Ruining Around in Utah (March 2019)

Just before our two trips to Anza-Borrego, Monte @Blackdawg reached out to see if we were interested in a late-March trip to Canyonlands and some hiking of a few nearby slot canyons - perhaps even some that we'd attempted in our F.U.Rain trip last year.
Not really realizing how close it was (5 days) to the completion of our trip, and definitely not realizing the work that would need to be done to the truck between trips, I responded in the only way I knew how.

Little did I know what was in store, or all that we would see. We had no idea that by the end, our trip would be in Ruins.

Read the first chapter and get ready for the rest:
Ruining Around Utah 1 - Stopped in our Tracks at The Needles



Ruining Around Utah 1 - Stopped in our Tracks at The Needles



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...After catching our breaths and with our stomachs satisfied, it didn't take long for us to look for just the right place to try to capture Druid Arch. With the sun behind it, we weren't sure if we could even capture the grandeur, but we experimented with various exposures and settings and hoped for the best.

My guess is that when nature looks like this, it's hard to end up with something unusable.

Read it all and check out the photos in Ruining Around Utah 2 - Don't Miss Druid Arch​

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Ruining Around Utah 2 - Don't Miss Druid Arch​

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As Brett pulled into line at the top of the hill, I jogged back down to my truck - excited as usual when the trail requires a bit of attention. And, like the first three guys, I made it up unscathed - though I did stall once, "A little too trusting of the low gears, like Frank." Laughed Monte.

The low gears definitely are nice!

Ruining Around Utah 3 - Stymied by Snow in Beef Basin


Ruining Around Utah 3 - Stymied by Snow in Beef Basin​

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great pics.......

I'm rather partial to Utah .......

 

...Our last step before new ground was to head down the Silver Steps one more time. This is a fun section of trial that makes it's way over the slickrock and gets the trucks a little flexy-twisty. In fact, while I found this entire trail to be fun - and while there are definitely more challenging parts - I think this is the most enjoyable part. Plus, the views in front of you while you're there...

Ruining Around Utah 4 - Over-Under & Saving a Jeep

Ruining Around Utah 4 - Over-Under & Saving a Jeep


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...We also found an ammo box - something we initially thought must be a geocache, but instead turned out to be a congratulatory note from the National Park Service, letting us know that we'd found a secret ruin - one of many throughout the monument.
One of many you say?

Challenge accepted.

See how and what we encountered in Ruining Around Utah 5 - Canyoneering Natural Bridges National Monument​

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Ruining Around Utah 5 - Canyoneering Natural Bridges National Monument​

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...Having dozed off to sleep, I was awoken by an unusual sound about an hour later. It sounded like small grains of sand landing on the tent and rolling down the rain fly. Rain? No - it definitely didn't sound like rain, which lands with a single drop. A squirrel in a tree above, dropping pieces of pine cone on the tent? I didn't think I'd parked under a tree...

Find out what it was, and the photos to go with it: Ruining Around Utah 6 - Hite to Home

Ruining Around Utah 6 - Hite to Home


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Rig Review: Anza-Borrego & Ruining Around in Utah - What worked and what didn't?

Covered in this Rig Review:

1. SCS Stealth6 Wheels replaced with 3rd Gen 4Runner 5-Spoke Wheels (new)
2. The Bed is Cracking
3. The CVT Roof Top Tent - A Stargazer-less Rain Fly
4. The CVT Roof Top Tent - Sticky Zipper
5. Coleman Camp Stove/Grill (updated)

Read the whole story
[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6] [rig review]





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adventures of @turbodb​