Another Around the World Tacoma

Kyler,

I just did the 11" W.C. like the Dickinson asked for. I wasn't even aware that the pressure could be adjusted tbh. I do not remember any priming issues, but I did have a tee splitting off close to the fireplace for my stove, so that likely filled most of the line for the fireplace.

Ha, glad to hear it!

 

Alright, let's discuss the few issues that have arisen with the truck since taking off, for completeness sake.

Rotating the tires yielded a vibration in my steering wheel. It was coming from one of the two newest Coopers (spare and the replacement for the punctured tire from Ensenada). I took the truck into a nearby Big O Tires and had a Road Force balance done. One tire was poorly balanced, while the other needed to actually be rotated on the rim and then rebalanced.

$55 dollars and 40 minutes later I was on my way.

The very morning we left AZ, heading north, we stopped to see our friend Will one more time, and sitting there in the parking lot of his work I started to smell oil.

Looked behind the front drivers tire and saw a smattering of oil on everything. Uh oh.

Turns out (after some investigating) that it was gear oil, from the transfer case, leaking at the hard line to soft line connection (unclamped by Toyota) due to a 'clogged' breather cap. I disassembled the cap (it is a plastic piece with the barb, a white piece of something, and a metal protective cap) and cleaned it thoroughly, but was unable to get air to flow through the membrane. I will have to pick up another one next time I pass a dealership. Not sure why this happened, but as I first noticed it I totally thought 'What luck do I have?' before I figured out the problem.

We were sitting at a TH campsite, no wind, with the awning deployed for shade. Out of nowhere, a lone, single blast of wind came flying through camp and completely bent up the main arm of our awning, folding it up and over the top of itself.

I was able to get it bent back into shape, so it is still usable, but I will be reaching out to OK4WD to see if I can procure a new arm, as opposed to a whole new awning. I can see that it bent at the location where (4) holes are drilled into the arm ((2) to assemble the two halves and (2) for the leg support bracket), so with the new one I will be adding small pieces of angle iron to help firm up that area for the future.

Ah, one more. One of the two tabs on the latch of the ARB Zero fridge broke off. The second latch is still there, so the lid still latches shut, but it has lost that redundancy. I purchased a new latch assembly from Desert Rat Offroad, and I will install it once I travel to where it is being delivered.

That's all for now. An update with photos and various other whatnot will be incoming shortly.

 

Well, that sucks. I hope the rest of your trip is less exciting.

 

Same. Thanks Bob.

 

Alright, it has been a little while since the East Zion Campsite, so let's see what I took photos of.

But first, just a few more of my lizard friend from that campsite:

Lizard 1 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tolerating my inquisitiveness

Lizard 2 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Lizard 3 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We left East Zion and headed north on the 89 towards Glendale UT, where we would head off east into the beautiful Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (GSENM). We did a few short slot hikes off of the 89, one of which involved two ~20 ft chimney climbs to bypass rockfall. Just about gave a beautiful elderly lady a heart attack when she finally realized that Stacy was indeed going to get to the top and over the stuck rock. Haha

At a random POI in Gaia called The Falls. It was Stacy's turn to have a bit of a scare, as she is never comfortable in those situations where the road disappears from the view of the windshield. It always cracks me up, as I feel that my spatial awareness is rather on point, so I'm never worried, but she is convinced I am about to send our home over the edge!

She quickly recovered. Plus, we aren't even close to danger.

The Falls + Stacy by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tacoma at The Falls by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

There was some semi-clear water down below, but we weren't yet hot enough to think about jumping into it.

Upper Falls Shot by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Before long, dirt time, and an entrance to one of my favorite spots in southern Utah, though there certainly are many.

Entering GSENM by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

TH camping (free permit required, paperwork available at every TH Registration Box)

Lick Wash Th by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Headed into adventure

Entering Lick Wash by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Utah canyons stand alone, being very distinct from what we find in Arizona

Lick Wash by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The geology of the wash continued to catch my eye. I couldn't possibly photograph it all though.

Fractured Rock Face by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Rock fall obstacle

Fallen Boulder by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The absolute flatness of this rock struck me as I passed by. I know it has since fallen over, but it was so utterly flat that I had a hard time comprehending it, as nature isn't normally like this.

Perfectly Flat by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Fallen, but not Dead Yet by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The constantly eroding dirt, the trees connection to this earth, led to some marvelous root work.

Life Finds a Way by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Another example of roots becoming exposed to air, having bark grow on them, while the roots seek ever deeper for soil.

Exposed Roots 1 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Quite interesting to see several examples of roots following the rock

Exposed Roots 2 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

It wasn't all wide.

Narrow by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

More beautiful, localized, geology

Angular Nonconformity by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Every so often there were splashes of vibrant color

A Splash of Color by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

A mere mortal amongst giants of nature

Landscape 1 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Found this interesting section of sandstone, so Stacy had to surf that wave!

Surfing the Wave by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The clouds were a welcome reprieve during this ~10 mile sandy hike

Landscape 2 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Landscape 3 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Landscape 4 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

I see, and enjoy seeing, stink bugs all over this part of the earth.

Vertical Stink Bug by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Landscape 5 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Wash by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Mini Checkerboard Mesa. Wind and water erosion cause these lines in the sandstone

Mini Checkerboard by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Landscape 6 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

I thought this was cool. Living trees buried in sediment at some point in the past. Erosion is now exposing more of their trunks to curious passersby.

Buried Life by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

After that it was time to move on to a bit higher elevations. To get to this trailhead was the first time we truly needed the capabilities that the truck has been equipped with (outside of the larger group truck trips where we purposefully tackle different trails). When we are alone, if the road doesn't lead to somewhere that we want to get to (a trailhead mainly), we ignore it. Vehicle preservation is too important for us now.

Tucked on a tiny sliver of NF between GSENM and Bryce NP. Must cross private property to get here.

Tacoma in Dixie NF 1 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tacoma in Dixie NF 2 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tacoma in Dixie NF 3 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Warming up dinner on the windshield while Stacy draws (my newest favorite truck photo)

Tacoma in Dixie NF 4 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We came to this once popular place to bike ride the Grand View Trail, but the Grand View Trail has been a bit lost to time, being reclaimed by nature. After riding it for a short while we realized this was going to be a trail we would have to hike. I assumed it would be like the Rainbow Rim Trail along a part of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, but this trail has not received the same love and attention over the years. It is abundantly clear that this was once a popular place for horse back riding, but this is no longer the case.

It did have an actual pit toilet, in a wooden building, that was something out of a nightmare. Huge spiders in there, critters living and scurrying underneath. But you know, sometimes nature calls, so you suck it up and you head on in there. Haha

While at this site (2 nights) I made another reptilian friend, this time the Short-Horned Lizard. These little fellas move fairly slow, so they are easy to get your hands on.

I had a great time looking for him on the final morning, and then laying down among the pine needles to get down to his level.

His look is just so incredulous

Who Goes There? by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Such a cool creature.

Short-Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma Hernandesi) by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

After that it was time to move east. Fantastic view right on the road.

Tacoma on Skutumpah by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

I had been to Cottonwood Canyon Road before, but never with Stacy, so we traveled it, hiking along the flowing(!) Paria River, amongst other hikes along the road.

Cottonwood Canyon Rd by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Recreating a photo I took with my old Inferno Tacoma

2019 Photo Recreation by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Same rock, different truck

13 - Day 1 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tacoma at Roads Edge by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We found a 'just off of the road' campsite along the Scenic 12 Byway. Camping near road noise is not an issue for us, though this road was very quiet relative to others we have camped near.

Bonus, it had an amazing view to fall asleep and wake up to.

Roadside Camp by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The Claron Formation (Bryce NP) rises in the distance. The Claron is 5,500 feet 'taller' than the Kaibab formation that creates the Kaibab Plateau at the North Rim, but they both now occupy the same above sea level elevation. Wonderful. I simply love this place.

Stunning View by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We had a family vacation, where we hiked a lot, traveling around Escalante UT for a while. Staying at a state campground with electricity and free showers was absolutely amazing.

But eventually, it was time for just the two of us once more.

And when here, there is no better place to go than Hole in the Rock Road for the canyoneering minded folk.

First night, off of a side road. We just so happened to wind up in an area filled with a lot of flying bugs. This isn't a problem, because this meant that our flying feathered friends were abundant in great numbers. This was the 'loudest' campsite we have ever stayed out. I even heard a Common Poorwill, which is an interesting name, as they are very uncommon birds in this part of the world!

Tacoma on HITRR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The Northern Mockingbirds sang and sang and sang. They would even sing while in flight, which is something that is very uncommon. It took me quite a while to get my morning routine done, as I would constantly be drawn to their song, and their dances. Such a wonderful experience.

Northern Mockingbird by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We did some of the more popular canyons, as I was getting over a bit of a cold that I caught from one of my nephews, before we set off on the more secluded, technical, challenging canyons.

The Egypt Bench is home to (6) individual canyons that run from the bench down to 25 mile wash.

Not quite close enough to the edge this time to get Stacy concerned.

Tacoma at Egypt 1 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Egypt 1 was a nice warm up, but Egypt 2 was next level.

What is happening here?

Tacoma Rear by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

It was just me in the truck as I approached this edge. Stacy watched in trepidation.

Peek-A-Boo by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tacoma as Rappel Anchor by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

And that is a Tacoma, to be used as an anchor, for the 285 ft rappel down into Egypt 2. There is a second entry option around the side of the canyon that is only 65 ft long, but can you really pass up an opportunity like this? We certainly couldn't. It isn't every day that you get the opportunity to use almost all of your 90m (295') long canyoneering rope! Even better that you could tie it to your 4 wheeled house for 2. What a remarkable experience.

I couldn't even get the entire thing into the frame, even with a 10mm lens.

Tacoma over 285 ft Rappel by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

I took these photos after we survived the canyon, so Stacy is stowing the rope while I jumped around for photos. Used a Figure 8 with a clove hitch to tie off to the front bumper. The truck was a rock solid anchor. Haha

The best parking spot this truck has ever occupied, hands down. I take back that statement I made about that other photo being my favorite. This one supersedes it for sure.

Re-Edit of Cliff Photo by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Egypt 2 continues for ~1.5 miles deep below

Egypt 2 - Tacoma Anchor by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

On Wednesday this area experienced very heavy rain, causing these canyons to fill with water.

While in the canyon I found this poor guy, stuck between two large puddles that he would not try to cross. The walls in this particular section were too slick and leaning inwards for him to climb out. I watched as he scurried ahead of me, trying to escape my presence, just to be stopped by the puddle ahead. He scurried over my foot (the canyon was very narrow here) to run back up canyon, but he then saw Stacy, and he once again hopped over my shoe, right to the waters edge.

He seemed defeated, and a bit tired, moving more slowly than other lizards I have seen. It was cold down here, no sun, and the water wasn't helping him either.

So, I reached down and snagged him. Turns out, he still had some life in him, as he bit my index finger with all his might! A tiny mark was all that he managed to impart upon me, but I still helped him out and carried him in my hand roughly 1/8th of a mile to a much wider part of the canyon, where other lizards were, before setting him free.

When I went to let him go, he wouldn't crawl out of my hand for 5-10 seconds. I'm telling myself he was cozy in there, and that he wanted to say thanks. Not sure if he would have made it if he had been stuck in there much longer.

Lizard Stuck in Egypt 2 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

After that, it was time to set up camp for work. This site offered ample shade, and a bit of a wind break, as the temps are getting fairly high (mid 90's).

The Escalante Escarpment is beautiful.

Tacoma with Escalante Escarpment by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Escalante Escarpment by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Tacoma with Escalante Escarpment by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

The temps are getting high this time of year for most of the state of Utah, so it is time to start moving north to cooler temperatures.

I think I will try to type something up to put into words this feeling of freedom we have both come to realize. It currently does not seem possible to bring it to life with words, but I will sit down and try my best, as it has been truly remarkable.

Thanks for following along!

 

HITRR accesses such an amazing place - had the opportunity to take my Dad there several years ago. Peek-a-Boo and Spooky we super fun non-tech canyons. Looks amazing!

 

Thanks Dave, you're totally right. The temps are too high for us to stick around any longer, but we will definitely be back.

I smell some trees and flowing water in our future!

 

I'll try to update more frequently before I forget too much:

We expected to travel further today (though we truly have no agenda and no precise plans at all), but a side of the road lunch stop turned out to be just the place that I needed to be.

If you haven't traveled Scenic Byway 12 in Utah, and you are a fan of beautiful roads, this one should definitely get added to your list.

Up at ~8,000 ft, back in the trees. Temps are significantly less. The air is humid, shade is everywhere, and the birdsong is mesmerizing.

35,000 miles exactly

Tacoma in NF by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

(5) different types of birds have been singing basically nonstop since we arrived, but the American Robin has been out performing the rest.

While walking to a nearby field, I spotted this American Robin cleaning itself and singing, just for me of course. Haha

American Robin by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

I love watching them clean themselves

American Robin Cleaning by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Right back to singing!

American Robin Singing by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

There is a small (~3 ft wide) stream with 55 degree flowing water just 15 feet from the truck. This single aspect of this site added so much. I am deeply excited to be around more flowing water. I have been using the stream to cool down some of our drinking water, as our tank is currently fairly warm due to the elevated daily temps. Cool and refreshing. It truly is the little things in life.

 

Continuing to move north as we seek out the cooler temps associated with higher latitudes and higher elevations.

Traveling the 12, we stopped at every side of the road attraction (viewpoints mainly) and we also stopped to look at each campground along the way.

This viewpoint wasn't too shabby.

Tacoma at Viewpoint by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Information signs

Info Sign by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Info Sign by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

We made progress at a very leisurely pace as we made our way a bit east, the 12 ending in Torrey UT. While in Torrey we did laundry, in a laundromat that is incorporated into a hotel that is also a store and a deli. Torrey is a beautiful little place, with a stream flowing right next to Main Street. I saw another American Robin and many House Sparrows (always common to civilization), but didn't take any photos.

While here, we finally swapped the Starlink from AC (and the SL router) over to DC power (the DISHYNOAC device and our 3rd party Mofi 5G router), as our 3kw inverter seems to have some parasitic loss when it is activated, and our batteries were always getting drained too much overnight.

The swap to DC went flawlessly, and in no time we were back in business.

The 24 took us right through Capitol Reef NP. This is the second time the truck has been here, with the first time being back in September 2024, via a back entrance, when on a truck trip with friends.

Capitol Reef NP by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Unfortunately the Visitors Center was closed (due to construction I am fairly sure), so we couldn't snag a sticker. Next time.

The temps were still hot, so we only did (2) short hikes to viewpoints, but we will definitely be coming back here to do everything it has available, as this is a truly splendid place to be.

I did pull over to the side of the road and dip myself in the Fremont River. Very refreshing. I also love that we are coming across more and more flowing water.

We pushed through some significant (for us) miles, as we were in a part of the world that we have been to before on more than one occasion.

We stopped in Green River for gas, and I took Stacy out to a nice early dinner, at a restaurant that overlooks the Green River.

Until Green River, we had been driving very slowly (~40 mph), as the roads were basically barren, and our fuel economy over ~200 miles was phenomenal. Over 20 mpg, which is saying something!

Camped along the Price River, behind some private property, in an enclosing canyon.

Tacoma and Rockwall by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Price River Canyon by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Price River Canyon by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

It isn't always so great though. This campsite was rather lackluster. Bugs galore, the biting kind to boot, high temps, and no access to the river, as it has cut its way down from the banks considerably, and the banks are very overgrown. Oh well.

We then decided to follow the UTBDR, and we ended up at 9,000+ ft, in the cool mountain air.

We took our time making our way along section 4, and into section 5. We once again explored everything off of the main path.

Campground Visit by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Lunchtime stop

Lunch Break in Ashley NF by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Riding atop Reservation Ridge. Very picturesque. Stunning drive too.

Tacoma in Uinta NF by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Distant Mountains by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Another simple campsite

Tacoma in Uinta NF by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Onwards we continue to go.

Thanks for reading.