RileySB's 2013 OR Build

Mail call! Ordered a set of Maxtrax recovery devices on Wed through the TW group buy, got them today! Thanks Kurt for the prompt shipping. And to Box Rocket for setting it up. Finally time to set up my CB radio and got my maps/books for my upcoming Utah trip in two weeks!

 

Got my Cobra 75 mounted. Just need to finish the coax to the antenna and powering it up via the battery. Oh yeah, and tuning it.



Maglite 3 D cell mounted to drivers seat. Don't mind the messy state of affairs which is my truck.

 

Sweet! I got a CB lying around and I need to install it. I think I'm going to go with the Lil Will Mag mount. The Firestick does look pretty sweet though!

 

Took the truck on a road trip through Southern Utah. 96 hours, 1887 miles traveled, went through 4 states (CA, NV, AZ, UT) and 4 national parks (Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Grand Staircase NM). Super fun! All primitive camping and even some 4x4ing. These are just some, more to come…

Off roading up to Copper Globe Mine in Utah off I-70. Hardest wheeling I've ever done in the truck. Even had to use the Maxtrax to help get down some tough spots without ripping off the bumper


Making breakfast in Zion, in the Kolob Canyons area


Camping in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. What a view!



At night it was in the upper teens/lower twenties so we camped under the Softopper in the back of the truck. With a down comforter, two bodies and a dog, we managed to stay quite warm. Woke up to this view…


Stay tuned...

 

Awesome!

 

not a bad view at all to wake up to! Epic road trip and wheeling. Right on! I live for road trips

 

Great build and awesome pictures.

 

Sweet build! Really liking the direction this is going. May have to pick yer brain on the grill. That's awesome looking!

 

These are my trip highlights:
Day 1: Left SB at 2100, drove all night and arrived in Hurricane, UT at 0700. Decided to take a 30 min nap since the sun was coming up and the dog would not allow sleeping during the daytime! First time to Southern Utah in my own truck. So we set off to see Zion. Unfortunately, NPS rules are that dogs are not allowed on any trails- only allowed in campgrounds and in parking lots. So we decided to just drive through the park and take photos. Fine with me. Zion was packed with lots of people by 0800 and rather small in reality! But still pretty. Saw lots of modded Jeeps, 4Runners and some Tacomas.

The Virgin River running through Zion

The sky was so blue, and the contrast was intense against the red cliffs of Zion

We took scenic Hwy 12 into Bryce Canyon

A little loopy after being awake closed to 40 hours on 30 minutes of sleep

I called them chicken fingers, but they are referred to as Hoodoos

we made camp within the boundaries of Grand Staircase NM in a primitive site and passed out. I had been driving 20 hours straight on 30 minutes of sleep. It felt so good to pull out the camp chairs, enjoy a nice dinner and a beer and hit the sack. We camped in the truck bed under the Softopper because it was blowing pretty good (40-50mph). First time doing it, and it was awesome. Sheltered from the wind, cozy enough to keep us warm.
This is the view from our campsite. Overlooking a free range cattle pasture. One even wandered into our camp. imagine waking up to a cow 10 feet from you staring. At. You.

 

Day 2
We decided to keep driving and find this cool little mine called Copper Globe off I-70. We ditched our initial plan of going to Lake Powell via Hole-in-the-Rock. It's an adventure, right? So we looked at the atlas and decided lets just keep driving. So we hopped back on Hwy 12 and decided to drive through Capitol Reef NP. It turned out being my favorite park thanks to it being empty, free (no fee stations) and just beautiful.
Driving into Capitol Reef


Chimney Rock Trail in Capitol Reef (breaking the rules with the dog but she needed to stretch her legs!)

Stopped off outside the park on an unmaintained dirt road to make lunch. Riley decided to explore.
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Decided to drive on to Copper Globe Mine. This is a spectacular view that I will always remember. I've driven I-70 once, many many years ago and this view stuck with me then, and now I get to replenish it with this beauty.

 

Day 2 (cont)
I'm still a beginner with wheeling but I've done a lot of basic wheeling. This trail was rated a 3/10 on difficulty and did warn about some narrow shelf roads and "some" minor obstacles. This was definitely the hardest trail I've done. Some tough sections that must have gotten tougher since the book was written maybe? Compounded by the fact that I had a fully loaded truck bed…I thought I was going to shear off my bumper coming down these 18" shelves. But absolutely a blast!



My roommate is not the best photographer when it comes to action shots of me wheeling. Plus she was trying to help me get over those obstacles. But wish I had some more shots of me looking like a BA (since I felt like one!)

We kind of got lost trying to find the right dirt road to get to the mine. Took us longer than expected and daylight was waning on us. We decided to give up on finding the mine today and make camp before it got dark. It was already 30 degrees at dusk and we wanted to get our sleeping stuff set up before it got too cold. Found a bitchin' spot right on the side of a cliff with an awesome view. Made a hasty dinner and climbed into our cozy shelter for the night. Played some cards, had a beer and passed out.


Day 3
Made it up to the mine. Glad we didn't rush it the night before because the contrast of full sunshine on the rocks against the blue sky was a photographer's dream.

My roommie in an old miner's cabin

Using the Maxtrax I bought through BoxRocket's GB to help get down a steep drop off without ripping off the rear bumper. SOOOOO much easier with them, it was a breeze! And I felt good about using my new purchase

Then we decided it would be a great idea to continue driving East towards Arches. Why not right?

Once again, super crowded, small park, running out of time and tired. We decided to drive through what we could and get out of there. My only regret is not exploring Moab since JediWebDude did it right… here is his link. I am burning with jealousy but maybe next time, and it will be a dedicated trip to Moab! http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/moab/321387-our-first-moab-trip-family-vac-many-pics.html
So close to Colorado. Tempted to call in sick to work and extend the trip another week! But duty calls….I will be back!


So after Arches, we headed back onto I-70 and just set out West. We made it to the I-70/I-15 junction just before dark and setup camp on a dirt road near the highway. Another night spent in the truck, and then drove the 8.5 hours home to SB the next day. Hope you enjoyed the pics and the narrative, hoping to inspiring y'all to get out and explore! Now to plan the next adventure
THE END!
Overall stats: 1887 miles travelled in 4 days. Saw 4 national parks and one national monument, and drove through 4 days!

 

WOW! Looks like an awesome trip! Great pics and a good looking truck! You have good taste

 

sweet pics

 

Nice Pics! Looks like a place I need to put down to visit sometime.

 

Your truck is coming along nicely. This is a 60" h-lift in the picture, yeah?

 

thanks! Sure is. a bit long, barely fit in the bed.

 

Thanks. I need to replace my 48", not doing the job anymore.

 

Do you have a HC bumper? That's why I splurged and got the 60", for the future HC rear bumper. However, to use it with the lift mate (goes in the wheels) or to use it on the sliders, I think 60" is over kill.

 

Yes, HC and 315s makes the 48" top out quick. Front bumper and sliders need it too sometimes depending on the trail terrain. Good thinking on your part in prep for your HC

 

Awesome pics! I wish we had wide open land like that over on my side of the country.