Trail Mechanic II
- 1,500
- First Name
- John
- Last Name
- Ellis
- Member #
-
6385
9 July 2020: Leave Salt Lake City, drive to Mexican Hat, UT. Camp between the San Juan River and Mexican Hat Rock. All paved highway until the Mexican Hat Rock turnoff, then easy dirt road to camp sites.
10 July 2020: Depart Mexican Hat, UT about 10am and drive through Valley of The Gods and up the Moqui Dugway. Easy, well maintained roads. We passed over Snow Flats, down Comb Wash, then back up into the Abajo Mountains, where we camped overlooking Hammond Canyon at about 8500'. Entire road was easy and well maintained. Good for high clearance 4WD, but no modified vehicles required.
11 July 2020: Drive across the the Abajos, down into Monticello for fuel, then back out through the desert northward. We crossed Hwy 191 into La Sal and into the La Sal Mountains, camping at Medicine Lake, just below La Sal Pass. That was spectacular.
12 July 2020: Crested La Sal Pass early and started descent. The road became narrow and rocky - loose rocks the size of bread loafs or bowling balls. Brush and trees crowded the sides of the road. No problem getting my Tacoma through, but the Tundra with us got superficial scratches. Utah Pinstripes... Descended into Moab, out through Sand Flats and along the Porcupine Rim, skirting the north flank of the La Sals, then turned north into the desert and down Hideout Canyon. Toward the bottom, near the Colorado River, we made dozens of water crossings through the spectacular narrow canyon. Once we hid Hwy 128 and headed up the Colorado on pavement, things got easier. Just across Dewey Bridge we headed back northwest across the desert and picked up I-70 to head home.
It was a beautiful trip, with very hot temps on the desert floor and pleasant temperatures in the mountains. We had thunderstorms the afternoon and evening of the 12th.
10 July 2020: Depart Mexican Hat, UT about 10am and drive through Valley of The Gods and up the Moqui Dugway. Easy, well maintained roads. We passed over Snow Flats, down Comb Wash, then back up into the Abajo Mountains, where we camped overlooking Hammond Canyon at about 8500'. Entire road was easy and well maintained. Good for high clearance 4WD, but no modified vehicles required.
11 July 2020: Drive across the the Abajos, down into Monticello for fuel, then back out through the desert northward. We crossed Hwy 191 into La Sal and into the La Sal Mountains, camping at Medicine Lake, just below La Sal Pass. That was spectacular.
12 July 2020: Crested La Sal Pass early and started descent. The road became narrow and rocky - loose rocks the size of bread loafs or bowling balls. Brush and trees crowded the sides of the road. No problem getting my Tacoma through, but the Tundra with us got superficial scratches. Utah Pinstripes... Descended into Moab, out through Sand Flats and along the Porcupine Rim, skirting the north flank of the La Sals, then turned north into the desert and down Hideout Canyon. Toward the bottom, near the Colorado River, we made dozens of water crossings through the spectacular narrow canyon. Once we hid Hwy 128 and headed up the Colorado on pavement, things got easier. Just across Dewey Bridge we headed back northwest across the desert and picked up I-70 to head home.
It was a beautiful trip, with very hot temps on the desert floor and pleasant temperatures in the mountains. We had thunderstorms the afternoon and evening of the 12th.
