4 days and 200 miles of trail

durangotang · **Posted:** Sun Sep 27, 2009 2:28 pm

Just got back yesterday from a 4 day trip through the Utah desert. I met up with some folks from California and set off into the San Rafael Swell on our way to the Maze District of Canyonlands.

We met up in Moab and headed off to Green River...

We were behind schedule for the day as we headed off pavement...

Off into the desert we go...

The sun set while we were on the trail and we reached our campsite in the middle of the night.

We arrived at at camp atop a place called Panorama Point. It was dark so we couldn't see anything that night... Here are some shots from the next morning as the sun came up.

Then I saw where the name came from...

This campsite offers a 270 degree view of the maze district... you should make an effort to end up here at least once.

Cooking breakfast before we hit the trail...

Packed up and hitting the trail for the day... our destination was the Dollhouse in the Land of Standing Rocks.

The route: following the Flint Trail down to the Dollhouse... 40 miles of trail for the day

Red and Dolly heading down the Flint Trail

What it looks like from the cockpit...

Some easy cruising across the desert... you have to love a breeze just strong enough to move the dust off the trail.

Waaaaaaaaay back in the middle of nowhere...

The trail to the dollhouse does have some fun wheeling...

We carried on for a long day and finally arrived at the area called the Dollhouse... I've never seen anything like it.

Pictures simply can't capture the area...

Our campsite among the standing rocks...

Crazy rock formations...

We had a quiet night listening to bats flutter around overhead. You have to keep your voice down in the dollhouse as every little noise seems to be amplified and echoes on forever... the next morning it was back on the trail to Teapot Rock.

Heading out of the Dollhouse area...

Some of the slickrock sections...

Finally made it back to the Waterhole Flats Junction...

From here we had only a loose plan: to head into BLM land and find a cool place to camp. We headed up a couple of washes and small side roads... found some interesting stuff up some remote canyons...

We hit a big series of small trails that headed into the ends of various canyons...

One such canyon had this carved out waterfall from floods in the canyons above. We found a lot of different things below this waterfall crack. Petrified wood was everywhere... some pieces over 200lbs. My best guess is that is all got washed into the basin from the canyons above. I plan to head back there and take a look for fossils and whatnot...

Heading up another wash to a canyon rim where we camped for the night...

The following day we headed all the way out to Hite on Lake Powell...

And back to pavement...

Total for the trip... 196 miles of dirt. No complaints from me.

Luke09 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 27, 2009 3:57 pm

Stunning shots of an awesome journey! Thanks for sharing

Cheers,

Inc · **Posted:** Sun Sep 27, 2009 4:04 pm

Sweet.

Luke09 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 27, 2009 4:18 pm

Inc wrote:

Sweet.

LOL .... not only do you get a double post but I get a double notification ... LOST is in limp mode

Inc · **Posted:** Sun Sep 27, 2009 4:31 pm

Luke09 wrote:

Inc wrote:

Sweet.

LOL .... not only do you get a double post but I get a double notification ... LOST is in limp mode

You know, I tried to post it the first time and it just kept loading forever. So I checked the thread to see if it had posted, and it hadn't so I closed the window, and posted it again. Double post anyway. :roll:

Normally I'd delete the extra post, but 196 miles on dirt warrants a double post I guess.

AZKJ · **Posted:** Sun Sep 27, 2009 5:29 pm

Thanks for posting!! Wish we could of made it, but time didn't allow. Just got back two weeks ago from a week in Ouray, next weekend we're heading out on a two day, 135 mile trek across the Devil's Highway in Southern Arizona. Then to top it all off, our two day Trick or Jeep event the third weekend in October.

Boy these Jeeps keep you moving, don't they!!

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Sun Sep 27, 2009 7:51 pm

Oh how I wished I was there with you! It's so beautiful out there and I miss it a lot!

Terry

kskj · **Posted:** Sun Sep 27, 2009 8:14 pm

Thanks for posting. Thought about you guys on that cool trip while I was sitting in a motel less than 250 miles away without my jeep. :cry:

bugnout · **Posted:** Sun Sep 27, 2009 9:07 pm

Nice pictures. Thanks for sharing.

tumanator · **Posted:** Sun Sep 27, 2009 10:34 pm

dude this is awesome......mind if grab of couple of these pics too?

durangotang · **Posted:** Sun Sep 27, 2009 10:40 pm

tumanator wrote:

dude this is awesome......mind if grab of couple of these pics too?

Thanks...

and grab away :wink:

Albert · **Posted:** Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:19 pm

Really awesome pic's and trip you had.

WickedKJ · **Posted:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:09 pm

Amazing pictures. Thanks for sharing!

scoobysnax · **Posted:** Mon Oct 05, 2009 10:56 pm

I sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo wish I was there. One day I hope I can make that trip - hopefully when that day comes those trails will still be open. Thanks for sharing!

LI_KJ · **Posted:** Sat Dec 26, 2009 3:34 am

Nice to see this post and think of the warmth of the desert while sitting in the cold of winter. Reminded me of a trip to southern Utah's Grand Staircase Escalante I did out along 400 to Grosvenor Arch. I need to to get back to Utah, and check some of those roads. I really like those dollhouse pics. Thanks for sharing.
GSENM

Along the fault line on the Cockscomb

Grosvenor Arch

Final destination=The Wave at Coyote Bluffs

-jeff

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Sat Dec 26, 2009 5:44 am

Awesome pictures as always Ben!

Thanks for the trail report!

:JEEPIN:

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Sun Dec 27, 2009 6:02 pm

Utah is so gangster.

67Customs · **Posted:** Sun Dec 27, 2009 6:23 pm

Utah is definitely a beautiful place. I had the pleasure of taking a trip to Zion National Park and the surrounding areas in 2008. I really want to go back.

Nice pics man. Looks like an awesome trip.

MtnLuvr · **Posted:** Sun Dec 27, 2009 9:13 pm

Just heard about this thread tonight from kskj. Cool trip and I know you had good company with you. Awesome.

oddball · **Posted:** Sun Dec 27, 2009 9:33 pm

durangotang, thanks for sharing your trip. The pic's are awesome. I envy those of you who can experience trips like this.

4 days and 200 miles of trail

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