UTB: Moab - Tusher Canyon Uraling (+)

UTB: Utah Boondocking.
Update: Added pics from Tim Laughlin

Not a bad sunrise, especially since I'd managed to wake up before the alarm....

Today's riding would involve 7 other rigs besides Scarlett.  I would ride sweep as I had Sena Headphone comms with Tim L. who was leading the ride.

Here's a cool one from Tim

from the Shafer's Trail Ride that I missed.

photo courtesy of Tim Laughlin

We rode north along US191 out of the Archview campground and soon turned left onto the parking lot which leads to Cotter Mine Road.

Atop one of the hills overlooking US191 on

Cotter Mine Road

photo courtesy of Tim Laughlin

We rode into the sand filled roads, with a healthy leavening of rocks, slick rock stretches, more sand, some whoop-de-doos thrown in for good measure.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.  The sun was out, and it wasn't too hot, yet.

 Chris and daughter Jessie

photo courtesy of Tim Laughlin

 Katherine and Russ

photo courtesy of Tim Laughlin

 Rich aka BinderSmokeDat on SS

photo courtesy of Tim Laughlin

Chris and daughter Jessie with Chris behind them

photo courtesy of Tim Laughlin

Riding atop slickrock
photo courtesy of Tim Laughlin

John, relaxing in "Marlboro Man" mode

photo courtesy of Tim Laughlin

I separated from the group shortly before 11AM at an area where I had good reception to take a work call.  They went on ahead and I would catch up with them after the call.

 Today's office during the call

As I made haste to join back up, I missed one turns sign and ended up in a rather gnarly area.  When I came upon six foot high ledges, I figured Tim would have never led the group down that mess so I turned around and found the sign for Tusher Canyon!

In my efforts to catch up, no pics were taken as I passed the Determination Towers but you'll still see them.

Still, I made it and rested with them as they had stopped in the shade of the massive rock formations that form "the gap".

A satellite view from google maps

Showing the towers and the gap.

 The rigs with the Determination Towers in 

the background

 The northern edge of the gap

you can see some of the riders near

it's base for size comparison

photo courtesy of Tim Laughlin

 Katherine and Russ lunching.

 A view of the southern edge of the gap

After lunch, more sandy whoop-de-doos, a few rocky spots, some wet stuff within Tusher Canyon where narrow terrain caused a traffic jam with some incoming ATVs.

 Puddling along in Tusher Canyon

photo courtesy of Tim Laughlin

Dave from PA, handling the sand dunes

well on his Ural CT Rig

photo courtesy of Tim Laughlin

Everyone made it to US191 with no issues, I rushed back to the campsite for more meetings and some work.  8 rigs went out, 8 rigs came back.  Success!

After work, I went to the Archview campground to visit with Tim L. and get his movie of the river crossing.  The wifi system in the campground is quite congested with all the folks staying there; so I left him struggling to upload all the pics he took today while he was also leading the ride.

As usual, I'll add his pics as soon as they're available as updates to this posting.

Courthouse Rock

The above picture I took on my way back to camp this evening.  It's a BLM campsite (fee area) near Courthouse Rock, about 1.5 miles north of where I'm staying at.  You use Mill Canyon Road to get to it.  Nice parking area for campers and good 4G reception for Verizon users anyways.

It doesn't show up yet on the allstays.com app though.  Just google it, it'll show up.