MOAB EXPLORER EXTRAVAGANZA 2001

[Dre]

OUCH!

This one wasn't as bad as the Blazer roll. Anyway, convoy seems OK. I will leave so I can meet you guys somewhere and take it from there. Let me know where we're staying so I can reserve a room. Sounds better every day!

Later,

 

[riffman]

Originally posted by Perry
when do all you guys from Ill. plan on going thru Denver? Maybe some of us from that area can join up with you the rest of the way.
More Explorer's going down I-70 the better!!

Its hard to say, but my best guess would probably be sometime in the early to mid afternoon on thursday. i think. haha...im really not that sure, it all depends on where we stop the first night.

on a different note, does anybody know of a place that rents weight distribution setups? i think im not going to buy one as i will only be towing my own explorer mostley. this is a rare occation that i will be pulling 2 trucks, so i don't really see the need of buying the whole thing. Does u-haul rent them?

 

[2001ExpSport]

EEEED!!EEEED!!EEEEDD!! Ya, I'd roll myself over too. Dead Link Removed

Scott, you're mean....down right mean.

 

[Tom Wilk]

AHHHHH! AHHHHH! AHHHHHH! Wow, I'd probably be too busy thinking "OH SH*T" to even scream. Still, its funny.

OK, on the travel subject, it's approximately 1660 miles from here to Moab. So, a good halfway point for me would be just west of Omaha, Nebraska. But, you are coming from Chicago, so you could certainly travel farther than that the first day. For you, it may well be Grand Island or even North Platte, but that would put me between 890 and 980 miles for the first day. I'd probably want to keep it around 890. I made it just over 800 the first trip and that was on the west side of Omaha.

Another thing which will affect how far we get is how fast you can drive towing. The speed limit in Nebraska and Colorado is 75 in most places, except in cities and twisting mountain roads. I pretty much kept it below 80 the whole trip, slowing down to 5 - 8 over the limit in other areas.

Let me know what you think.

PS What are you towing with?


[Edited by Tom Wilk on 01-09-2001 at 04:55 PM]

 

[2001ExpSport]

How's this for close. I just found out my classes end May 14th. Just got in by the hair on my chinny chin chin.

 

[riffman]

Matt...ya know im just playin!! hehe

yeah..i was kinda worried about speed too.....im pulling a 2 car trailer w\ me and kampy on it...w\ a dodge ram 3500 dually w\ the cummins turbo diesel. I really don't know how well it does when pulling. i just got it last friday!! So who knows...

 

[Peter Weber]

Tom, Gerald, did you get my e-mails?

 

[Dre]

it looks like our speed would most likely stay around 60 mph most the way. Got to figure that and see what we'll do about a stop over.

I'll get working on my map thing today.

Always no time, ,,,,,,

 

[riffman]

60?!?!?! Heck NO!!! Unless it is physically impossible for that beast to go faster than 60, you can bet ill be going faster than that!!! See, Im a big guy, but my foot makes up for most of my weight!! haha

 

[Peter Weber]

Gerald

I send you and Tom follow-up e-mails to our conversation on the chat group Sunday evening.

What I e-mailed you was some details about the Delicate Arch. You have a run planned for the stockers to that area. You cannot get there via vehicle. From the parking lot it's a 1.5 mile uphill hike. Allow 2-3 hrs roundtrip if you want to do the hike. I'm attaching a picture I took last year. To get the red colors that are in the picture you posted you have to be there either just after sunrise or just before sunset.

The other item was the White Rim Trail. It's become kind of a fixation for me. 100 miles, 2 days of great scenery thru the Canyonlands NP. Can I interest you. I think it would be a great adventure for your son. Stock 4x4's are supposed to be able to handle it, but I don't want to take the chance to be stuck out there alone 50 miles from nowhere. I'm looking for one or more peole to go. Didn't work out last year. Maybe this time around.




[Edited by Peter Weber on 01-09-2001 at 09:40 PM]

 

[Peter Weber]

Tom (Wilk)

I assume my e-mail (via the newsgroup) didn't get to you either.

I'm booked into the Sleep Inn 5/18-20 (3 nights, Fri-Sun). I stayed at the Comfort Suites last year. This is in the same chain and the motel is only about 3 years old. $70 a night (with my discont and includung tax), $35 each. If you want to share, I'll have to change the rsv. to 2 Queen beds. Let me know.

Also, White Rim. Interested? Before or after the official run. Either will work for me.

 

[fox]

Hi all, I would LOVE to experince moab!!!! but i don't get out of school until mid june, i am always willing to skip if it's not durring finals. I live up in portland so realize i would have to take few days off for driving but from what i hear it would be more than worth it! I didn't have the time to read the 17 pages so don't know what date you have set up. so if you don't mind a quick reply with bare info such as date ect. i would love to hear from you guys. and if there is no hotels.... GOOD i like to camp!?

OH and is there a min requirement of 4x4 capability such as lockers all around, certian tire size, or gear ratio ect?

 

[Dre]

well....fox, get back to the beginning and check the thread titled Moab Itinerary. It will give you all the info on the run. I think though that all the slots are already spoken for. Don't know for sure, check there and come back here with your questions.

Link is right here if you need it:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=22516

Later,

 

[Tom Wilk]

Peter,

I'll check my e-mail when I get home tonight. At work now with no access. I was in bed pretty early last night and didn't get a chance to check it. breifly, I will be able to share the room on those 3 nights, but I will have to reserve a room for the first night, Thursday. We'll get together on that via e-mail. Also, I'm don't think I'll do the White Rim trail this time around. Just too many things to see out there.

Riff,

Speed limits are 75 for trucks as well as cars. That turbo-diesel will handle the mountains west of Denver rather easily. We'll work out those stops. Remember, your payload will be pretty heavy, maybe 10000 lbs or more.

 

[Tom Wilk]

OK, Peter, I never got the e-mail. I'll try to e-mail you and give you my e-mail address. I'm not sure what occurs when you try to send it, but it definately works as evidenced by the plethora of junk e-mail I recieve each day.

 

[riffman]

yeah..i think i am figuring about 11,000 just to be safe.

Now my problem is, I can't find a place that rents weight distribution systems. Cuase i don't really feel like dropping 250 bucks for a 1 time use. I am getting a 1 car trailer, and that doesn't need the system, the hitch can do it by itself, but the 2 car needs one. Does anybody know of a place that rents one?

 

[Anime]

limit? wtf?

Theres a LIMIT to the number of Explorers/people who can go? Since when? Last time I checked there wasnt a real shortage of outdoor space...?

I'd love to make it to Moab if I can get a bumper set and my mods completed to run in the "stock/superstock" category..

...planning is good, but arent people allowed to just show up and run the trails?

 

[GJarrett]

Yes there is a limit

And we are pushing it at thirty. The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) slaps on a group fee for land usage when large groups congregate to use the land. We are talking several thousand dollars. By limiting the amount of Explorers that appear in town at once and splitting up into several different run groups each day we hope to slide by as long as possible without attracting too much undue attention to our appearance there. Not too many of us enjoy the porspect about having to charge an extra $100-200+ per vehicle to do this run.

The criteria for what makes up a "group" is a gray area left to the discretion of the local BLM beaurocrat so we've never been able to find out exactly when we'll get hit with the fee. The 30 vehicle limit is our attempt to "run under the radar" for as long as possible without having to face this issue.

There is also a secondary reason. If you'll read the Moab book you will learn that many of the trails are very remote and trailfinding over the slickrock is oftentimes very hard. It is easy to get lost and conditions are harsh. The Canyonlands area alone is over 500 square miles. People get lost and die there every year. There are only so many drivers with Moab experience available to be Trailbosses to lead the different runs. Groups of more than ten vehicles become extremely onerous on the trail and greatly slow down progress. With more people coming than could be led, they would be left "just showing up to run trails on their own" -- possibly even by themselves with no buddy system -- and would put themselves at risk.

I personally would love to turn this into "THE" Explorer run each year and the moderators have discussed this in length. We all would. But the BLM fee would kill us unless we had hundreds of Explorers show up to help pay the fee. That is the main reason why Truckhaven is the official big Explorer run, not Moab. No fees are associated with Truckhaven and it is big enough to hold however many of us show up.

The situation sucks but as long as the current conditions remain we are stuck with having to deal with it. Sorry

[Edited by GJarrett on 01-11-2001 at 03:39 PM]

 

[Anime]

Moab

Originally posted by GJarrett
By limiting the amount of Explorers that appear in town at once and splitting up into several different run groups each day we hope to slide by as long as possible without attracting too much undue attention to our appearance there. Not too many of us get exited about having to charge an extra $100+ per vehicle to do this run.
[Edited by GJarrett on 01-11-2001 at 02:17 PM]

Good idea and I'm all for it...but even if you only have 30 there will probably be 500+ Ford Explorers in Moab anyway being the most popular SUV in America...what I'm saying is even if 20 million people all show up, whos to tell them theyre in a group or arent? If I show up all by myself in Moab with a Ford Explorer, and get help from 50 different people along the trails who also have Ford Explorers, who cares?

I plan on trying to make it to Moab this year if I can arrange my life around it..whether or not anyone else goes.

Organizing as a group is great..smoother plans and more fun or everyone...but if one group of Explorer owners meets another group of Explorer owners on the trail, should they tell each other to get lost just because they now believe they'll get slapped with a trail usage fee because they all happen to be driving the same type of vehicle?

The whole idea of Moab and such places was alot of trails in one place where people could get together and wheel together and maybe even party later and have a good time.

I think the fee is more for organized clubs and events with sponsors who pay the fees..

 

[leebo]

You might want to sign up a few more people than 30. Just let anybody after 30 know that they may or may not be able to make the run. As I've seen with the truckhaven run and a few others it always seems that a few people can't make the run and back out at the last minute.