RL in Moab - It's fine offroad as long as you know what you're doing

[hankim]

We just returned from an extended weekend in Moab with the family. It was the first road trip with the RL, and it was nearly a perfect roadtrip vehicle. Roomy, smooth, quiet, and comfortable.

We did some mild offroading, nothing too extreme. As you may know, Moab is one of the meccas for serious offroading, and we didn't get anywhere near those trails, which require highly modified vehicles, with roll cages, because more than a few vehicles (and drivers) are trashed on these trails.

We went on the first part of the White Rim Trail in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park to start with. The trail isn't too horrible, for the most part, but there are sections that are sketchy, especially after the wet week that Moab had before we got there. Some minor stair steps and gullies that tested the approach and departure angles of the RL, as well as some rocky sections, but nothing too technical. It was more scary than anything else, with the 1000' drop immediately to the side of the trail.

The next day we headed to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park to do some more offroading. I was tempted to try Elephant Hill before common sense restored rational thought (Elephant Hill is very technical, and stock vehicles can be severely damaged). So we headed down Horse Canyon, which follows a creek bed and actually drives in it for a fair amount. Again, because of the rain, there was a fair amount of quicksand and very deep and loose sand. About sand in redrock country: it is very very fine, much finer than beach sand. It is just about dust. And it was deep. But the RL had no problems with it, even without airing down. It just plugged along with no worries, even when the sand was axle deep and the trail went off and on the creekbed over the edge of the wash.

Some pics:









Note on driving the RL: It is fine offroad, as long as you know how to drive it. I've seen too many yahoos, especially here in Utah, who think because they are in an SUV, they can turn off their brains and drive however they want in technical terrain. This is especially prevalent in the winter, when tourists who come to ski rent SUVs and then proceed to do 45 up the canyons in a raging winter storm. I always carried a tow cable when I had my 86 4Runner, because I pulled rental SUVs out of ditches on a weekly basis.

I don't care if you're in a lifted Hummer, or, for that matter, an M1 tank, nothing replaces good offroad driving technique.

[Spritegeezer]

" I don't care if you're in a lifted Hummer, or, for that matter, an M1 tank, nothing replaces good offroad driving technique."

Amen,brother!

[Kellcut]

Absolutely beautiful scenery! Thanks for the pictures.

[Todd]

Great Post

[flymuck]

Awesome pics, and great info. Thanks for posting!

[shovelhd]

I love that shot of your daughter!!!

[captmiddy]

Cool pics, looks like a fun place to go too. Next year I hope to have pics of my annual trip up to our camp in Maine. Believe me, there are times when I have thought a tent would have been better than staying in the camp .

[SnowRidge]

Great pictures! Wonderful post.

[Truckin']

AWESOME photos of one of my favorite place on the planet. It's especially nice since you're showing off the BLUE Ridgeline. I concur, the pic of the little girl is precious.

We'll hopefully do a S. Utah trip with our Ridge in the spring. We're long time explorers of the canyon country. What you say is absolutely true about respecting your vehicle and not trying to prove things. There are places we've been in other vehicles that we will never attempt with our Ridgeline.

The roads in S. Utah are always an adventure. Getting an accurate backroads update can be a challenge. Even tame roads can suffer wash outs or deep ruts.

That fine sand is nasty, slippery clay when it's wet. One should always approach the desert with the upmost respect and emergency supplies.

[LadyRidge]

Originally Posted by shovelhd

I love that shot of your daughter!!!

Ditto. What a cutie. Thanks for sharing.