Misc. hikes, explorations

[eprobe]

Let me try this again. I’m the author of “Highway 12” about Utah’s only All-American highway, which stretches from Hatch to Torrey. I’m thinking about writing a series of articles about “last places.” These are the areas on the Utah (and N. Arizona) map I haven’t gotten around to exploring yet. They also all have a sort of mystical draw for me. I’ve got several trips planned for winter and spring and I’m looking for folks to come along on each trip and pull my Jeep (the “Heep”) out of the mud, to lend me spare bike parts and/or to belay me. Here’s a partial list of the places I plan on visiting:

Hiking into Canyonlands’ Horeshoe Canyon
Hiking/four-wheeling in and around the Needles district
Four-wheeling up to Behind the Rocks (if the Heep will make it)
Four-wheeling along Comb Ridge
Hiking the Rincon, near Lake Powell (may have to borrow a speed boat)
Looking for the remains of Everett Ruess (hiking) near and in Davis Canyon (Hole-in-the Rock)
Mtn. biking or four-wheeling the Great Thumb above the Grand Canyon
Four-wheeling the Paria River from Paria town north
Exploring Robber’s Roost by Jeep and foot

I’ll also be exploring several ghost towns and making some side-trips to see petroglyph/pictograph panels. If you’d like to join me, let me know. And if you’ve got some suggestions for off-the beaten path locales let me know.

Eric Probasco

[RockRacer]

That sounds like fun! My Toyota is always excited to pull Jeeps out! I will probably be heading down to the Lake Powell area over President's Day for some wheeling with the family. If we don't go there, we usually go the the San Rafael Swell area. (What's left of it since they have closed a lot of places down there.) I have done Behind the Rocks awhile back. Is your Jeep modified?

[eprobe]

My Jeep is very modified, but not in a particularly useful manner. I mean, I modify it so it will keep running. It's got a wimpy 4 cylinder engine (that gets fair gas mileage) and 3.31 gears, but a Dana 300 transfer case, which is the best. One-piece rear axles.So on the Easter Safari scale, I suppose I could do a 5 or 6.

Anyway, where are you interested in going RockRacer? When will you know if yer doing Lake Powell or San Rafael? I want to do some exploring in both areas and in-between.

[RockRacer]

I don't know anything about Jeeps but I do know that power doesn't matter when it comes Utah wheeling. I should know by Feb 2nd where we are going. Where are you from? Can you tell me a little about yourself? How did you come to choose these particular locations to visit?

[ExpUt]

Would love to join you, I've one pretty much all of those with the exception of the Great Thumb, I'm comfortable helping with trip & route planning in any of those areas too.

[eprobe]

All about me

Lessee, what do ya want to know? I'm 42, married, got a toddler who has to stay home w/ mom. Don't have any lockers, don't have a winch. Wrote a book, wrote articles for Utah's Sports Guide, Route 66 Magazine, Salt Lake's City Weekly, American Survival Magazine and bunch of others. And I like to go see places that not many people know about. I try to drive in as far as I can and then I'll walk. Used to be able to walk 10 miles w/out breaking a sweat, uphill both ways but I've slowed down quite a bit.

Some of these places interest me because I've seen photos of them and they look like good places to explore. There's a lot of little-known but bizarre geology around Paria, for example. I'd like to drive right up Paria Canyon, which I've heard is possible at some times of the year. Robbers Roost has an obvious historical appeal. I want to try some of the narrows on the eastern edge of the Reef. Behind the rocks also looks like a good place to get lost. I plan on hiking the Fiery Furnace by myself. I want to see the pictographs in Horseshoe Canyon up close. I understand that they're ancient. I haven't visited the ruins around Comb Ridge and I hear they're impressive. Also, the geology is interesting. Basically I'm looking for interesting landscapes, long, lonely Jeep roads and historical or prehistorical value.

[eprobe]

Forgot to mention

You asked about where I was from and I forgot to reply on that topic. Originally from Indiana, moved to Utah about 24 yrs ago. Also lived in Flagstaff, Parks, Bellemont, Mesa in AZ and Henderson, Las Vegas in NV and SLC, Fountain Green in Utah. Now living in Mt. Pleasant, UT, not far from Nephi, Ephraim, etc.

[RockRacer]

Well, nice to meet you! Sounds like you have done a lot of research and have some good times planned. I have been to a lot of those places mostly with my family, although some areas I don't remember since I was young. I will keep you posted if I can meet up with you in the near future. Kurt, ExpUt, is a good guy and a real good source if you get the chance to hook up with him. Looks like you have signed up on RME. We are both on that forum as well.

[eprobe]

ExpUt, RockRacer; I'm pretty sure I can get a three-day weekend if I give my boss a couple week's notice. Locations closer to Mt. Pleasant are better for me because I can spend less time traveling and more time exploring, but I'm up for anything. I'm also interested in tagging along w/ Mojave Underground on whatever they have planned but I have to watch my wallet. Might even be up for some rockhounding, and exploring ghost towns is always on the list. If you let me know about where you're interested in going and when, we could get together w/ some maps and coffee and plan an itinerary.

[konigstigerii]

I don't know anything about Jeeps but I do know that power doesn't matter when it comes Utah wheeling. I should know by Feb 2nd where we are going. Where are you from? Can you tell me a little about yourself? How did you come to choose these particular locations to visit?

I disagree with that... there's nothing like driving high speed at night on a rough dirt road, with all of your lights on, using the gps cuz you have no idea what way the road goes. But other than going fast, theres been times where the power has let me get places, otherwise I doubt I could of.

Oh wait I see.... you have a toyota.... jp haha

[RockRacer]

I disagree with that... there's nothing like driving high speed at night on a rough dirt road, with all of your lights on, using the gps cuz you have no idea what way the road goes. But other than going fast, theres been times where the power has let me get places, otherwise I doubt I could of.

Oh wait I see.... you have a toyota.... jp haha

HAHA! You might be surprised when you open my hood. I am running a Toyota Supra turbo motor with an upgraded 60:1 compressor wheel capable of pushing 500+ RWHP with the upgraded 550cc injectors, piggyback ECU system, APEXi electronic boost controller, and MKIV intercooler that I have in my garage.

I am all about busting out my Garmin GPS and hooking it up to my laptop mounted in my 4Runner to figure out where the road leads, but I still think that power is overrated in UT vs other areas with more mud, etc (Example: Top Truck Challenge stuff) I definitely enjoy having a "rockcrawler" that can do a decent quarter mile, but if you have a 4cyl geared properly, you will do just fine in most Utah wheeling conditions I believe. Just my .02

[konigstigerii]

ah I see... I could see you have modded you suv, but didn't read your signature... But for stuff like that well yeah, if you go that extreme, then a 4 or 6 may not do well. But I've been in some pretty slimy mud here too, I guess it depends on how daring you are too lol.

So I see currently you have 260hp, but can upgrade it to around 500, why haven't you done that yet!! slacker!

Far as me I have a Zr2 s10... I have a bunch of mods to it... but it has the infamous vortec 4.3.... only 190 horses, 260ftlbs, but I have planes to build it up soon... probably expecting high 200's hp 300ftlbs n/a. I don't have a 'lift' on my truck though as it works for 95% of the wheeling I do, and I like to keep the c.g. low. The other 5% is where the extra power comes in handy

[eprobe]

I'm thinking about the weekend of 13-15 for trip to eastern Swell--that's Valentine's day weekend. Anybody else interested in that weekend or should I chose some other time?

[eprobe]

Changing San Rafael outing to Feb. 20-22

I want to reset the travel dates to Feb. 20-22, as I'll be skiing on the 14th. I'd like to travel from Castledale E. past the Wedge, then down through the Swell to Temple Mountain and camp in that vicinity 1st day (Fri.). Maybe do some wheeling in that vicinity 1st day. 2nd day(Sat.), narrows hiking in Narrows on E. edge of Swell. 3rd day (Sun.) more hiking and/or trip up to Mexican Mtn. and then back home.

Who is willing and able to make those dates?

[RockRacer]

Sounds like whatever I end up doing, we are going to just miss each other. I am already scheduled to go on my family wheeling trip on the 13th-18th.

So I see currently you have 260hp, but can upgrade it to around 500, why haven't you done that yet!! slacker!

I am a slacker and haven't finished mainly because of time and lack of knowledge. Hopefully soon though...