AdventureTaco - turbodb's build and adventures

Very nice.
We did White Rim, and have been in The Needles, but this is spectacular. Thank you for the tour.
Nice photos. I especially liked seeing the shadows of the pillars on the down hill side.

 

Sweet write up Dan! I need to make my way up there. I have been dying to for so long. I have yet to successfully convince any of my San Diego peeps to roll out to UT. It is obviously not a good place to roll solo. The hieroglyphics looked awesome, along with everything else.

 

Hmmm- So when you thinking???

 

SUCCESS! Ask and ye shall receive! I think I can free up time in May before it gets too hot out there. Lets discuss tomorrow if you guys make it to David's for mod day

 

White rim road for one. Island in the sky section of Canyonlands. Beautiful and a fun drive, 111 miles.

 

I think there's a tower close to the base of the Manti La Sals that spreads coverage over that area. Most of the east side of the White Rim Road has coverage too. Last couple trips I've done, I've been flabbergasted by the coverage, I've had 4G in places I wouldn't have imagined a couple years ago.

 

Yeah, most canyons you lose it and if there's a mesa in the way you lose it, but damn checking the news and weather on the internet out in the middle of nowhere is an odd feeling. Best part about it, for those that go alone, if we have a breakdown we just have to walk far enough to get cell service to get help, don't have to hike out to pavement or until we find someone to hitch hike with.

 

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed! Was planning to do Day 2 today...but I've basically missed that now. Ended up working all day with @drr, @Speedytech7 and @Digiratus - so Day 2 will have to come tomorrow .

Totally a great place. We found the trails, and we were even on them on the GPS. Problem was, as we went through the narrow passage, it let us out onto the slickrock Ben mentioned. Not only that, but where the GPS said the trail should be, there were "NOT A TRAIL" signs, where people had clearly walked before.

There were several of these over on a trail by Doll House 3 as well, which left me wondering if they are trying to discourage hiking now, largely to protect the crust. A new development maybe?

Was actually great walking through there. Reminded me a bit of hiking up the river in Zion. Without the water, and much shorter, of course! hahahahaha

 

Solo trip communication.
I like the Delorme inReach.

 

The Maze, Day 2: "I Really Like Your Rear End"
March 17, 2018.

Our night at the Doll House was the calmest of the trip. We all slept soundly and though we each awoke a different times, we all experienced a beautiful morning. Having nearly missed the orange horizon the morning before, I refrained from hitting the snooze button on my alarm, and I crawled out of the tent about half an hour before sunrise.

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Being up so early allowed me time to scout a reasonably good position to capture the magic light of morning, since I could see exactly where it was going to come over the horizon, and I carefully made my way to a rock outcropping with views of all three Doll House sights via washes and trails, avoiding the desert crust.

As I waited for the sun to crest the horizon, I noticed Ben @m3bassman climb out of his tent and onto a rocky outcropping near camp (you can just make out his red jacket) - another prime location I'd seriously considered! As the sun lit up the pillars of Doll House 3, he was smack in the middle of a pretty awesome situation.

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My position gave me not only a full-on view of the sun hitting Doll House 3, but also a nice "profile view" of the pillars at Doll House 1 and 2, and the canyon just to their east. It was a special sight. I probably spent too long taking it all in, if there is such a thing - since by the time I got back to camp, @mrs.turbodb was up, dressed, and itching for some breakfast.

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That was just fine with me, since I was hungry as well and we had a quick breakfast while Ben, Kirsten and Zane @Speedytech7 enjoyed a cup of coffee. Then, we all packed up our gear and headed back up the road towards Flint Trail. We didn't get far though - as we pulled up on Chimney Rock, it called to all of us. Just as I'd slowed down to take a picture, I saw Ben and Zane turn down the spur towards the solitary formation. We followed of course, and the view of The Maze was stunning - in every direction.

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As we pulled out of Chimney Rock and the sun climbed in the sky, shadows from the clouds created dramatic scenes across the landscape, highlighting the orange pillars against shadowed canyon walls.

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As had been the case the day before, the young guns were out in front, slowing down now and again to let me catch up. Fine by me - even having seen the geology the day before, I continued to find myself getting out of the truck to capture the beauty of Canyonlands. Perhaps sensing this window of opportunity, Ben proposed a truck swap with Zane. Each was eager to experience the work they'd been doing, in order to better optimize their own modifications, and so a bit of musical trucks was played and they were back on the trail.

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It was at this point that things got a little ... weird. We couldn't see the two of them, so who really knows what was going on, but the chatter over the CB was striking enough that I transcribed it word for word on the spot, at 10:04am Saturday morning:

Eventually we caught up to the "rear-enders," just as they were approaching the more technical parts of the trail. Musical trucks again, and it wasn't long before Ben eased himself into position - only two tires on the ground; the other two fully stuffed.

Now, if you know Ben, you know that every shot he takes of his truck is a money shot - wheels turned (ka-chow!), suspension stuffed. So he really couldn't pass this situation up. Zane and I waited patiently while he captured the moment. Kirsten just kept reading her book; this was nothing new for her.

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Of course, we can't give Ben too hard a time - after seeing him step down the ledge, both Zane and I did the same thing, Zane curious to see how his new rear shock mounts were working from a travel perspective, and me curious about the new wheels rubbing in the front and whether the fully stuffed rear tires were centered in the wells in the back - something I'd been working through for a while. Zane's conclusion was that he could remove an overload or two from the rear to get a bit more compression and I was generally quite happy - there was still a good inch or so clearance in the front, and the rear tire couldn't have been more centered in the well.

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And with that behind us, we ran the last little bit of Doll House road back to the intersection toward the Flint Trail switchbacks. This road was much smoother than where we'd just been so we made great time - well, except for "mister-always-stopping-for-photos" as we climbed up towards the switchbacks. It was at this point too that we spotted three park rangers driving in the valley below - the only other caravan we'd see during the entire trip.

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I mean really, how can you not stop for the sign leading to the switchbacks, or for the several-hundred-pound orange rock balanced on a gray pillar? These are not things you see every day, and that must be marveled at - they won't be around forever!

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It was at this point that Ben came over the CB to marvel, "It sure looks like we're just going to drive right up the canyon wall," and made the first sharp turn to the right to enter the only real new technical portion of the day's run. We were lucky that the weather was good and the little bit of snow still on the road wasn't an issue - though it was clear we were the first tracks on the switchbacks since it had last snowed; such a remote place we found ourselves in!

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At the top, the Flint Trail Overlook provided the perfect spot (and good timing) for lunch and a few minutes to soak in the views of where we'd been just a few hours earlier.

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And then, it was time for a short detour from the "norm" of these types of trips. Just a fraction of a mile to the west was the Happy Canyon Overlook trail - a short out-and-back that allowed us to stretch our legs and enjoy even more of the carved canyon walls and deep valleys from the tip of a ridge.

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I couldn't help but stay behind as everyone walked back, so @mrs.turbodb could take a picture of my signature pose. I didn't realize it at the time, but my backdrop were some amazing lenticular clouds - indicative of high winds that often bring a significant change in the weather pattern. We'd find this to be true once again, not-so-many hours from now.

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Refreshed and back at the trucks, we were now on the top of the canyon rim and made good time on the road to Panorama Point - our goal and campsite for the evening, where for a short time we debated circling the trucks to build a wind shield, but instead resorted to our normal mode of "find the good views." Ben and Zane ended up looking northeast towards Island in the Sky, and we ended up with a kick-ass spot looking south east, towards The Needles.

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Both were amazing, but IMO you always go for the spot where you sort of back up to the cliff. You know, so when you zoom out a bit from the photo above, you get something like this. That's when you know you've got a view to die for; and that you need to be careful if you get out of the tent in the dark.

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Sites chosen, we had plenty of daylight left, and so went for our second hike along the ridges that comprise panorama point. Once again, even as we were buffeted by wind, we reveled in such a special place - the La Sal mountains in the distance, canyons cutting through the valley below.

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And then we headed back toward camp, still early enough unfold tents, make dinner, and eat before sunset - which we hoped to capture in it's full glory across the canyon. It was at this point that I realized, perhaps there are drawbacks to the awesomest site - for instance, it's much harder to reach things in the bed of the truck when it's at forehead level. hahahahaha!

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But, we obviously managed and got the tent and dinner ready simultaneously - one of the benefits of having both I and @mrs.turbodb on the trip - and found a great place next to Ben and Kirsten (who were having some delicious smelling tacos) to enjoy our oven-roasted chicken sandwiches with avocado and chips. Zane, ever the gourmet, pulled up his chair as well.

"Is that spaghetti-o's and a hot dog?" Kirsten asked?

"Yup, I love these trips." said Zane.

We all smiled and enjoyed the light as it played across The Needles. Clouds in the west mean that there was no great show in the sky, but that was OK with us - we'd seen a lot, and we still had another half-day (or more) ahead of us.

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As darkness fell, the temperature dropped once again, and the lantern came out. We all huddled around. It still wasn't putting out any heat. And then Ben broke out his Mr. Buddy Little Heater and fired it up. Now, the size of the heating element on this thing is about the same as a Toyota grill emblem, so you can imagine that while it might keep the inside of a tent warm, it's not going to do much to heat us and our surroundings on Panorama Point.

But it was the thought that counted, so we left it on, laughing into the night - at what, I don't remember now. Eventually though it got late and we were all chilly (it seemed to be getting colder; hint: it was) so we grabbed our chairs and retired to our tents.

To say that we had no idea of what was in store the next morning would be an understatement. Let's just say that it definitely didn't pan out the way we'd expected - not by a long shot!

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catch up on THE MAZE 2018: [Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3]​

 

Haha, love it!

 

Here is the link we talked about yesterday for headlights. Aside from purchasing (or making) an upgraded wiring kit, the challenge to doing this mod is determining if your truck's current headlight system is conventionally switched or ground switched. Based on feedback from others in that thread, it could be either way and it seems as though trucks setup with DRLs are different from ones without.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-h4-not-led-or-hid.398066/

 

Another great post!!

 

The Doll House photo's are spectacular! What a trip!

 

Thanks! One more day (or half day; or day-and-a-half) to go...

Perfect, thanks. Will check it out. Hate my candles.

 

Badass looks super fun great post!

 

Moar photos!

j/k Looking forward to Day 2 & 3!!!

 

Awesome stuff as usual!

 

The Maze, Day 3: Are We Stuck in The Maze?
March 18, 2018.

To say it was one of the more blustery nights we've spent in the tent would be an understatement. Perched on the edge of the canyon wall, the rain fly was getting whipped around, and the tent was acting like a sail in the bed of the truck - shaking the entire truck to and fro.

@mrs.turbodb asked if there was any chance we might roll backwards.

"Not really," I said. (and then I proceeded to put my clothes back on and get out to chock the tires - you know, "just in case."

We slept soundly until 4:00am or so - the wind picking up and dropping off through the night, but not a worry since the truck wasn't going anywhere. But, in those early morning hours, we started to feel moisture in the air - blown in through the screens covering tent doors and windows, which we always leave open for ventilation.

No problem - we just zipped everything up and went right back to sleep - unaware that a Winter Weather Advisory was being issued just as we were nodding off.

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As usual, my alarm went off at 6:30am, so I could get up and enjoy the sunrise. It was still windy when I woke up to wind buffeting the tent - a good sign in my mind since that would dry off any moisture from the night before. Unfortunately, as I poked my head out the tent, I noticed that not only was it windy, but there was just a bit of snow falling - a sure sign that there'd be no sunrise to capture. "Oh well, I thought - I got a couple good ones already this trip, I'll get another hour or so of sleep and hopefully the snow will have stopped when we get up."

Oh, was I wrong.

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Not only had the snow not stopped when I woke up again at 7:30am, but conditions outside had become white-out-blizzardy conditions. We had a quick conversation about our plan of attack, and it went something like this:

• I'd get out of the tent and start putting it away (getting what snow I could off of it, etc.).
  
  
• @mrs.turbodb would get out of the tent and take the pillows and blankets into the cab of the truck so they wouldn't get wet.
  
  
• I'd get the tent put away and everything back into the bed.
  
  
• We'd wait for Ben @m3bassman, Kirsten, and Zane @Speedytech7 to get up and get their stuff put away.

Within minutes of my getting up, Ben was also up and out of his tent - having gone through a similar morning experience and realizing that it hadn't worked out the way he'd expected, either. We had a quick pow-wow and decided that our plan of attack would be "get out of there as quickly as possible." He roused Kirsten and Zane, and we all set about tearing down camp, and then tearing out of camp so we wouldn't be stuck in The Maze.

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Having gotten about 4-inches of snow (in a little over an hour), we were happy to be an a relatively easy road. It's not that there weren't rocky inclines to maneuver, but there were no Flint Trail switchbacks, or Doll House overhangs to contend with. We made good progress with judicious use of the skinny pedal and within about an hour made it to the Han's Flat ranger station.

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To say that the good folks at the ranger station were surprised to see us would be an understatement. To see a convoy of three first-gen Tacoma's roll in is always impressive, but to see it in a morning of surprise snow was clearly going to be the highlight of their day.

We chatted for a few minutes to confirm the condition of the road between Han's Flat and the town of Green River (our escape route), and were assured that it was not only passable, but probably one of the best maintained roads we could hope for. In fact, it was essentially the only road that they considered passable according to their road condition board.

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A quick bathroom pit stop and we were off - the road was in fact in relatively good condition - headed north to Green River, where the plan was to fuel up for the first time in three days. Looking at the GPS track and our gas gauges, it was clear that if we were going to make it, Zane and I were going to be mere feet-from-empty (Ben had added 5 gallons the morning before), so we decided that it'd be wise to put in a few gallons of gas to tide us over.

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As we drove north, the snow stopped and gave way to rain - and mud - on the road. These things are fun, and we each did a bit of slipping and sliding around; caking mud on our trucks that would surely come back to haunt us when it dried.

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As we continued on, speeds increased. 35, 45, 55mph. And then, we hit a whoops. I think Ben and Zane saw it coming, but I was momentarily distracted by something else and missed until we were right on top of it. "Bump!" I yelled, and "Oh Shit!" was the response I got back, as the truck and everything in it launched into the air.

We pulled over and checked everything shortly there after and things looked OK (I was worried) so continued on. Later, as we'd get into Green River and onto pavement, I'd feel a new, serious shake and the associated noise. Hoping it was just some balancing weights or a need for an alignment, we figured - it's a Toyota; we'll be fine.

We fueled up and aired up and said our "till-next-time's" - with only ~8 hours "to home," Ben, Kristen, and Zane were headed to Moab for lunch and one last night camping, but with a 20-hour drive we had to start our trek home early, another awesome adventure under our belts.

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On the road, we split the driving - stopping only for fuel and food as necessary. In a final hurrah, we experienced a dramatic sunset just south of Boise - surely a beckoning for the next trip!

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This whole time, the rattle-and-shake I'd noticed earlier was definitely still with us, and when we stopped for dinner I took another look under the truck. Noticing oil on the rear diff, I poked around a bit more and realized that I'd destroyed the rear-most u-joint (or perhaps accelerated it's destruction). Of course, with the u-joint loose, the pinion seal for the rear diff wasn't super happy, which had led to a bit of the oil seeping out - not ideal, but the diff was still full (oil came out when I removed the fill plug) so I figured we could limp the truck the rest of the way home.

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We arrived home at 4:30am the next morning - exhausted but glad to be back safe, and to get a few hours sleep in the coziness of our own bed. The next days of course would bring the drying out of the tent, diagnosis of truck problems, and a good power-wash - but those are other stories!

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catch up on THE MAZE 2018: [Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3]​

 

What a great trip report. Can we see a pic of the blown u-joint, I wonder if it was damaged when at full droop, or compression, perhaps the slip yoke didn't slip fast enough?