Hey all - I'm headed to Moab this weekend with my daughter. Should be fun. I've driven a fair number of the 4wd trails in the past (mild CJ7 - 35s/rear locker/winch/lift), but most of my offroad fun in Moab has been on a 2 wheeled device - bicycle or dirtbike.

I'm not bringing a bicycle.
I'm not bringing a dirtbike.

Just the kid and I, we're going to have fun in the desert. I'm trying to figure out what easy trails/roads I should look at with my only mechanized device - a 2wd Ford E350 van. 29" Kumho AT tires, open rear diff (uggh), but LOTS of clearance - the thing sits pretty high off the ground.

Hurrah Pass seems like a good candidate, but the stream crossing at Kane Creek is a bit worrisome. I'd like to get it on some slickrock, just for giggles. I'm not really looking at challenging myself or the van, just want to get a little lost & drive it on slickrock.

I'm a solid offroad driver; I was way into Jeeps when I was younger (had a 62 Willys CJ5 that was pretty well built - for 1986), I'm not a moron; I just want to keep from doing something moronic.

Any suggestions? I'm not at all worried about highcentering it, I'll be able to see things that might highcenter it, I think. I just don't want to get the thing stuck.

The times I've had it in Moab, it has done absolutely fine in campsite areas - Sand Flats, Monitor & Merrimack, etc; it seems to do OK in sandy stuff (but I don't want to push my luck there, knowwhatImean?). I got it onto the beginning of Fins & Things last year, that was fun, but a bit more than I think I'm looking for. Plus, FnT got too gnarly for the van pretty quickly. Like I said, it is tall.

Any suggestions for harder-than-graded dirt roads that'd be a reasonably safe bet in a 2wd with lots of clearance? Hurrah is at the top of my list - worst case, if the crossing looks like it might suck me in, I turn around. No big deal; the kid is 9, she's easy to entertain.

Ultimately, I'd like to find a way to get it onto a big expanse of slickrock, just for giggles. North of town, on the left? I seem to remember an annoyingly sandy road out to a huge slickrock area on my bicycle, 10+ years ago.

Thanks!


Iain

The problem with taking any 2wd vehicle out is that you always run the risk of getting stuck. Yes, there are a lot of 2wd places you can go. If you want to go north of town, you can run the area up near I70 like Yellow cat road. Its just north of the Airport and takes off to the right/east. Don't attempt it in wet weather...

If you take the road to Copper Ridge trail, you can double back toward Arches and you hit a large area of slick rock. Its just behind that ridge that runs along 191.

Or you can run out Kane Creek Blvd (the one that starts at the Micky D's) and just follow it out to Chicken Corners.

Another trip you could take is up toward Dead Horse Point. Just run out that road and then come down Long Canyon to the Potash Road.

Any of the sandy stretches you get into have the potential for bogging you down. I assume you know how to air down your tires. Better to do that before you get stuck.

There are a lot of places you can go west of 191, and I assume thats where you were thinking. I just wouldn't recommed them to someone without the front end helping.

About 10 or so years ago I drove the safari route up to Crystal Geyser. But that was in a built CJ with a rear locker. I just didn't bother locking the front end.

If you go south of town, you can go in Behind the Rocks (also the exit to Pritchett). The Safari takes a tip-toe trail in that way and around on the flat. Just don't drop down into Hunter Canyon or we'll find your corpse in the spring. In fact, if you're a good driver, you can probably make it to the arch without a lot of trouble. My 1983 Jeep Safari newsletter lists Pritchett Canyon as a "2" trail. That was from back when the county graded the road each year. All you needed to go down it was high ground clearance.

At least that last one gives you some scenery.

I assume the loop road is open up to Oowah lake. If you run all the way up Sand Flats you can go right and drop down into Castle Valley, then back along 128. Or if you go up past Ken's lake, you might be able to make it to Geyser Pass then down the other side past Dark Canyon Lake then back toward Old Lasal.

Hope that helps. If you need more, let us know.

Thanks, Dick! That's exactly what I was looking for. Kane Creek to Chicken Corners was what I had in mind - I was just unsure as to how feasible it was after the stream crossing (if there even is one at this point in time).

What's a good tire pressure? I used to run 25ishpsi in my Jeep, seemed to work OK (bias ply Swampers). I normally run 70 in the van (load range E, the van's primary duty is towing a racecar). 35? Less? I'll search for that.

I completely understand that the risk of getting stuck always exists; I'm going to be very careful as far as that goes. I can see sand swallowing this thing up, have to be careful there - I don't _think_ I'll do anything stupid.

Thanks! Chicken Corners seems like it'd be a fun destination for the kid and I.


Iain (and hopefully, on the way back, we can take a crack at Moab Rim - on foot. If we get lucky, there'll be a few people running the trail - that's always good watching

Yow, did a search, found a well-thought-out discussion on pressures - this guy was talking 8-10psi for sand.

I don't have an on board compressor, so whatever I decide on has to get me back to town. 20? Hmmm.



Iain

I don't consider 20 to be deflated. Its more like almost fully inflated.

The problem you have is that if you're runing 16.5 rims you don't have beads to hold the tires on. That makes it much easier to pop one off the rim. But you don't really start feeling the benefit until you get down to maybe 15#, so thats where I'd be.

Remember, tire pressure cold is much different than after you've driven it a few miles. As the carcass heats up, the pressure goes up, too. And the reverse is even worse. Airing down to 15# when you've driven it for the day and then letting it sit overnight will give you almost no pressure.

Some things to consider. First, try to borrow one of the stupid little cigarette lighter driven air pumps. They're weak, and you won't get 50-70# into your drive wheels with one, but you can bring it up to 25-30 pretty easily. If that fails, pick up a couple of cans of fix a flat. Yes, you'll fill the tire with gunk, but you may also inflate it enough to move if it does go flat.

When you're in town, look for the air pumps at filling stations. Walkers, the station at about 300 South, always had a good one. Its about a block north of City Market, on the same side. I don't know of Maverick has one or not.

Be sure to fill up your spare. I mean fill it. If you can find one of the "cheater" hoses, buy that. Its just a hose with an air chuck on each end. They're cheap, a few bucks, and you can transfer air from one tire to another with it. Around here, flea markets sell cheap coiled air hoses. All you need to do is replace on end (the kind that doesn't leak until its screwed down!)

Bring along a couple of door mats, or floor mats, or similar. If you get stuck, maybe you can use them for traction.

Trails like Long CAnyon are county roads, so you should be OK with them. Cell phone communications are bad in many places. Tell someone where you're going and coming back. That way they'll know when to send the Sheriff when you need rescue.