White Rim Trail 11/22 to 11/23

White Rim Trail Run is locked in, permits are confirmed. We have two permits right now. This means we can take 6 vehicles at the moment, room for 2 more! Still one spot left for a third permit should we need it.  

So far 4 vehicles.

Coluke +1 passenger Tacoma
Walt JK
Walts Neighbor in a YJ
VooDooJK Tacoma

Meeting time/place is TBD, more than likely early, need to cover some serious ground, yet not be to rushed to take in the sights.  Voodoojk and I live 200 yards from each other, maybe we can leave New Castle and meet Walt and his crew in Parachute on our way west.

CB channel: 5 back up channel of 15.


Average Low: 27 degrees.

Here are some tips I found online for dealing with sleeping in the cold....

Keep hydrated during the day and avoid drinking lots of fluids at night, so you won’t have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

If you must go, use a pee bottle, it’s better than exposing yourself to the elements. Just make sure you label the bottle! Besides, holding it in requires your body to waste energy (calories) trying to heat up the water in your bladder to 98.6 degrees.

Eat a big dinner with lots of calories. Calories are a unit of heat, without them the furnace won’t burn hot.

Keep a snack with you for the middle of the night, so if you do wake up cold you can replenish lost calories and warm back up again. (Editor's note: in bear country, always keep foods safely stored in air tight containers - away from tents - to avoid attacks.)

Go to bed warm. Warm up by taking a brief hike around camp or doing some jumping jacks. If you wrap a frozen salmon in a sleeping bag, will it stay frozen? Yes, because your sleeping bag will insulate cold or heat, just like a Thermos.

Select a protected campsite out of the wind and off the valley floor and other low areas where cold air settles. A good rule is to be about 50 feet above the valley floor.


Fluff up your sleeping bag with vigor to gain maximum loft before you climb in.

Use a good insulating pad between you and the ground. Studies show that what you have under you is more important in keeping you warm than what's on top of you.

Wear a stocking hat to bed, you lose most of your body heat through your head.

Keep your nose and mouth outside your sleeping bag. Your breath contains a great deal of moisture that can cause dampness to collect in the bag as you sleep. To keep your face warm, wear a balaclava or wrap a scarf around your face.

Use a layered sleeping system (i.e. sleeping bag, liner, half bag, bivy sack). A layered system helps to remove the frost buildup that naturally occurs when your body warmth meets the cold air (a concern if you’re staying out multiple nights).

Avoid overheating at night and make sure you go to bed dry. Being too warm produces perspiration, so vent your bag if needed or take off your stocking hat.

Make sure your feet are as dry as possible before going to bed. This can be done by having a pair of dry sleeping socks or polarguard booties in your bag for sleeping only. Also, you can “dry” wash your feet with a good foot powder that contains aluminum chlorohydrate, which helps dry the skin and reduce perspiration.

Use a “sleeping suit”, which is a clean and dry pair of long underwear stored in your sleeping bag.

Wear loose fitting clothing to bed so it doesn’t restrict circulation.

Keep your sleeping gear clean. Dirt clogs air spaces in the material and reduces insulation value making it harder to stay warm.

If you have cold feet, sleep with your feet together in an elephant foot or half bag. It’s a bag that uses the principle of the buddy system, where the feet share heat instead of being isolated, much like mittens are warmer than gloves. The bag slips over your feet and legs and then drawstrings pull it shut or you could just use a fleece jacket wrapped around the same area.

Fill a water bottle with hot water before you go to bed and then strategically place it at any cold spots in your sleeping bag. Just make sure it has a screw on lid like the Nalgene bottles. A variation of this is to use disposable heater packs or hand warmers, which costs a little extra money.


I recommend the sleeping in a winter hat at night,some sort of a sleeping pad because the ground will suck the warmth out of you, heat packs in your sleeping bag work well in my experience.

No campfires allowed in the backcountry site, sucks! I will bring a small propane stove/grill combo. Also will probably bring my small charcoal grill. BYOM/B (Bring your own meat/beer)

This is about a 100 mile trip off pavement. I believe the last 20 miles is basically a gravel road, so that should go quick.

Plan accordingly for Fuel. Top off in Moab and I am guessing we will all be good. An extra few gallons never hurts, especially if we idle a bit for heat in the vehicles at any point

Realize we will be 50 miles from anything while camping, hours from a hospital and probably with little to no cell phone service. (Plan accordingly or plan for the worst, hope for the best.)

This is just the basics for a trip like this, if any one else has thoughts, concerns, or ideas for the trip please share them!

OK, permitted for 6 rigs now so 2 spaces open. Got an air mattress.
I'm PSYCHED Been wanting to do this trail since I got here. It's the 1st trail I took my Jeep on while I was living in NM and came to see what Moab was about. It's a big reason I transferred up here. Thanks Lucas for suggesting!

What time you looking at leaving?

I totally forgot about the camp fire thing .. Holy crap it's going to be a long cold night!! My mind is working right now. See what I can come up with. Is it no fires or no wood fires? I know a few guys who use propane fire pits.

I have a zero degree bag and taking my small 2person tent using a paco pad to sleep on ( from my river gear)

I also have a camp stove so I might bring that also.

I have a jerry can that I can fill just in case we need spare fuel. 1 can should cover any unexpected fuel consumption I think. Hopefully I can find the spout!

I will have snatch straps but not a winch on this rig yet.. Unless we get rain or snow I think we will be fine. Trying to get my CB in time also

Thinking of one of these and a 20lb tank!

http://www.outdoorcooking.com/products/fire-pits/propane-fire-pits/camp-chef-portable-propane-fire-pit-with-grill-accessory.html

voodoojk wrote:I totally forgot about the camp fire thing .. Holy crap it's going to be a long cold night!! My mind is working right now. See what I can come up with. Is it no fires or no wood fires? I know a few guys who use propane fire pits.

Only states no wood fires, I think anything else should be good!

Lucas

Everything still a go for launch? Time for liftoff?

Looks like between me and my neighbor we will bring 2 10x10 easy-ups with walls, we put the together and we can put the tents inside them to reduce wind and hold heat in a little better.

I'm ready! Should be a fun time!

I am ready as well I was hoping I would have my new suspension before the trip, but its not looking probable.  (Probably a good thing, won't have the tires either way and I would have stayed up all night before the trip putting it in, then left with a shitty alignment)

I would like to get to Moab and start the trail by 10am considering it is dark by 6 this time of the year. I would like to get into camp and have time to setup in the day light.  Try to get to Moab by 9, time to grab gas, any last minute stuff, get to the ranger station and checked in.

Plan A:

I figure if Voodoo and I leave New Castle at 6am, and the Parachute guys can stage by I70 and we will give you a shout on the CB as we come through just before 6:30.

Plan B:

Walt, you said your buddy is in YJ, Not sure how that thing cruises on the Interstate but maybe we could both plan on leaving at 6am, The Tacoma's would more than likely catch up    before we turned south for Moab.

Do you guys think 6 is early enough? Or should we go earlier?

Just my 2 cents, let me know what you guys think, maybe you all have something that will work better.

I think 6 sounds like a plan. How many miles to the campsite once we hit dirt? Setting up in daylight would be a good thing.

I did pick up a little propane fire pit while at cabelas today. At least we will have flame to gather around and a little bit of heat. Won't be a Bon fire but it's something.

voodoojk wrote:I think 6 sounds like a plan. How many miles to the campsite once we hit dirt?  Setting up in daylight would be a  good thing.  

I did pick up a little propane fire pit while at cabelas today. At least we will have flame to gather around and a little bit of heat.  Won't be a Bon fire but it's something.

Look forward to your "propane fire" Your right, much better than nothing!

It should be about 40 miles to the site once we start on the switch backs.

Lucas

Yea, his YJ doesn't cruise great on the interstate from what he said so we'll probably leave @ 6 and let you 2 catch up. I don't plan on needing anything in Moab other than topping off on gas.

I'm SOOOO ready and I'm bringing single malt for the fire pit and will share of course.

Walt wrote:Yea, his YJ doesn't cruise great on the interstate from what he said so we'll probably leave @ 6 and let you 2 catch up. I don't plan on needing anything in Moab other than topping off on gas.

I'm SOOOO ready and I'm bringing single malt for the fire pit and will share of course.

Sounds good, we will all plan on departing 6am.  My ritual is to usually stop and gas up at the City Market in Grand Junction, usually I save about 50 cents a gallon doing this compared to filling up in New Castle especially if there is some points on my City Market Card.

Looks like rain is now in the forecast for Saturday night , could make for an interesting trek up Murphy's Hogback in the morning!

I just saw the rain forecast. Should be interesting for sure. What campsite are we permitted for?

Does anyone have portable air? I would like to air down a little with these E rated tires but not sure where the trail brings us out at? Don't want to go 30 miles on pavement aired down.

I got an air compressor
Will be a memorable trip
Permitted for Murphy's Hogback

Where do we want to meet? The gas station @ the exit for 191?
Does anyone need to go into Moab for anything cause we could top off @ the station @ the exit then head right for the Park and save 30+ minutes?

Walt,

If we haven't all caught up to each other lets me here:



This is right at our turn off, if I remember right this is a pretty decent little gas station/store if any one needs any last minute items. It will also be about 18 miles or so from where we come out if we need air.

I made a big mistake of selling my VIAIR compressor with my Jeep, still kicking my self.... It could take a while for 4 of us to air up on one compressor.

The forecast for Saturday/Sunday is no longer showing rain, only a 20% chance!

Yup Lucas, that's a plan, and right where we have to go to get to the Park.
18 miles aired down isn't a problem (especially on load range E like I got with the stiffer sidewalls) but if anyone is airdown kind of low, could air up enough to get there.

coluke wrote:The forecast for Saturday/Sunday is no longer showing rain, only a 20% chance!

Weathermen are worse then women about changing their mids

I was spoiled all these year between having 2 buddies with Co2 and another with a power plant I never needed air. I will be getting an ARB compressor in the spring

Well I looks like we are under weather alert for the weekend. Might make it interesting!! ( in a fun way) the good news is it looks like it's warming up. High 50's!

voodoojk wrote:Well I looks like we are under weather alert for the weekend. Might make it interesting!! ( in a fun way) the good news is it looks like it's warming up. High 50's!

It looks like we shouldn't get much, however, there is going to be a chance it could be real interesting, good thing we are going down the switch backs at the beginning! I have no idea what Murphy Hogback entails but it might be a fun trip up Sunday Morning if there is snow!

Lucas

GJ radio said a good chance of a "strong winter storm" late Sat into Sun. Can't trust the weather forecasters, my weatherbug app says a hi of 0 and a low of 15 tonight. I re-read and re-read to make sure I wasn't misreading.

Lucas, which model Mr Heater do you have?

Also, we are going to be camping about 1200 ft higher in elevation than Moab proper so it will be colder.
Also Murphy Hogback is a kind of mesa, it's uphill to get there then downhill to leave so if it snows, at least it's downhill in the morn.
Downside is that will also make it a bit breezier up there. Though with putting the 2 10x10 easyups together with walls it will provide a windbreak, help hold heat in and keep us drier if anything falls from the sky. I holding out for clear sky to get an exceptional view of the stars

Plan for the worst, hope for the best and we will have an adventure to reminisce about for years.

I was talking to the owner of my company and having stayed at every site ( all 3! Lol)she suggested the first camp site at Murphy's because it has a huge rock to block wind. I never been but seen pics of it

Sounds good I have site 1 reserved on my permit, Walt I believe has site 2, but I do not see any issue with us all using the same one regardless. I am guessing site three is still empty, so we should have the entire area to ourselves.