1st Moab Experience!

Since this was my first trip, I thought I would share my experiences with you. I planned well in advance and had everything I needed for the trip. Campground reservations, trail selections, extra parts, tools, and money. I pulled my pop-up trailer 800 miles with my 91 Jeep Wrangler with its 3.5 inch lift, modified 4.0L six, lockers, 4.11 gears, and 33x12.50 BFGs.

I left Sierra Vista, Arizona at 6AM , Saturday, 8 April. I arrived in Moab with about an hour of daylight to spare. I had planned for a lazy day on Sunday just to get to know the area and to check out all the cool 4x4s arriving steadily. However, I soon developed "slickrock fever" and had to get my jeep out on the trail.

I hooked up with another vehicle and we headed out for the Cliff Hanger Trail. We continued until we came upon the group that was scheduled for that trail that day. We met them as they were coming back in and were busy negotiating the infamous Cliff Hanger rock ledge. The banging, crashing, crawling, metal mashing fun was just a taste of what was to come during the next few days. I didn't try to tackle the ledge since I would have started after everyone else had left. If I got into trouble, there wouldn't be anyone around to help. Since I had scheduled this particular trail for Tuesday, I decided I could wait.

On Monday, I was scheduled for the Fins and Things trail. Departure time was 9AM, so I planned to leave for the meeting place at 8:30. A friend of mine was there with his family as we had planned to do all the same trails. He stopped by my trailer at 7:00AM and said he was on his way to register for the trail. Kinda early, I thought to myself, but ok. I jumped in my rig and off we went. After registration, I figured I still had an hour for breakfast and time to pack a lunch. Kevin, my friend, said he was going on down to the meeting place. I still thought this was rather early, so I assumed he and his crew were going to stop for breakfast somewhere.

I arrived at the meeting place about a quarter to nine anticipating introductions and the pre-requisite drooling over each other's rig. I was amazed that there wasn't anyone there. I double checked the newsletter to make sure I was at the right location. Everything was ok, so I waited. 9AM came and went and still no one showed. It took me about 15 minutes to figure out that I was still on Arizona time and an hour behind every other state on daylight savings time. I quickly drove back to the registration point and was lucky enough to get directions to the trailhead.

After a few wrong turns, I could see the group on some distant rocks. We scanned CB channels until we contacted out group and the run leader talked us in. We had caught up early enough and we didn't miss any of the good stuff.

The rest of the day was some of the most interesting four wheeling I've ever done. Slickrock (really solid sandstone and not slick at all) wheeling was quite a bit different than the dirt and loose rock trails back in Arizona. Broad expanses of undulating, smooth rock had the characteristics of driving on pavement. I had lockers in my Jeep and they didn't appreciate not slipping once in awhile, like they would in the loose stuff. You've heard that its not to good to go cruising around with lockers engaged on pavement because they have a tendency to bind up. Well, guess what? It binds up and stays that way and puts a tremendous amont of strain on the drivetrain. My 4:11 gearing wasn't quite the help I needed. It was ok for going up, but too high a ratio coming down. I had to ride the brakes to keep my speed down on the steepest downhill grades. I think 4:56s would have suited me more.

All in all, Fins and Things was a good intro to slickrock wheeling. Rated a 3+, the trail didn't present any difficulty for my vehicle. After the trail ended, the group was invited by the trail leader to run the Lion's Back. Remember the 911 TV episode that showed a Ford Bronco careening, out of control down a very steep rock slope, going over the edge and plummeting, nose first into the sand? Well, that was the Lion's Back. I overheard the run leaders asking each other if they were going to do it? One of them responded, "Hell no, it scares me too bad".

Well, not being one to toss away an opportunity to laugh in the face of danger, I headed for the Lion's Back.

Lion's Back! Upon arrival, I noticed a couple of Jeeps on the way up. I watched intensely, as they carefully and very slowly inched up the steep rock face. Not sure, but I would estimate the Lion's Back is about 600-700 feet high from the base to the summit. The incline to the top begins at about a 40 to 45+ degree angle for maybe 50 feet distance and then decreases in steepness to about 30-35 degrees the rest of the way up. Hummmm, I thought. I can do this. My 15 year old son who was with me, said "no way" and he would wait for my return.

I asked my friend Kevin if he would ride along, knowing that he wasn't going to take his '95 Grand Cherokee Laredo up the intimidating slope. Kevin hopped in and we proceeded with another Jeep trailing behind us. When your in the driver's seat you mentally add another 30-40 degrees to whatever incline you are on. (Kinda like describing the size of the fish that got away - it always seems bigger when you got it hooked.) That initial climb seemed to me like a vertical rock face....Yikes!! Years of 4x4s traversing up and down the the Lion's Back, had left enough rubber on the rock so that the only safe path up was very visible. Deviation of half a vehicle width in either direction, would leave you hanging precariousely on the edge, with nothing between you and the ground below except air.

The adrenalin was a pumping as we slowly reached the summit. The last fifty feet or so, increased in angle so that it appeared that you were going vertical again. You could'nt see what was at the top and it seemed you were going right over a cliff. As we crested the summit, out hearts came out of our throats and settled back were it belongs. Wow!! What a view. You could see everything Moab has to offer from the top of the Lion's Back.

It appeared that you could traverse the top of the ridge a certain distance beyond the immediate crest. We continued across the ridge and dismounted to survey the best spot to turn our vehicles around for the trip back down. We had actually gone further down the length of the ridge than where most people usually turn around. In fact, we had gone down so far, that the usual turnaround area required for a short wheel-base vehicle was now much smaller. I found a spot sufficient for me to turn around at. It was a very narrow part of the ridge, but if I worked it slowly with the help of a ground guide, I could do it safely. Had I had enough sense, I should have taken my vehicle out of four wheel drive. It would have made turning a bit easier. During the turning maneuver, I got a little too close to a small depression. The steering wheel was cocked all the way over to the left. I could'nt get it twisted back to the right so I could straighten up. I worked and worked, but I just could'nt get turned in the right direction. So, there I was, stuck sideways on the crest of the Lion's Back.

Every time I turned the wheel, my front locker would creak and groan under the stress I imposed upon it. A little angel in my head, kept telling me to take it out of four wheel drive. But, the little red dude with horns, sitting on my other shoulder said don't do it or I'll go over the edge. Remember earlier, when I mentioned about the drivetrain binding up on the smooth rocks? Well, guess what? I had my drivetrain so twisted and contorted in this tight turn, that something had to give. In the next second, I heard a loud, awful sounding bang from my front end. The driver's side axle U-Joint snapped in half. Fortunately, the axle yolks took the punishment and stayed intact.

After taking the Jeep out of four wheel drive and jockeying it around with the help of another vehicle and a tow strap, I was able to get it pointed in the right direction. The question was, will I be able to get down the Lion's Back alive? I couldn't very well go down in two wheel drive and my brakes would'nt take the constant application without overheating. So, I lined up for my turn down the "Slope of Death" and put my jeep back into four wheel drive. At least, I could use the locker and the 4:11 gearing to keep me slow. Down I went. My heart jumped back into my throat and my knuckles turned white as I put a death grip on the steering wheel. During my descent, my front end started making a lot of racket with the broken U-joint rattling around inside the axle yolks. If the axle broke, I thought, I could most likely make it down safely. Maybe.

The trip down was uneventful if not frightening. I thanked God for letting me hang around awhile longer. We drove back to town to find a mechanic who not only had the U-joint, but who could get my vehicle operational before the next trail run on Tuesday. The mechanic we found said he would fix it, but not before Wednesday. I decided to check out the other mechs in town for a quicker turnaround time. As I was backing out of the driveway, I heard another disconcerting sound from my injured front end. The axle yolks had meshed with what was left of the U-joint and sheared off the yolk of the inner axle shaft. Great!! This was all I needed. The mechanic there, said he would call around for parts and that it might take awhile. He also reminded me it was past his closing time. While I sat impatiently in the waiting room, I counted the money in my wallet and tried to rationalize inexpensive parts and labor.

I noticed in the magazine rack across the room, the latest catalogue from Four Wheel Drive Hardware Inc. Ah ha!! Parts prices. As I thumbed through the pages looking for Dana 30 axles, I realized that I've purchased goodies from these folks before and that I should, at least be a preferred customer, if for nothing else than me spending a lot of doe for 4x4 goodies. I quickly noted the time difference between Moab, Utah and Ohio where they were located and called their 1-800 order line (I had five minutes to spare). Luck was with me and they had the parts in stock and could ship them FEDEX first thing the next morning. With luck, I could have the parts delivered to my campsite early enough Wednesday to effect repairs and do a trail that afternoon. In the mean time, I could take off the damaged parts, do some laundry, drink some beer, drink some more beer, and do the hot tub at the Slickrock Campgrond.

It was somewhat disheartening when the guy with his own Wrangler staying across from me (who, incidently, had a front axle U-joint go bad) kept coming over to my Jeep to see how everything came apart. It was ironic that he stood there with the exact parts I needed in his hand. Well, the parts arrived Wednesday around noon. 20 minutes later I was looking for a trail. I had planned to leave Thursday morning so I could spend a night at the Grand Canyon and then get back early enough to clean the camper and rest up before returning to work Monday morning. I tried to get another night at the campsite so I could make up for lost trail time, but it was booked.

Kevin and I spent the remainder of Wednesday on Poison Spider Mesa, four wheeling til the sun went down. That's about all I have to tell. Aside from the wind trying to rip my trailer to shreads at the Grand Canyon, I had a very memorable trip. Moab, Utah is all that it's cracked up to be and more. I hope I will have another chance at the slick rock during a future Easter Jeep Safari. Bye bye.....Scott