Trip report and pictures from my trip to "Cruise Moab"
05-09-2003, 08:42 PM
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Trip report and pictures from my trip to "Cruise Moab"
Last weekend I made my first trip to Moab for "Cruise Moab". A national TLCA event that my club (Rising Sun) put's on every year. It was great.You really get to wheel your rig. Testing it out on all kinds of terrain. Your really get to know the capabilities of your Runner. Valuable experience and a lot of fun..
I ran Poison Spider Mesa, Fins&Things, Behind the Rocks, Lower Helldorado, Hells Revenge and the Lion's Back. I bypassed Nose Dive and White Knuckle Hill. I know the Marmot descended those. But they are so steep and nasty. The bottom of these obstacles were torn up quite a bit from the Easer Jeep guys. Making a large ledge at the bottom to negotiate.
The Slickrock was like grippy concrete. It enabled me to climb up and down incredible grades. Since the rock was so solid I was able to tip the Runner in a controlled manner unlike ever before. I was able to get comfortable tipping to 36 degrees on the Levo gage. Over that and you are grasping to get it level again. I read 40 degrees once. With no loose rock, like we have here in Co., you have so much control.
Our runner's, being pretty narrow and having a medium length wheel base, really seemed perfect for all these trails. And I watched a lot of FJ80's and 40's look like there were going to roll at times. This woman drove her FJ80 so high on the Wedgy that I thought it was going over for sure.
Hell's Gate was a adrenaline rush! Very intimidating. With my 5speed and 4.10's, I can't afford to stop and get into trouble. I drove right up by just picking the right line. Most people take a while to get through and rely totally on the spotter. I think I had my spotter scrambling to get out of the way. That way there's no time for big wheel stands either.
Lower Helldorado is the perfect extreme 3rd Gen run. I thought of Schaefer on this one. With serious sliders and a built Runner's like most of have. This trail is perfect. Leaving all the Slickrock behind this trail reminded me of Martinez Canyon or Chinamans Gulch. But this short trail is much narrower and has many more technical obstacles. About one every 2-3 truck lengths, for the canyon part of the trail. I did have to winch once. But, thank goodness', I was hung up pointed in the right direction. Just a large boulder to get over. There were so many places you could get off track and get into trouble. But, again with the right line the first time. You can slink through. The outer tubing on my Slee Slider's really proved to be key. They offered completed protection up against boulders that would have ripped the heck out of my Runner.
Someday well' have to have a MOAB4RJ and give a go.
I ran Poison Spider Mesa, Fins&Things, Behind the Rocks, Lower Helldorado, Hells Revenge and the Lion's Back. I bypassed Nose Dive and White Knuckle Hill. I know the Marmot descended those. But they are so steep and nasty. The bottom of these obstacles were torn up quite a bit from the Easer Jeep guys. Making a large ledge at the bottom to negotiate.
The Slickrock was like grippy concrete. It enabled me to climb up and down incredible grades. Since the rock was so solid I was able to tip the Runner in a controlled manner unlike ever before. I was able to get comfortable tipping to 36 degrees on the Levo gage. Over that and you are grasping to get it level again. I read 40 degrees once. With no loose rock, like we have here in Co., you have so much control.
Our runner's, being pretty narrow and having a medium length wheel base, really seemed perfect for all these trails. And I watched a lot of FJ80's and 40's look like there were going to roll at times. This woman drove her FJ80 so high on the Wedgy that I thought it was going over for sure.
Hell's Gate was a adrenaline rush! Very intimidating. With my 5speed and 4.10's, I can't afford to stop and get into trouble. I drove right up by just picking the right line. Most people take a while to get through and rely totally on the spotter. I think I had my spotter scrambling to get out of the way. That way there's no time for big wheel stands either.
Lower Helldorado is the perfect extreme 3rd Gen run. I thought of Schaefer on this one. With serious sliders and a built Runner's like most of have. This trail is perfect. Leaving all the Slickrock behind this trail reminded me of Martinez Canyon or Chinamans Gulch. But this short trail is much narrower and has many more technical obstacles. About one every 2-3 truck lengths, for the canyon part of the trail. I did have to winch once. But, thank goodness', I was hung up pointed in the right direction. Just a large boulder to get over. There were so many places you could get off track and get into trouble. But, again with the right line the first time. You can slink through. The outer tubing on my Slee Slider's really proved to be key. They offered completed protection up against boulders that would have ripped the heck out of my Runner.
Someday well' have to have a MOAB4RJ and give a go.
05-10-2003, 12:15 PM
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Nice report and pics, Scott. Sounds like you had a great time. I don't know, I don't get too excited with the off-camber stuff. Stupid, since that happens on most of the trails! The good thing about it is that it always feels worse from the inside as opposed to looking at it from the outside. I'm always holding on for dear life at 20 degrees! 
:chicken:
:chicken:
05-10-2003, 12:35 PM
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Any damage to the stock rear bumper?
What are these trails rated?
Thanks for the pics, I was not trying to be a smart alleck before. Just thought it was a bit of false advertising.
What are these trails rated?
Thanks for the pics, I was not trying to be a smart alleck before. Just thought it was a bit of false advertising.
05-10-2003, 04:40 PM
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Darren, you would be going to 30 degrees with no worries of the solid rock at Moab.
My receiver took the brunt of my departures real well and didn't really hang me up like I thought it would. I did "ding" up the corners of the chrome bumper a little. But not enough to worry about. Golfball size dings at most.
Most of these trails were rated 4 and 4.5 out of 5 in Moab terms. I would consider Lower Helldo a solid 4.5 because there weren't really any bypasses for the hardest obsticles.
My receiver took the brunt of my departures real well and didn't really hang me up like I thought it would. I did "ding" up the corners of the chrome bumper a little. But not enough to worry about. Golfball size dings at most.
Most of these trails were rated 4 and 4.5 out of 5 in Moab terms. I would consider Lower Helldo a solid 4.5 because there weren't really any bypasses for the hardest obsticles.
