The M~U~D Trip Report: 1000 Miles of Utah Dirt

I have GPS data i plan on sharing at the end.

Thanks for reading! Glad you like em!

 

Definitely worth the wait. That was a really good read. I'm pumped for the rest of it

 

Awesome trip man, i am now stocked up do this to whole thing UTBDR, i didnt even know about the UTBDR, added to my list on plate to do, probably end of year i want to hit high mountains hehe,

i tell you moab is like no other place, i just returned from there on my atv trip did 5 days, and after week of working office, i am like wtf i need to go back. its addictive place.

cant wait for the rest

no shower for 5 days ah ?

 

Thanks! The rest gets pretty good!

The UTBDR is cool no doubt. But i think the next part we do is better. Still was a nice way to get south of Moab though.

5 days? Try 14 without a real shower That's livin

Is a very special cool area for sure.

Hopefully it'll make it through the next few years of bad politicians..

 

I wish I could 'like' this more than once.

 

Epic as usual Monty. One of these days I am going to hit you up for the GPS track you took on this trip so I can program it in and do this exact same trip.

 

Yeah i have GPS tracks of all of these trails, not of my exact route persay. But easy to connect the dots

Im going to record my own tracks every time though in the future.

 

Great write up, if you're in Wyoming in June/July, I'll be starting my trip heading your way. We should get a camping night or two in.

 

Thanks! Need to finish it...

I am in the area still this summer. But of annodd schedule but yeah keep me posted!

 

Looking like the 24th will be my first night of the uninterrupted trip. Possibly in the North Colorado area. After that is likely the tetons for at least a few days.

I'm all ears if you have some secret trails, hikes or camp spots away from the masses. I'll post in the bs threads of the areas that I'm heading to as it gets closer and i have a better idea.

 

Yeah hit up the wyo BS thread for sure. Couple guys know the Teton area better then me. I will say that the Tetons are pretty well shut down in terms of offroading. Lots of private land there.

 

yea sadness great land of america is getting smaller and smaller for us average doe's all private or off limits

 

Well it's page 7 and 2am for me at this moment.

Where is the rest!?

Your reports read like an adventure novel to me.
Must have more!!!!

 

Sorry!

I'll have the rest done soon don't worry. In the process of moving and such but after that. Loads if free time again so will get it done and my other trip as well

 

I will accept this answer knowing you shall deliver the goods.

 

I read the first chapter right when you wrote it. Then life happened and I've only just finished. Where's the rest?! I need more pictures of amazing desert!

 

Still writing! Sorry. Life happened for me too. Changed jobs. Moved. New job is demanding. Not a lot of down time. Then when I do. I'm computer less usually..doesn't work out well haha

Will have the next chapter done soon though

 

Chapter 6: Too Much Dirt, Too little Time​

We awoke to a lovely sun streaming day in the middle of the desert. The coulds had moved North of us and had not dropped any rail. It was go time!


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We packed back up and started heading back out when out of the blue I suddenly had cell service


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I had gotten several messages from my Mother and Sister asking about my little Brother Grant. They had not heard from him in over 24 hours from when he usually would check in. This was odd for Grant as he was very good about checking in to say he was alive and well after doing his thing in the backcountry. However, it had also been his 21st birthday on Sunday. So I wasn't super worried. But called them both anyways.


My mom wasn't super worried either. My Sister on the other hand was very worried. I told them both that if they hadn't heard from him by the afternoon, I would drop everything and go back to Indian Creek to look for him and if anything I could tel SAR exactly where he was as I had just seen his truck a few days early.


Despite this, we soldiered onwards despite it slowing down our start to the morning.


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The rain, thankfully not near us, had made a lot of the area crisp and clear to see.


M~D~U-4.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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The road started getting rougher the further we went. But so far, nothing bad at all. Just wide open spaces with Lake Powell off in the distance.


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M~D~U-5.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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Then the slick rock came in waves.


M~D~U-6.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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And things got more interesting. The ledges appeared and the dirt became less. It now was actually a challenge in place just to know where to go. The trail was not easy to follow in places.


M~D~U-9.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


After a little hill climb, we came to the first major obstacle on the trail named The Twister.


M~D~U-10.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

IMG_2240 by mike digirat, on Flickr


You can also in this photo see a rod with a small orange flag on it in the middle of my truck. That is how the trail is marked. Staked driven into the slick rock. Can be hard to spot is places.


M~D~U-11.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


I went first down the Twister with no spotter. Just felt it out. You can see why it gets the name the Twister though! If you aren't careful you can end up flopping over on this steep obstacle.


IMG_2241y by mike digirat, on Flickr

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M~D~U-12.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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Weeee three wheeling!

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At this point you back up just a bit to get the passenger tire over on the taller spot on the left as the truck can turn that sharp. Thankfully I had scoped this thing out before going down it. If I had continued on the line I had, id have tipped over.

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Turned back in and headed back down.


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Much more level decent.


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Well that was fun! Going up will be...also fun!


Now it was Mikes turn.


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His truck has much better suspension then mine! That said, I still had him back up and do the same drill I had just done.


M~D~U-26.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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From here, the trail was just rough and required a lot of our attention at the wheel. So I appologize for the lack of photos here. It just was rough slow going and it was hard to find the trail as well in areas. Like this for instance.


M~D~U-29.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


Here is one of those rods. Can be hard to see when going up something steep!


M~D~U-30.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


We still were enjoying ourselves. However, we started to notice at lunch that we had grossly overestimated the length of the tail and how long it would take us to run. But I was determined to finish it and kept telling myself we could do it!


M~D~U-31.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


This section was super fun. Was in the bottom of a small canyon and then this huge ledge was at the end. Not having any armor other then sliders made this a bit of a pucker. But I had to try it.


M~D~U-32.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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Yeah..its a big one!


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But Igor pulled through like a champ.


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Mike again made it look easy. Equipment really pays off if stuff like this.


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Im 6' 1'' for reference standing a bit in front of it. Pretty good sized ledge really.


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Then we started up the steep rocky climb to Dugways Flat


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This spot was pushing the limit of a Tacoma on 33s with no lockers.


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But we made it to Dugways Flat.


M~D~U-45.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


Mike was done though. The trail had been very taxing and he was ready to be off of it. On top of that, the weather was really starting to roll in towards us. Plus we had a LONG ways to go still and we had reservations in The Maze tomorrow night, which wasn't very close from where we were anyways. We knew that if we made it to the end we would be staying there and it would take almost all day to get out again.


We didn't want to do that and we really didn't want to go up some of the hills we had just done in the wet. I kept think of the Twister in the wet...


So we decided to turn around and head out. Alas. Not enough time to get to all the dirt we had planned this go around.


Back down Dugway we went.


M~D~U-46.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


Which brought us back to the big ass ledge we had just come down.


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I was a little skeptical that I could make it with no lockers and had already prepared for the possibility that Mike would have to winch me up this thing. But by golly I was going to at least try first!


M~D~U-47.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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I didn't make it...






This time!


I did kill my other mud flap though


M~D~U-50.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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I was not happy about that.


M~D~U-52.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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After some more scoping and chatting with Mike about my line. I tried it again.


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WE HAVE LIFT OFF!


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WOOO!!


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I was pretty freaking stoked about that.


Now for the Red Head.


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Lockers at nice..


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That was a high moment for me. May not seem like much, but consider the truck I had brought on this trail. I as pretty happy.


I did notice when I walked back to Igor that perhaps 18psi isn't a great choice with this tire size..


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Noted.


By now though the clouds were starting to form and it was a race to get out before the rain hit.


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Thankfully we made it back to the Twister before the rain had caught us. Once again, I wasn't sure id be able to do this with open diffs. But slickrock is amazing stuff when it comes to traction. I picked my line and went right up.


M~D~U-70.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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Okay maybe not straight up. I did have to re adjust my line. Thankfully I am used to wheeling with open diffs. Hell Frankenstein had only had a locker for the last year. Id been open diffs most my life. Im still a big advocate that people learn to pick lines without having a locker to rely on. I think it makes you a better wheeler and better at picking lines.


But thats a different topic for a different day. I mean while lined back up to give it another go.


M~D~U-74.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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After that I walked up no problem. Mike of course had no problems at all with the better suspension and lockers.


M~D~U-77.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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We were out of the thick of it and just had a few rough sections left. I was pretty bummed we hadn't got to finish it. This had been the one “hardcore” trail Mike had allowed me to pick Oh well, I guess i'll just have to come back to finish it another day.


M~D~U-79.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


The clouds were rolling in now though fast and we broke out for a camp spot and found one much better then our last one. I also heard back from my Mom and indeed Grant had had a wild 21st and had slept in very late. So that was good.


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We were just getting settled in when all the sudden it really got darker fast.


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oh...right..


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I had just got the fire going and we were getting settled in when the rain started. Light at first but big drops. Then stopped. Then started. Then heavier. Then stopped. It would rain on and off all night from then on and we retreated to our tents fairly early for the night enjoying the patter of rain of the roof to lull us back to sleep.


Then next morning was spectacular.


Everything was so clear you could see for miles with no haze. Mike was up before me and really had fun capturing the clear morning.


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We had a long drive though and had hoped for an early start. But our gear was soaked so we waited a while for it to dry off some.


We also needed to put our spare gas in to make it the 120ish miles to Hanksville. I however had a problem. My Scepter gas tank would not open. The change in elevation and temperature had vacuumed it shut and I could not get it open. Without the 5 gals of gas, I would not make it there. After trying a few ways of getting it open we ultimately decided to just go to Halls Crossing to get some gas. Originally we had hoped to take the ferry across the lake but it was closed now for the season.


Finally we packed up and headed to the highway to air up for the long drive of asphalt north. I was not happy about my tank and knew that I should have ordered one of the Scepter tank wrenches.


M~D~U-3.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


Normally you have to pay just to get in here, but no one was at the gate and we just wanted gas so buzzed by the toll house straight to the gas pumps.


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Then off on the highway North.


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Part of me is very glad we didn't take the ferry. The drive up was very very scenic and before long we were pulling off the highway to take photos.


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M~D~U-5.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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Around every corner I wanted to stop. It was just breath taking view after view.


M~D~U-11.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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Its amazing to think that this is technically the top of Lake Powell.


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I very much like this next strech of road. The high bluffs all around the crossing the Colorado river and Dirty Devil River. Was very cool.


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I spy a red taco..


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There was an overlook at the other side that we of course stopped at and decided to eat lunch at.


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The view was pretty awesome.


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The bridge we crossed over the Colorado River


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This mountain top I found very odd looking. But pretty cool.


M~D~U-22.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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There was lots of cool info at the overlook too.


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This is the town of Hite.


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Not much of a town really. But there IS GAS HERE! Something we did not know at the time but we certainly wish we had know.


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We ate our lunch and continued north to Hanksville to top off out gas again and buy some last minute groceries at the general store there. Then we headed to the most remote place I think either of us had ever been. The Maze.


The Maze is part of the Canyon Lands National Park and is considered Wilderness area. No fires are aloud, no pets, and you have to have permits to camp. The roads to get in are long. The roads to get around are long and rough. Very few people come here compared to the rest of Canyonlands.


For instance, Arches National Park reported 1,585,718 visitors in 2016. Thats a lot.


Canyonlands reported 776,218 in 2016. Also a lot.


But in 2012 only 318,520 people visited Canyonlands. Of that number only 8,517 people went to the maze.


That is nothing for a park thats open year round. In fact we would barely see anyone the whole time we were there.


Our first camp site was at Happy Canyon which was a ways away. Soon as we got off the highway we aired back down.


M~D~U-26.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


The road to the Ranger station at the top of The Maze is super smooth. Easily hit 65mph on it if you wanted. We made good time on it


M~D~U-27.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


Had to stop to look at the small sand dunes. I always like how they look.


M~D~U-28.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


Then we came to the junction. Left goes toward Green River, UT and right to the Ranger station.


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We stopped to see if any information was posted we would need to know. And instead got this.


M~D~U-29.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


Yeah..


So that happened here. If you are unfamiliar with the story about Aron Ralston, you need to read it and/or watch the movie 127 hours.


Was another wake up call on how remote the area is. 3 days before SAR can even get here. Wow.


Still, kinda cool and exciting!


We continued on hoping we could make it to the Ranger station before it closed to check in.


But we got there just too late.


M~D~U-31.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


Oh well, we had all of our paper work in order so we continued south to get to our camp site. The Henry Mountains looking just as good from this side as they had the other side that morning.


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The rain had been here in the last day or two as there was mud holes and standing water all over. We had escaped mud this entire trip for the most part until now.


M~D~U-36.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr


In the setting sun light we had to stop and look at Bag Pip Butte. Almost seemed to be on fire.


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Amazingly, we were once again looking back on where we had come from. Somewhere over his is Elephant hill trail and the Confluence overlook.


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Our next stop was at Flint Trail Overlook. Which we would be driving down in the morning.


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And looky here. Those are the La Sal Mountains we had crossed not a week ago.


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Me pointing out to Mike where we were headed tomorrow and all the places far off in the distance we had driven over.


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We got to camp just as the light was starting to fade. It was a nice spot. But more setup for tent campers not really RTT folks. Whatever, we made do just fine and enjoyed to fading sunlight.


M~D~U-44.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

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We didn't really have a game plan for the Maze. Well, we had made camp site reservations. But that was it. We had mile and mile of roads we could check out before we got to camp. We decided to a very large figure eight heading south down Flint trail to Lands end and continue south out of the maze via Cove Canyon. Then come back in via Poison Creek, go back up Lands end and end up at the Maze Overlook for camp.


It was ambitious as for the first time all trip we had to adhere to a “schedule” and could only camp at our designated spots. Mike was skeptical we would make it before dark. I was confident though.


Mike broke out the Propane Fire Pit, which yes is allowed in wilderness areas! Not quite the same as a normal fire, but it sure beats sitting in the dark talking to each via flash light. The night was cool but calm and we went to bed ready for what The Maze had to offer over the next few days.


As the sun faded and the stars came out. The pure isolation started to really sink in.


Exactly what we wanted.


M~D~U-46.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

To be continued:


Chapter 7: A perfect Maze​

 

Well. That was long over due..

Two chapters left!