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Tree lubbers in Moab!

Scarsman

Sponsor
Messages
1,561
Location
Monroe, WA
Disclaimer:
I can only post pics from my phone until I get home. More pics and videos will be added over the next week or two.

So, Erik and I both work odd schedules, and get odd time off work, and oddly, often match up. And so, when looking at work schedules for the summer and dreaming of Moab, a plan was hatched, the stars aligned, and our fate was sealed.

Our plan was to have three days of wheeling, leaving enough time to do other things to keep our more refined and attractive better halves happy and improve our odds of coming back. [emoji41]

As with most plans, they barely made it through the first day.

We hit Moab Rim trail first.

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5 minutes into the trail Erik's truck started making a gawd awful popping/banging noise that we though was going to be a broken rear axle or diff. Turns out he found the only OEM skid he had left, the gas tank, and introduced it to a rock on a ledge. The result was the bottom was bowed up causing the side to bend out, and rub on the driveline hard. The popping was when it would ride over the balance weight welded to the shaft.

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After removing the skid and having it beat back into shape by a master metalsmith with a big hammer who just happened to be there, [emoji12] we were on our way again.


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On the first real obstacle, Devil's Crack, I believe, I was amazed I got up it with only a couple readjustments. My goal was I wanted to do the trail cold turkey with no rock stacking or spotter. Big Blue did me proud! I only have pics of Erik on this one on my phone.

He gave it a valiant effort, but I think the ledge was just a bit much for his 35"s. My wife said this one looked like his truck felt like she did on this slope. (She was not a fan of the off camber slope with the abyss to the river below!)

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We strapped him a couple feet just to get his back wheels up the ledge.

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More to come later! Gotta go catch a raft now!
 
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H3slate

Brush raked
Messages
983
Location
Tualatin, Oregon
This trail was amazing! Robert's truck handled every obstacles we put in front of it.

Robert climbing the first ledge.

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The view looking back down the trail.

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Robert making the z turn on his first attempt. Video to follow. [emoji41]

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Highatop

Well-Known Member
Messages
600
Location
Florissant, Co.
Nice pics and fun place. I believe the first part is called The Devils Crack. Its tough for the 3s w/out stackin rocks. I've made it once and was pulled up twice. I never made it up the Z Turn w/out a strap. I have no lockers either. Still a good time and view from the top
 
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Scarsman

Sponsor
Messages
1,561
Location
Monroe, WA
Well, as I said in my opening post, our plans only made it into the first day. On the Moab Rim run temps were 104 by the time we reached the top of the bluff. Big Blue was sweating pretty good after the climb, so we stopped and I opened the hood to let him cool off a bit. Then about half way through the loop my AC clutch went out. By then temps were 109 by then, so that made for a hot rest of the day!

Second issue was I was climbing a steep off camber ledge that I really had no good reason to climb, and I cut a sidewall. It was very off camber and all the weight was on the left side of the truck. There was a raised rock with about a 1/2" radius ridge perpendicular to the wheel I didn't notice. The rim went over, and with being aired down to 18, and all the weight on that side, the tire deformed right to the room and it cut the sidewall.

We put the spare on and finished the day. The next morning I hit every toe shop in the area, and not one had a used 37x12.50-17. How is that possible in a place like Moab???? I mean, I couldn't count the number of rigs I saw running that size! Tire Factory did have new Cooper STTs in stock. I bought mine from Discount Tire and had the road hazard coupons so I knew I would get a new one for free. So my choice was either buy a new one in Moab for $380, or risk no spare until I went through Provo on the way home. We decided to risk it, knowing if I got another flat we could go get a new one of needed. Of course, this was all a glaring reminder that my spare was still on the stock chrome wheel! So, yes Twin, the chrome did indeed get me home that day!

I also checked out my AC issue, and found the clutch had come apart. Napa was able to get one by the next morning, and Tire Factory was able to put it on. We spent the rest of the day exploring downtown and going from one air conditioned place to another while it was 104!

Next day, AC was done by noon, and we packed up and headed for Hell's. Unfortunately most pics I have from Hell's are on my camera. It was so hot that day my phone would over heat and shut down after being outside and on for more than a few minutes. Moab was 109 that day, and we were seeing 110 to 115 while driving around Hell's.

Airing down.

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This was Hell's Gate. I looked long and hard at this one and walked it twice before I decided I was going to try it. I first removed my spare parts, tool box, and everything big,heavy,or loose inside my truck. I then hooked my longest strap to my back end, and put a shackle on the front of Erik's truck ready to go and had him pull up to the top. I also staged 3 more straps of various lengths at the ready. My plan was if I got part way down and got in trouble and hadn't endo'd yet, I wanted Erik and my boys to be able to get hooked up to me as fast as possible. And if I did endo, I didn't want to take my spare front axle in the back of the head! Maybe a little over cautious, but that's just how I roll!

Here's a couple pics as I started down.

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And videos of the two times I went down the right side. Funny thing, once I started down, it didn't feel near as bad as it looked.

https://youtu.be/aAXnkf5IZ1o

https://youtu.be/SDqiBU70dI0
 

adventr

Well-Known Member
Messages
500
Location
United States
^^ the few times that I've ran the Gate, I always felt like the drop in was more challenging (mentally) than the actual climb out (gate)!
 

Zach

Mall Crawler
Messages
4,812
Location
So Cal
Looking at the entrance is very intimidating. I looked at it and said hell no! Watched a couple rigs go down and ran my fat ass back to the truck to air down more. Drop in was easy and smooth thanks to Neo guiding me. Got to the up and thought, wow! No way out from here but up. H2 in front of me got way out of line, didn't help the nerves at all. Only had a little issue with the first bump after that it was easy and paying attention to Neo.
 

Scarsman

Sponsor
Messages
1,561
Location
Monroe, WA
Here is a video of coming up the left side. It stops just short of where it got interesting! Phone overheated. I have full video on the camera I'll post as soon as I can upload it.

You can see about 00:32 I want high enough on my right side. Should have been further up the wall.

https://youtu.be/X2PoqhcTWjg
 

Highatop

Well-Known Member
Messages
600
Location
Florissant, Co.
^Agreed. In July of 2013, my first time there. We did Arches backcountry trails. It got to 126 on my black rig and to top it off. Someone got lost goin back to the trucks and ran out of water. Its wild how things can go bad so fast. Everyone lived and a big lesson learned. Don't go in the middle of the summer.
 

Scarsman

Sponsor
Messages
1,561
Location
Monroe, WA
109 is why we do Moab in April and October. :) Rarely gets above low 80s and the mornings may need a sweater in those months.
I know, I just couldn't make those times work with my job. And apparently the high temps were very unusual. Everywhere we went the locals were saying it should have been in the 80s, and they just couldn't believe the heat.
 

Scarsman

Sponsor
Messages
1,561
Location
Monroe, WA
^Agreed. In July of 2013, my first time there. We did Arches backcountry trails. It got to 126 on my black rig and to top it off. Someone got lost goin back to the trucks and ran out of water. Its wild how things can go bad so fast. Everyone lived and a big lesson learned. Don't go in the middle of the summer.
Yeah, my family were very aware and cautious, and we planned well. We had over a gallon of water for each person for drinking, plus extra "emergency" water as well. Everyone was well sunblocked, and had full brimmed hats, and the rule was you did not get out of the truck without your hat. And for any wandering away from the trucks we had two way radios. Definitely don't want to take that kind of heat lightly!
 

Scarsman

Sponsor
Messages
1,561
Location
Monroe, WA
Ok, here is a raw, unedited video of Big Blue coming down the Z-Turn. My son took it with a GoPro on a DJI Phantom 1.1.1. Before the trip he set it up with FPV so he could do this. Hopefully I can get the one of Erik uploaded today. He's going to edit all the videos they took, but I wanted to get something up.

https://youtu.be/VLO93hqVj2M
 
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