Me my wife and my friend Alan went and rode Moab for 5 days. If my wife can ever figure out her new computer I will try to figure out how to post some pics.

Day #1 started out in between Moab and Monticello and the Hook and Ladder off road area. We woke up Sat morning to temps in the 20's and snow in the forecast. By the time we got to the riding area the white stuff was coming down hard. We unloaded and took off to Wilson Arch in the snow and we were having a ball. Got some very good pictures of Wilson Arch and the surrounding area. By about noon the snow had turned to sleet and it was turning everything white. After the Arch we just rode some of the trails in that area and found some really good trails on the slickrock. Don't know why they call it slickrock cause it isn't slick. I would rate this as one of the funnest days cause us Texans just don't get snow and it is always fun to ride in it.The X2 ran fine this day.

Day #2 found us heading off to Gemini Bridges. We made it to the Bridge and looked around there for a bit. From the Bridge we headed down to Bull Canyon to look at the Bridge from below. I missed the turn to the Bridge and went left when I should have went straight. The wrong turn took us to the end of the canyon high upon the wall on a small trail. Came to a nice turn around and kept climbing up and came to the end where there was a small place to turn around. If you screw up here it is a long way to the bottom. Came down out of the canyon and headed to the Bridge and got an awesome view looking up through the Bridge from below. We left the Bridge and picked up the trail heading to God Bar Rim I believe. Made the first obsticle OK but got to the big step down and decided to end it there. Just to big of a obstacle for us flatlanders to try plus we still had 3 days left to go.

Day #3 had us heading to Hey Joe Canyon. If you don't like heights you best stay away from the place. It was so cool cause you are moving along at a fast pace on a road then all the sudden you come up on the Canyon and it starts dropping in a hurry. It is a shelf road and it is a long way to the bottom if you screw up. We rode down through the canyon and stopped along the river for a break. We turned right at the river and followed the river to Hey Joe Mine. This was an awesome trail that ran right along the river for a few miles then dead ended at the mine. The entrance to the mine is no longer there cause it looks as if they blew up the mine and caved the front in. We climbed back out of the canyon and headed to Dallenbach Tunnell and spent a few minutes there. From there we skirted around the needles for a few miles and hit a dirt rode and went to Ten Mile Wash at Dripping Springs. This is a trail that runs in and out of the river for miles. It was nice and cool down there and it is always fun riding in the water. We rode nearly to the end and turned around and came back out and took a left across some slickrock and headed bac to the truck. This was a long ride and we did 105 miles this day. This was the 1st day the X2 started acting up.

Day #4 started out at the Dewey River Bridge trailhead 28 miles east of town. We took off for Top of the World and it was everything everybody said it was. This was a very slow trail since there was a lot of rocks and ledges to climb over. There was a ledge around half way up that some people turned around out but it was really worth the effort to get up it. The trail just ended up on a high bluff where you could see forever. We spent a good deal of time on top taking pictures. This is a trail everybody ought to do when you go to Moab cause the scenery from top of the world is awesome. We worked our way back down to the easy road and followed the road all the way to the Dolores River Overlook which was a good ways from top of the world. The overlook looked out over the river and it has an awesome view. There were numerous trails in the area and someone could spend days in this area exploring. We loaded up and headed over to onion creek and this trail to me was a little disappointing after listening to everyone say how great it was. It was very scenic and I didn't smell anything like onions. From the we rode over to Rose Garden Hill. This was a long hill that is rated as one of the hardest hills in Moab. There were some jeepers there but nobody wanted any part of it but me. My friend Alan walked up it and said that there was a lip at the 3/4 way up that if your tires weren't in the right place it could be trouble. I will give it a shot if I ever go to Moab again. I believe with the extra length of the X2 climbing hills has become much easier. My X2 was acting up more and more.

Day #5 had us heading to Mcdonalds then to Chicken Corners and Hurrah pass. This is a nice and easy ride that the whole family could enjoy. It was very senic and it was about a 40 mile ride. We went down Cane Creek until we came to the first deep ravine with the bypass and turned around. The X2 was running so bad by then we decided to call it a day since we still had to pack for the 18 hr ride back to Texas.

Moab is an awesome place to ride with every kind of riding there is. There are easy trails all the way up to the trails that make you think"WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING HERE". I think the 1st day was the funnest with all the snow and sleet and the 2nd day was 2nd best. I would like to explre around the Hook and Ladder area some more. We saw all kinds of weather changes from the 20's all the way up to the 80's with today the weather people were saying 90-95. This is not a summer time riding area it is best done in cool weather. Everyone who rides needs to go here once just to see what the power of water can do to mother earth.

Ronnie

Had you keep going after TOP of the world it woul;d have taken you to the top of ROSE GARDEN. Yeah it is tough but doable. In hot weather you get to enjoy the flavor of ONION CREEK. You know there at DEWY BRIDGE all the new homes on the NORTH side of the river? If you head back thru that development keep heading NORTH and west you will come on YELLOW JACKET trail head.

Dam you make me home sick I know all them places you talk about and could picture in my mind just where you were at. Have the wife load the pics on a site then just add the link to your post.

Sounds like a great trip Ronnie.

Shoot me your pics through email some of the better ones, and I ll post them like I did your Colorado Trip. I know it takes a while, but from that trip it sounds like its worth it.

We met some people at the Dolores River Overlook and they said we should go ride the area you are talking about Cob. They said the scenery there was awesome also. I wish we would have had more time but time just ran out. I will get some pictures for you Greg to put on your site. The wife has gone out of town and left me with the dogs so when she gets back I will try to get them rounded up for you.

Ronnie

Good write up Ronnie, like Cob, i was picturing it in my mind...you just touched the tip of the iceburg!

I noticed you said you started having problems after riding in water. Have you checked your spark plug leads in a dark garage with a spray bottle of water? My SP700 did kind of the same thing you describe, and the plugs looked rich. I had a craked plug wire.

That is what I am gonna do tonight. I would like to spend a month up there just exploring. So much to see.

Ronnie

Ronnie I'll get some of my pic's up today or tomorrow.

Sleet and snow was a definite bonus on the first day, but warner gloves are a must .

Top of the World and Hey Joe canyon were great even if I am a little spooked by heights. But there is so much to see that you forget that its 100's to 1000's of feet down.

Defiantly need to look into a way to record video while riding in some of the more dramatic areas

I'm really glad to see write up's like this, we rarely do much other then Poision Spider, Pritchet Canyon, Monitor Merrimack area, it motivates me to try and see other areas next time and makes me want to leave yesterday....you in Cabman?

....am I in!! .... is a Grizzly tippy, of course I'm in!! But I wouldn't want to try any new areas. and I will wait till it cools off out there. We would have to do either Poison or Pritchett though, wouldn't be the same. I need the adrenalin rush of doing one of those trails.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronnie:
That is what I am gonna do tonight. I would like to spend a month up there just exploring. So much to see.

Ronnie

You got bit by the Moab bug, and it's a powerful bite!! I sure feel sorry for you! Best thing you can do now is start working on the wife to move closer!.

Always have to do one of the standards (Poision or pritchet) but you know how much i like those canyons at dusk......October?

November or December most likely. I would like to go end of October, but doubt I can make it then.

quote:

Originally posted by ATVer:
Have you checked your spark plug leads in a dark garage with a spray bottle of water?

Now we now what ATVer does in his garage at night. j/k
BTW add a little liquid dish soap to the spray water. Old tech tip, it adds to the conductivity of the H2O.

Just packed my bags. What time are we leaving?

Soap will make the water wetter.

quote:

Originally posted by Rock on:
Just packed my bags. What time are we leaving?

4am. same as last time.

Heres the links to my pictures with Ronnie and his wife in Moab.

Day 1 Wilson Arch are



Day 2 Gemini Bridges



Day 3 Hey Joe Canyon



Day 4 Top of the World



Day 5 Chicken Corners





Five days is not enough. Already considering going back in the fall with some other guys from work.

Yes 5 days go real fast, but that is about the right amount of time. After 5 days you havn't had enough but you can't wait to get back. After 5 days shifting back an forth on the seat your BUNG HOLE is getting egg shaped and takes a few days to get back to normal.

POOPSIE and I did HEY JOE in the TRUCK with 10ft camper and two quad trailer behind. Asked some guy at the top if it was ok for our outfit, "YEAH NO PROBLEM" he says. We had to hang in there till we hit the bottom to find a place to turn around. We rode from there then headed back out, lucky for that ARSE he was gone, or I would have choked the BA$**** it was dangerous.

You guys are giving me high anxiety looking at those great pics...

Cob, I know a good Dr. that can help you with the egg shaped problem, how did....nevermind.

Was the guy that sent you down there on a camo Grizz 700? He's taken me in to some difficult areas in his 40' Ford F250 that I wouldn't take a Jeep into.

I'll be ready at 4am......lock down your ramps.

About 50 yards before the gate at Hey Joe Canyon there is a jeep and a motorcycle in the bottom of a bowel as they call it. I wouldn't be caught going down that canyon pulling a trailer.

Ronnie

quote:

Originally posted by ATVer:

I'll be ready at 4am......lock down your ramps.

Now that hurt!