and meeting some forum members would be awesome.

All those trails you'll be fine. Definitely get the Wells book to familiarize, plan and keep oriented on the trail. The first trails I did there happen to be fins and then hells. Based on your choices I'd certainly recommend Fins trail first. It has great views, it's close to town, close to the road in case u change your mind. There is about zero chance you'll break anything if you have any sense of control and use caution. I would think if anything you"ll scrape rear bumper on this trail. To me if you have any problem it would be on TOTW and that trail is a long way from town.
Only trails I've ever hit a slider on was Green Day and easter egg hill. I hit my skids much more if ever. I probably sit a little taller though. A few recommendations I have would be, make certain you have all your skid plates on, air pressure is key, momentum is important, being able to sense the necessity to keep lightly on the gas(instead of stopping)and I never purposely spin my tires. In fact I take a lot of care not to spin my tires, they last a lot longer and there isn't an obstacle on the trails u mentioned that would be necessary unless you put yourself in the tubs. But at that point you should be expecting to spin tires and have approach angle damage. Spinning tires on rock will lead to a broken cv. Other than that I would guess you will be completely satisfied doing the trail, feeling safe and be blown away by everything else. No need to feel the pressure of tubs or escalator, you can watch others do it.
We'll be there that weekend mtbking and wheeling,,,unless the weather is an issue. Reach out if u want.

 

[Black798]

Well as the date gets closer I've nailed down some of the details. Still very open to suggestions and change. I'm also looking for some input on how long each one of these trails will take so I know what I can get done in a day.

March 11th
Drive to Moab arriving around 3
Head out and run fins n things that evening? I dont want to be out there in the dark so I dont know if this is doable.

March 12th
Run either fins or hells revenge depending on the previous evening or both if time allows and also go out to the white wash sand dunes for a while

March 13th
Run top of the world explore area BFE

March 14th
Run poison spider mesa and tusher tunnel

March 15th
Drive back to Bozeman in salt lake for a while

So what do you all think about scheduling? Is it too packed or just good enough to keep me busy.

 

[JayRolla]

My wife booked us 3 nights 4 days in Moab. Going in August. Was about to make a thread just like this. Good info. Thanks guys.

 

[Volcom]

My wife booked us 3 nights 4 days in Moab. Going in August.

Moab in August doesn't sound like fun at all. But you'll have the entire place to yourselves!

 

[JayRolla]

Moab in August doesn't sound like fun at all. But you'll have the entire place to yourselves!

Yeah wife likes the heat. Thats why I will be in my air conditioned 4runner most the trip. Dry heat is not that bad and I have done many camping trips in 90-100*. We will be in a nice hotel, swimming pool and air conditioned 4runners and tacoma.

 

[Sean K.]

I think a trip to Area BFE will be a waste of time unless you want to watch other vehicles.

JMO....

Better off hitting both Fins N Things and Hell's Revenge on separate days if necessary...in that order.

 

[00Spork]

2. Get some rock sliders on your rig before you go!! (didnt look at your build thread, disregard if you already have them lol) Moab trails ALL have ledges that you will have to climb or drop down with no bypasses, if you are stock height or close to it, you will be all over your lower rockers even on some of the easier trails. Seriously, if you like your rockers being straight, get sliders.

Grab a burger at Milts, eat some breakfast (they serve it all day) at the Moab Diner, and go see the guys a M4O (Moab 4x4 Outpost) if you run into any trouble with your rigs, they are great guys and always willing to help without bending you over! They even have a "trail recovery" gig which isnt cheap but in an emergency can help get you back to civilization.

I'll second most all of what he said.

Rock sliders are definitely not necessary IMO - at least for the trails you've mentioned. I drove a stock runner through hell's revenge, and it was the first trail I ever did in my entire life. No rocker damage whatsoever, not even a chance that I was close, ever. The frame rails hit first usually. IF you think you have a chance of bashing your rocker panel, don't be afraid to stack some rocks to avoid it. There's always rocks nearby for stacking.

Also, that's funny that you recommend M4O... M4O is a Jeep shop. They charge $125/hr+ just FYI. I'm not gonna go into details, but one of the owners it is a huge doosh (the other owner was actually pretty cool, but of course that's not who I was dealing with on the day I had to go there). I had a horrible experience with them and probably wont go back, unless it was an emergency. Super easy repair and their lack of Toyota knowledge caused a 25-35 minute repair to become a 4 hour repair. Maybe he was having a bad day, but just be careful if you do need to use them. The most unfortunate thing is that there aren't many other options, just a fair warning.

Also, I agree, BFE is basically a waste of time unless you're going to play on gnarly crap with a tube buggy. You would be pretty disappointed, just sayin'

Man, have fun! I'm jealous and would definitely love a chance to go out, but I have too many other trips planned for this year and can't justify another :sadwave:

 

[00Spork]

Oh yeah, and be prepared, poison spider mesa is probably one of the best trails ever. But it's suuuuuper long. Be prepared to spend all day there. I've actually never finished the whole thing. But I stop for lunch and take pictures/videos often.

 

[Sean K.]

Oh yeah, and be prepared, poison spider mesa is probably one of the best trails ever. But it's suuuuuper long. Be prepared to spend all day there. I've actually never finished the whole thing. But I stop for lunch and take pictures/videos often.

You sure you didn't end up trying to do the Spike and PSM? That's a LONG day. PSM isn't really long at all.

 

[Sean K.]

I'll second most all of what he said.

Rock sliders are definitely not necessary IMO - at least for the trails you've mentioned. I drove a stock runner through hell's revenge, and it was the first trail I ever did in my entire life. No rocker damage whatsoever, not even a chance that I was close, ever. The frame rails hit first usually. IF you think you have a chance of bashing your rocker panel, don't be afraid to stack some rocks to avoid it. There's always rocks nearby for stacking.

Also, that's funny that you recommend M4O... M4O is a Jeep shop. They charge $125/hr+ just FYI. I'm not gonna go into details, but one of the owners it is a huge doosh (the other owner was actually pretty cool, but of course that's not who I was dealing with on the day I had to go there). I had a horrible experience with them and probably wont go back, unless it was an emergency. Super easy repair and their lack of Toyota knowledge caused a 25-35 minute repair to become a 4 hour repair. Maybe he was having a bad day, but just be careful if you do need to use them. The most unfortunate thing is that there aren't many other options, just a fair warning.

Also, I agree, BFE is basically a waste of time unless you're going to play on gnarly crap with a tube buggy. You would be pretty disappointed, just sayin'

Man, have fun! I'm jealous and would definitely love a chance to go out, but I have too many other trips planned for this year and can't justify another :sadwave:

You don't need a tube buggy....but you need a built rig with lockers f/r, at least 35's (bigger would be better) upgraded axles, low gears and appropriate armor/winch.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Well as the date gets closer I've nailed down some of the details. Still very open to suggestions and change. I'm also looking for some input on how long each one of these trails will take so I know what I can get done in a day.

March 11th
Drive to Moab arriving around 3
Head out and run fins n things that evening? I dont want to be out there in the dark so I dont know if this is doable.

March 12th
Run either fins or hells revenge depending on the previous evening or both if time allows and also go out to the white wash sand dunes for a while

March 13th
Run top of the world explore area BFE

March 14th
Run poison spider mesa and tusher tunnel

March 15th
Drive back to Bozeman in salt lake for a while

So what do you all think about scheduling? Is it too packed or just good enough to keep me busy.

No White Rim trail? Wow dude have you heard of Westworld...


http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...2s-2015-3rd-gen-moab-trip-picture-thread.html

Personally I would allocate some time to visit some of the awesome scenic trails as well or even the parks. Top of the World is great but there are a lot of other places to consider. Here are some pics from my trip, specifically in Canyonlands just 45 mins from Moab proper. The rest are in the album linked. All of these pictures were taken Trailside, no drone. That black dot in lower right corner of the third picture is my truck.

- Showers are ~$5 at the Aquatic Center.
- Mills burgers
- Moab brewery
- Arches national park
- Elephant Hill was also pretty great
- GPS app that works without data access is a must
- Some of the best mountain biking trails in the world and bikes are affordable to rent
- You can drive through White Rim in < 10 hours and still take lots of pictures, no special permit or reservation is required to "drive it", only the general $10 access pass (same as Arches). Camping requires a reservation.
- Frankly the WR trail was the best scenic views I've ever seen. Simply amazing to be there.

:juggle:

 

[JayRolla]

[MENTION=65101]BrianSD_42[/MENTION] awesome pics!! I'm going with the family. I'm for sure going to hit fins and hells but what do you suggest for scenic. Is white rim the most scenic trail to take. Ic it's 80 miles. That's a long ride. Thanks.

 

[tS_kStin]

Hey another guy from Bozeman! My wife and I were debating between Moab and Zion for spring break (10th-14th for us because I have to be back to work) and we went for Zion because she can't handle much offroading and we both like hiking so we went the hiking route. Man I wish I was able to go to Moab and hit trails with ya. We should do some runs up here in MT if you are interested, I am part of a Toyota offroad group for MT based in Bozeman. Anyways have a great time in Moab, super jealous!

 

[BrianSD_42]

[MENTION=65101]BrianSD_42[/MENTION] awesome pics!! I'm going with the family. I'm for sure going to hit fins and hells but what do you suggest for scenic. Is white rim the most scenic trail to take. Ic it's 80 miles. That's a long ride. Thanks.

All the pics above are from the White Rim trail. It is long, scenic, amazing and there is nothing else like it.

Especially if you are with family and not the bros ... It is the trip that leaves and impression for a lifetime.

Also it is not crowded and you can drive the whole thing if you start out at 8am. The are full GPS nav points available online for download so you will know your relative position the whole way.

These pictures are taken right on the trail. You literally drive right there. No hikes required to see that view.

 

[JayRolla]

All the pics above are from the White Rim trail. It is long, scenic, amazing and there is nothing else like it.

Especially if you are with family and not the bros ... It is the trip that leaves and impression for a lifetime.

Also it is not crowded and you can drive the whole thing if you start out at 8am. The are full GPS nav points available online for download so you will know your relative position the whole way.

These pictures are taken right on the trail. You literally drive right there. No hikes required to see that view.

Awesome! Thats what I want. Last few years we hit YellowStone, Grand Canyon and now doing Moab. Nothing left after that in close range of my 4runner. Thanks for the info!!

 

[Unner]

Awesome! Thats what I want. Last few years we hit YellowStone, Grand Canyon and now doing Moab. Nothing left after that in close range of my 4runner. Thanks for the info!!

There's plenty left! You live in the Colorado/Utah area of the country, one of the prettiest areas.

I'll be running White Rim on my Moab trip here in a couple weeks. It should be fantastic, I'll take lots of pics too.

 

[JayRolla]

There's plenty left! You live in the Colorado/Utah area of the country, one of the prettiest areas.

I'll be running White Rim on my Moab trip here in a couple weeks. It should be fantastic, I'll take lots of pics too.

Ive lived in CO since I was 5. Before I was able to drive my dad had already taken me to the entire CO area. I have nothing left in CO, NM, Nevada, WY, AZ. Need to finish up Moab, then maybe Salt Lake and then hit up Montana I guess. I drove through Montana on my Yellowstone trip and the mountains were incredible.

 

[Unner]

Ive lived in CO since I was 5. Before I was able to drive my dad had already taken me to the entire CO area. I have nothing left in CO, NM, Nevada, WY, AZ. Need to finish up Moab, then maybe Salt Lake and then hit up Montana I guess. I drove through Montana on my Yellowstone trip and the mountains were incredible.

I'm jealous. Down south we have nothing really. Some beaches, some nice National Forests, but nothing like the scenery out west.