I grew up in Utah and our family time was spent exploring the back country of Utah by 4-wheel drive vehicles. I saw many things that most people never see in their lifetime and I want to share that with others. The goal of this website is to provide GPS files so others can find the roads easily. My inspiration came from the website www.traildamage.com, which has a large list of dirt roads in Colorado and surrounding area. The issue is that there are other dirt roads not listed on that website and the ones I find will be included on this page. Using blogger.com is like a test-drive for me. If I find I enjoy keeping track of where I have gone, with pictures and gpx files, I will get my own domain name and make the site the way I want it and not be limited to the constraints of a blogging website.
In addition to pictures and the GPX file, I will give a brief description of the scenery, difficulty rating, etc. With nearly everybody having a smart phone, I felt that including a GPX file would make it much easier for others to find and follow the trail. No need for odometer markings or turn-by-turn directions. I use OruxMaps on my Android phone and have downloaded the US geologic topo maps for offline use. I can just load the GPX file and see exactly where I need to go.
Difficulty ratings on this blog will be similar to other books and websites out there and based on a 1-10 scale. Some sources may list things as a slightly different rating that what I will list them as, but it should be fairly similar. My disclaimer is that I am basing this off the trip I am describing, so ratings can change with different road conditions. The difficulty rating is as follows:
1: Well maintained dirt road, most passenger cars can complete this trail.
2: Higher clearance than a typical passenger car is suggested, such as a stock cross-over SUV. A few ruts and rocks, but 2-wheel drive is usually sufficient.
3: Most SUVs can complete this trail. 4-wheel drive is required. Smaller SUV with low clearance such as the cross-over SUV will likely have difficulty with this rating and may not be able to complete the trail (I wouldn't take my Jeep Patriot on this rating). Low-range is HIGHLY suggested. A full-sized SUV with low-range should have no difficulties. I personally wound't attempt this with a cross-over SUV.
4: High clearance required such as a full-sized SUV or Jeep. 4-wheel drive required and low-range necessary due to steep grades, ledges, and/or rocks. This is the likely the upper limits of a stock standard-sized SUV or Jeep if you have a skilled driver.
5: Larger steps, larger ledges, deeper river crossings, washouts, and/or rocks compared to a 4. A stock SUV, Jeep, or truck with higher clearance can complete the trail with difficulty if you have an experienced driver. Do not attempt with only a stock vehicle as there is a high likelihood of getting stuck.
6: Higher clearance and bigger tires required. Likely the upper limit of a vehicle with 31" tires and open differentials. If you attempt with such a vehicle, there is a high likelihood of needing another vehicle with a tow strap.
7: Recommend a vehicle with 33" tires and 3-5" inch lift, although a skilled driver may be able to traverse the trail with a less modified vehicle. At least one locking differential needed, but both front and rear locking differentials would be beneficial. Risk of body damage present but low if you are an experienced driver.
8: Front and rear locking differentials required. 35" tires suggested but not required, minimum of 33" tires required. Experienced drivers only. High likelihood of body damage or broken hardware such as axles or drive shafts. High risk of roll-over for an inexperienced driver.
In addition to pictures and the GPX file, I will give a brief description of the scenery, difficulty rating, etc. With nearly everybody having a smart phone, I felt that including a GPX file would make it much easier for others to find and follow the trail. No need for odometer markings or turn-by-turn directions. I use OruxMaps on my Android phone and have downloaded the US geologic topo maps for offline use. I can just load the GPX file and see exactly where I need to go.
Difficulty ratings on this blog will be similar to other books and websites out there and based on a 1-10 scale. Some sources may list things as a slightly different rating that what I will list them as, but it should be fairly similar. My disclaimer is that I am basing this off the trip I am describing, so ratings can change with different road conditions. The difficulty rating is as follows:
1: Well maintained dirt road, most passenger cars can complete this trail.
2: Higher clearance than a typical passenger car is suggested, such as a stock cross-over SUV. A few ruts and rocks, but 2-wheel drive is usually sufficient.
3: Most SUVs can complete this trail. 4-wheel drive is required. Smaller SUV with low clearance such as the cross-over SUV will likely have difficulty with this rating and may not be able to complete the trail (I wouldn't take my Jeep Patriot on this rating). Low-range is HIGHLY suggested. A full-sized SUV with low-range should have no difficulties. I personally wound't attempt this with a cross-over SUV.
4: High clearance required such as a full-sized SUV or Jeep. 4-wheel drive required and low-range necessary due to steep grades, ledges, and/or rocks. This is the likely the upper limits of a stock standard-sized SUV or Jeep if you have a skilled driver.
5: Larger steps, larger ledges, deeper river crossings, washouts, and/or rocks compared to a 4. A stock SUV, Jeep, or truck with higher clearance can complete the trail with difficulty if you have an experienced driver. Do not attempt with only a stock vehicle as there is a high likelihood of getting stuck.
6: Higher clearance and bigger tires required. Likely the upper limit of a vehicle with 31" tires and open differentials. If you attempt with such a vehicle, there is a high likelihood of needing another vehicle with a tow strap.
7: Recommend a vehicle with 33" tires and 3-5" inch lift, although a skilled driver may be able to traverse the trail with a less modified vehicle. At least one locking differential needed, but both front and rear locking differentials would be beneficial. Risk of body damage present but low if you are an experienced driver.
8: Front and rear locking differentials required. 35" tires suggested but not required, minimum of 33" tires required. Experienced drivers only. High likelihood of body damage or broken hardware such as axles or drive shafts. High risk of roll-over for an inexperienced driver.
9: Front and rear locking differentials required. 35" or larger tires required. Body damage likely, at least a few vehicles in the group will have broken hardware on their vehicle. High likelihood of roll-over even for the experienced driver.
10: Only the most skilled drivers should attempt, and only the highest modified vehicle can conquer this trail. Expect body damage on all vehicles. This is the trail you only see the rock-buggies and extremely modified vehicles that aren't street legal. If you drive your vehicle to the trail-head, this isn't for you. Many vehicles will have enough damage that they can't be driven home and have to be towed on a trailer or repaired on the trail.
10: Only the most skilled drivers should attempt, and only the highest modified vehicle can conquer this trail. Expect body damage on all vehicles. This is the trail you only see the rock-buggies and extremely modified vehicles that aren't street legal. If you drive your vehicle to the trail-head, this isn't for you. Many vehicles will have enough damage that they can't be driven home and have to be towed on a trailer or repaired on the trail.
Happy jeeping!
No comments:
Post a Comment