transalper

My family's plans to head to Utah the last week of March/first week in April are coming together. Looks like we'll do few days in Canyonlands and hit the Maze District. I've never done the White Rim trail and hope to take a couple days for that as well. I am debating about heading through Moab on our way in (March 29 or 30) or on our way back to MN and check out the first day of the Easter Jeep Safari (April 3rd). The EJS is always an entertaining spectacle.

Anybody want to rendezvous in Moab? I'd love to meet up with some other 4runner/tacoma guys and do Poison Spider or something like that. Golden Spike is beakoning, but I don't think my wife and kids would like to do such a long, rough trail after a week of back-country camping.

Darren

I haven't done any trails to speak of in Moab quite yet, but I've really been wanting to do White Rim for quite awhile. I have been planning to go with a Jeep friend of mine in the spring, but we haven't settled on a date yet. In short, I would be interested in meeting you out there for this one and maybe a couple of others. However, I would be more inclined to do stuff using a Saturday through Monday, but I would consider taking a vacation day or two. We'll see. I am not interested in seeing any crowds (EJS).

The only possible thing about doing White Rim in 2 days, would be that campsites along the trail require reservations a number of months in advance, at least this is what I read awhile back. I am one who wouldn't mind doing all 70 miles of it in one long day. You might have to if the reservation thing holds true.

So, which days are you thinking of doing some of these? Yeah, I see the 29th and 30th in there, but it sounded like you haven't pinpointed this quite yet.

HaveBlue

I've never wheeled Moab but I have biked it. I've been on Poison Spider, Procupine Rim, Slickrock, Monitor and Merrimac, and a couple others I can't remember the name of right now.

I love the country out there. It's completely different than anything here in Colorado. Some of the trail seem to defy physics, too. The sandstone on Slickrock allow you to do some crazy stuff on a bike. I can't imagine what it's like in a 4x4.

If you plan on making a trip out there while there is any other get-together going on, definately call ahead and make reservations. That includes camp sites and hotels. If you plan on camping in the open and not in a camp site, you have to have provisions to dispose of gray water.

transalper

We tend to be very fluid about our backcountry plans and it's hard to nail down dates for the time we'll be in canyonlands NP.

But we would still like to hit a classic trail or two near Moab with some Yotatech folks. I want to go see this view again (from Poison Spider Mesa):


A small group (under five vehicles) would be ideal. We could try to get there for a run on the afternoon of the 28th or morning of the 29th. That way we'd be there a week before the EJS and would avoid the huge crowds. I've only been wheelin out there a couple times so an extra day would be nice in case we get lost. I might be able to convince my wife to leave a day early so we could be there by the eve of the 27th . . .

FYI, backcountry permits are required for access to White Rim and the other trails in Canyonlands NP and reservations are highly recommended for spring. There are only a certain number of permits they will issue.