Moab: Four Days in June
We just got back last night from a 4-day video shoot in Moab, and once again we were absolutely amazed by that part of the country. I am beginning to understand why so many people hold it in such high regard; of all the places I've been, nothing quite compares to Moab. Now sure, the wheelin itself out at Katemcy Rocks--the location of our GetBent! Episode 1 DVD--is quite similar to Moab; in fact it's common to hear Katemcy Rocks described as a "Mini Moab" because the rolling granite hills are so similar to the Moab slickrock. But Moab is on a whole different scale: it's literally larger-than-life.
Take for example the 'Moab Rim' trail. Here is a photo of Jason Shields of Red Rock 4x4 on an obstacle called Z-Turn. It's more than just a slickrock obstacle; it's perched atop a hundred-plus foot cliff in a red rock canyon overhanging the vast Colorado River. You simply just don't get scenery like this anywhere else. Jason and his crew of rowdy buddies took us up to the top of the trail where we had a spectacular view overlooking the entire town of Moab. If you're planning a Moab trip, I highly recommend running this trail. It's just a couple miles west of town, right off Kane Creek Road which runs adjacent to the Colorado River. This isn't a particularly difficult trail; a decently built rig on 33's should be able to successfully navigate it. The first 1/4 mile is the only spooky part, and that's mostly because you're basically wheelin on the edge of a cliff. But the scenery alone makes this one a worthwhile trail.
In addition to the rolling slickrock fins east of town and the deep canyons west of town, there's a completely different type of terrain about 15 minutes south of town at Area BFE. The tree-lined trails down there feature loose boulders, sharp ledges, and insane v-cracks that almost guarantee tire lifting, as Beth Schmidgall of 4x4 Land demonstrates here. The terrain is different than Moab proper because Area BFE sits at the foothills of the La Sal mountains--yup, those snow-capped peaks you see in the background of so many Moab photos. Strangely enough, the La Sal mountains may look like there really far away, but they're actually surprisingly close to Moab; like I said, Area BFE is only about 15 minutes away.
As you can see here in this photo of the legendary Harold Off from Off Again Off Road, the ledges at Area BFE can be extremely steep and challenging. A little later in the day, Harold actually flopped his Jeep on it's side. Naturally I was filming it, but the footage isn't that great; you see, Harold flopped about 2 feet in front of me as he was driving by, so all I could see through the camera was his tailgate turning 90 degrees--LOL! I actually had to put the camera down and help push him back on his tires. And if you know Harold, you know that the flop didn't phase him one bit; I think he wheeled even harder after that! I swear, he did things on 35" tires that rigs with 44" Swampers had trouble with. And by the way, this is his "small" Jeep; I'm curious how he wheels in his bigger rig--he must be absolutely unstoppable in it!
All told, we spent four days in and around Moab filming a variety of trails and scenic locations with several great groups of wheelers. Moab truly is a special place; we had a great time out there and can't wait to go back. Of course, since the summertime 100 degree plus weather is upon us, we're going to wait until it cools down in the fall to go back out there. Look for us to make another Moab trip around the middle of October. Personally, I can't wait to go back.
- Duane
Take for example the 'Moab Rim' trail. Here is a photo of Jason Shields of Red Rock 4x4 on an obstacle called Z-Turn. It's more than just a slickrock obstacle; it's perched atop a hundred-plus foot cliff in a red rock canyon overhanging the vast Colorado River. You simply just don't get scenery like this anywhere else. Jason and his crew of rowdy buddies took us up to the top of the trail where we had a spectacular view overlooking the entire town of Moab. If you're planning a Moab trip, I highly recommend running this trail. It's just a couple miles west of town, right off Kane Creek Road which runs adjacent to the Colorado River. This isn't a particularly difficult trail; a decently built rig on 33's should be able to successfully navigate it. The first 1/4 mile is the only spooky part, and that's mostly because you're basically wheelin on the edge of a cliff. But the scenery alone makes this one a worthwhile trail. In addition to the rolling slickrock fins east of town and the deep canyons west of town, there's a completely different type of terrain about 15 minutes south of town at Area BFE. The tree-lined trails down there feature loose boulders, sharp ledges, and insane v-cracks that almost guarantee tire lifting, as Beth Schmidgall of 4x4 Land demonstrates here. The terrain is different than Moab proper because Area BFE sits at the foothills of the La Sal mountains--yup, those snow-capped peaks you see in the background of so many Moab photos. Strangely enough, the La Sal mountains may look like there really far away, but they're actually surprisingly close to Moab; like I said, Area BFE is only about 15 minutes away. As you can see here in this photo of the legendary Harold Off from Off Again Off Road, the ledges at Area BFE can be extremely steep and challenging. A little later in the day, Harold actually flopped his Jeep on it's side. Naturally I was filming it, but the footage isn't that great; you see, Harold flopped about 2 feet in front of me as he was driving by, so all I could see through the camera was his tailgate turning 90 degrees--LOL! I actually had to put the camera down and help push him back on his tires. And if you know Harold, you know that the flop didn't phase him one bit; I think he wheeled even harder after that! I swear, he did things on 35" tires that rigs with 44" Swampers had trouble with. And by the way, this is his "small" Jeep; I'm curious how he wheels in his bigger rig--he must be absolutely unstoppable in it! All told, we spent four days in and around Moab filming a variety of trails and scenic locations with several great groups of wheelers. Moab truly is a special place; we had a great time out there and can't wait to go back. Of course, since the summertime 100 degree plus weather is upon us, we're going to wait until it cools down in the fall to go back out there. Look for us to make another Moab trip around the middle of October. Personally, I can't wait to go back. - Duane
