(UTAH) October through the end of 2012 meet

Okay I'll see what I'm up to.

 

Plans changed, I'm open the 13th so is anyone still going? Where to? I heard about a trail up AF that goes to an old mine shaft but can't remember the name. Can anyone help me out with the name? It's like a 3 out of 10. Something a bit more mellow. Anyone in?

 

Theres some mining stuff towards the top of Mary Ellens, but I didn't go snooping around to see if its open. There's also a lot of trails further back that I haven't looked into, but should contain mines as well. Further back is supposed to be very washed out, so you may not be able to go further than the first mine.

Theres also a lot less known mine on top of milk maid, but thats a slightly harder trail and you'll probably need to take a shovel to dig out the entrance. Based on my trail rating guide (below), it would be a 4. Lots of loose rock, but nothing difficult.


Greg's Trail Rating Guide:
1. Car
2. 2WD.
3. 2WD. 4WD recommended.
4. 4WD.
5. 4WD - 31" Tires. Armor recommended.
6. 4WD - 33" Tires. Lockers/winch recommended
7. 4WD - 35" Tires. Lockers/winch required
8. 4WD - 37" Tires. Damage Likely.
9. Buggy, Normal
10. Buggy, Insane

 

Thanks for the rating guide Greg! Based upon that, I can hit a 5.

I'm in for the 13th, no preference on trail- just stoked to be able to make it. I'll see if Donnie will be able to make it too.

 

where are these trail ratings when your heading out on a trail ???? or is it just a greg thing

 

Mary Ellen's gulch is the one that I wanted to try. Anyone been there and/or know of it's current condition? Anybody up for doing that one saturday morning?

 

ive done marry Ellen its fairly easy, and its a quick drive last time we went up there is tooks us a little longer cause a jeep that was with us died and did not want to start so we wasted like 30 mins but i say its like a 30 min drive to the first mines. you cant go any higher dew too cause of the washouts when it rains. i went with manlaan, he knows a little more then me that's what i heard for the last trip up there

 

Possibly down for Saturday

 

Will you be able to make it Saturday?

 

What time ???

 

This is a highly simplified and personally, more useful version of the moab trail rating system. Most of my maps in Garmin Basecamp are rated according to my system, so it makes it pretty easy to eliminate certain things, depending on vehicles.

I keep it mostly to myself, but I try to rate each trail based on this so I can easily determine a baseline for who can do what with least damage. Of course its just my own recommendations, and doesn't mean someone cant try something harder than their level (or even take bypasses to make the trail easier), but thats when armor, damage potential, etc. has to be weighed in, then I can give the driver an educated guess on difficulty.

Just to give a simple example:
I would put Forest Lake at a 5 and Mineral Basin at a 6.
Rattlesnake at a 5 if taking bypasses, 6 if not. 7 if going through the boulder garden. Waynes World would be a 7.
Constrictor would be a 7 as well, with eagles nest being an 8 or 9.

I'd put Mary Ellens at a 3 due to the loose rocks and the few 12" rocks that need to be climbed over. Major Evens is probably about a 3 as well. Graveyard Flats is a 2. Milk Maid is about a 4. I've never done Miller Hill, but hear thats about the same as Forest Lake (so a 5).

I think thats about all of the AF trails that we're allowed to drive on. There are some others I might know about, but they were found from older maps, so may not be usable any longer. They aren't in the main AF area, but really close. I haven't explored those though. Its hard to find someone with the same enthusiasm as I have for wanting to explore new trails, and I wont ever go on trails alone.

 

Yeah, what time and where??

 

Sounds good to me. Its starting to cool down, so there shouldn't be near as many bikes and ATVs out, so anytime should be good. Closer to 11-noon might be better, as it'll be a good deal cooler up top. As Trokika said, fairly easy. I'd plan for about an hour each way on the trail.

It is starting hunting season though, so we'll have to not get shot. Poor hunters with my truck rolling down the road, scaring everything within 5 miles...

 

Looks like it will be wet on Saturday. Like some of you, my plans have changed a bit. I wont be going to my brothers on the 20th after all. So the 20th works for me. I wil try to go both days if I can. My father in law is in town this weekend so I will have to try and slip out if there is an oppertunity but I doubt it.

 

ray and I are hitting up mona pole on friday in the AM if anyone is free.

 

I might have to go out either the 13th or the 20th depending if I get my sliders back on by then (will I need them? 3 inch lift and 33's on a 2nd gen dcsb)

 

where not going to do anything crazy to where your going to need the sliders, unless we hit up mineral basin, with a 3 inch, sliders is a musts after what i saw last time i went.

 

I'm still stock height, but have 32's and sliders- will I be alright?

 

Alright let's say Mary Ellen's gulch meeting at 1030 am? Where do we meet?

 

if were doing merry Ellen yes you'll be fine

Chevron its better just so ppl can fill up if they need to and to grab some snacks