National Public Lands Day 2015

Portal RV Resort
Moab, UT
September 26, 2015

This past Saturday was NPLD.  Moab Friends For Wheelin' volunteered to paint trail markers and put up signs on Golden Spike, a difficult 6.28 mile 4X4 trail.  Jeff, the club president, had a plan that was executed to near perfection. Volunteers were divided into two painting teams with five to six vehicles each. Glen and Dee were the designated paint team leaders leaving Jeff to repair or replace damaged signs along the entire trail.  The team we were on started at Poison Spider with Glen as the leader and the other team led by Dee, started at Gold Bar. The plan was for the two paint teams to meet, hopefully somewhere near the middle of the trail and WE DID! 

We met at the cinema at 8:30 sharp.

Our group aired down at the Poison Spider trailhead. 


Joe has decided to call our jeep Mini Pearl since it is usually the smallest in the group and we almost bought a Mini Cooper instead of a Jeep... can you believe that ? 

All work and no play makes for a dull day. We had a few miles and fun obstacles to climb on Poison Spider Mesa before we got to the left hand turn where Golden Spike begins. 

Hi Melissa!

Glen is ready if anyone needs a spot on Wedgy.

The waterfall...

Golden Spike was created to link Poison Spider Mesa and Gold Bar Rim...the trio is known as the "Trifecta".  Once on Golden Spike, the lead vehicle (Glen) stopped to begin painting the first quarter mile, while the others passed and drove a quarter of a mile before the next vehicle stopped to begin painting their quarter mile, ect., ect., ect.  Thus the game of "leapfrog" began.

Chris, with paint in hand, on her first section. Joe, Dave, Scott, Dale, and Gary all had passengers to walk their quarter mile sections...how lucky for them!

Melissa painting one of many domes we climbed.

Lunch is always a time to regroup and visit. The rim/mesa trails guarantee a great view and Golden Spike was no exception.

Glen enjoying the view.

Our lunch spot.

There's Pearl...

Wahoo! Larry and Glen meet in the middle!

At this point, Joe and I turned around and went out the way we came in with Dee's group.

Until next time, let the good times roll...

HAPPY TRAILS!

"Not What It Appears To Be" On Hell's Revenge

Portal RV Resort
Moab, UT
September 21, 2015

Dave and Lynn, their son Richie and cute little Yorkie, Daisy arrived at Portal on September 12th. Yep, that's how far behind I am on posting all the fun we have been having. We have had a great time wheelin' and visiting the past couple of weeks. 

It was a beautiful Monday morning. Skies were blue, jeeps were shiny, and I wish I could say the air was cool, but we haven't been that lucky this month...a perfect Hell's Revenge kind of day!


Larger vistas that sweep full circle from the LaSal Mountains through Arches NP, to the cliff rims that overlook Moab Valley make this my favorite trail. 

Hell's Revenge is 6.5 miles of pure scary fun! A roller coaster ride up and down, over and around sandstone domes and fins with a few rock ledges, and sandy washes thrown in just to give me a chance to put the camera down, gulp a few sips of water and catch my breath. 

We had traversed about half way when we encountered a dome we now know is named Cowboy Hill. Dave made one attempt, then another, and once more when all went awry. In the process of backing off the climb, his front locker, driver side G2 Axle and brake caliper were destroyed.

Joe and Dave contacted our friends Steve Nantz and Jim Horne. We sent the picture below to them. 

They advised us to remove the wheel, strap the caliper to the axle, and drive it out in 3-wheel drive. 

Dave then discovered he had no brakes because of the loss of fluids. The leak was stopped at the busted caliper and an attempt to restore brakes by bleeding the system failed. 

Richie did a great job covering the fluids with sand.








At that point, the boys strapped Pearl to the back of Rokelle and we proceeded out with Pearl serving as brakes for both jeeps. 

On the way out, we ran into Jim who was doing a jeep tour. He checked things out and gave the guys some transmission fluid to attempt to bleed the brakes again.  Thanks Jim!







We made it back to Moab 4X4 Outpost where Rokelle spent two nights and was repaired.  Dee was at the Outpost when we pulled in and commented how creative the guys were and that the picture was "not what it appears to be". Another true adventure in the memory bank with great friends! 

Next up, National Public Lands Day 2015. Until then, let the good times roll...

HAPPY TRAILS!