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Desert to Mountain, and the Maveriks Between (T2S 2023, AZ, UT)(Pic Heavy)

Discussion in 'Trip Reports' started by des2mtn, May 14, 2023.

  1. May 14, 2023 at 8:51 AM
    #1
    des2mtn

    des2mtn [OP] Third Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2020
    Member:
    #48721
    Messages:
    3,739
    Where my wheels stop rolling
    Vehicle:
    2004 Black DC Limited 4x4
    Tonto cover
    For the past couple of years, I have attended Tundras to Sedona in Northern Arizona which is always a blast. This year I was lucky enough to have some extended time before and after the event to do some traveling, sight-seeing, and wheeling outside of the main event. Some of the places I've been before, but visiting again allowed me to appreciate them even more. Many places I visited I would like to visit again, specifically Moab and the Bears Ears area. Unfortunately, I was completely solo for half of the trip. The solitude was nice, as was doing everything at my own pace, however this kept me from venturing into more difficult territory.

    Day one:

    Almost exclusively pavement travel. Cannonballed from San Diego to Kingman, AZ only to stop for gas. AZDOT needs to get their shit together because the 40 is terrible once you cross the CA border. I had a pre-planned a campsite near the Hualapai Mountains outside of Kingman, which I got to just after sunset. The road in was nice and smoov with a few creek crossings.

    Day two:

    @RUSTYNUTS showed up just as I was planning to roll out for the day. Good timing on his part! We traveled over some ranch land near Wikieup and found some wide open spaces. Oh, and my truck slipped out of park, that was fun. After we couldn't find a decent way that was open through the ranch lands, we back-tracked up to the 40 and decided to head east bound and down towards Flagstaff. We avoided the potholes the best we could, stopped for gas in Williams, and made good time to the T2S base camp.

    We successfully used an air blender to crush some ice, then this happened:

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    Day three:

    Met up with @FirstGenVol and we decided to head north to the Grand Canyon south rim. This was my second time visiting; I'd go again and pictures still do not do justice. We entered through Kaibab forest roads and first stopped at Grandview tower. After spending a couple of hours admiring the view, we went our separate ways.

    Instead of taking pavement back to the cinders, I decided to head south through the Kaibab forest, eventually traveling near the SP crater. I was dumped on pavement at the entrance to Wupatki National Monument and there was still plenty of sunlight left, so why not drive through? I enjoyed the drive through the wide open plains, which led to Sunset Crafter.

    Grand Canyon from the South Rim:

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    @FirstGenVol

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    View from Wupatki National Monument:
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    Day four:

    FGV and I had planned to run some trails down in Sedona, but unfortunately by the time I arrived, he had run into some other issues and had to split. Since I've done most of the Sedona trails, I didn't have a reason to stay and run them solo. I headed west to Jerome, then Perkinsville to make a slow, bumpy climb into the Kaibab forest. Once on top of the mountain, I was rewarded with some nice, warm water to dip my feet in and a beautiful view.

    Day 4 (2).jpg

    Sycamore Point:

    Day 4 Sycamore.jpg

    Totally didn't see this dip and hit it going ~40mph.

    Day 4 (1).jpg


    Day five:

    Didn't do a whole lot, loosened a few bolts on Rusty's truck and sat around. Eventually we got the gang together and we made a drive down towards Lower Lake Mary and enjoyed the view for awhile. Afterwards, we took dirt past Marshall Lake and entered the Cinders via the backway.

    Day 5.jpg

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    Day six:

    FGV and I went back towards the Williams area to do some sightseeing. Easy-peasy gravel in the Kaibab forest. We found a nice stream to sit in for awhile and they let their dog enjoy it as well. Best way to spend the day. Sycamore Falls was nearby and is viewable after a nice 15 minute stroll. Highly recommend.

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    Day 6 Sycamore Falls .jpg

    Day seven:

    Go fast Friday at the Cinders. I did not participate, the cinders are not my cup of tea. Maybe if it was sandy desert and if you could map/ pre-run the course I'd be more willing. Didn't do a lot otherwise or run any trails.

    Guess the stock truck

    Day 7 (1).jpg

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    Day eight:

    This was my last day/night at T2S. Rather than waste time at the raffle, @Sunnier helped me co-lead the Texas boys through Broken Arrow. Fun times. We met up with this big boy from SoCal who was also part of the event, he was the only one brave enough at the time to go through the crack. He did an excellent job. Hope you're on here dude, would love to have you on a locals run!

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    I think the look on the little kid's face says it all
    Broken Arrow Kid.jpg

    Day nine:

    Bye-bye T2S and hello Utah! Zoomed up from Flagstaff straight to Page. I spent very little time messing on pavement after crossing the Glen Canyon bridge and headed straight for the Smoky Mountains and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Last year, I had planned on doing this route, however I had broken a CV axle and decided against it. The trail didn't necessarily need 4WD, however my truck was much happier climbing the grades in 4-LO.

    The coal seam fires in the Monument have long been a must-see for me. Not much in the area, and you have to know they are there, otherwise you'll miss them. Do not park upwind from them, otherwise your truck will smell like burning fumes for ten minutes. The rest of the Monument seemed to have an abundance of less-traveled backcountry and wheeling. After leaving the Monument, I drove along the Utah-12 scenic highway and found a beautiful campsite. At 9600ft, there's still an abundance of snow.

    Day 9 (8).jpg

    Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell, and the Colorado River

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    Climbing the Smoky Mountains

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    Coal seam fires. Heat and smoke was visibly coming out of them.

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    View from the coal seam fires:

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    Day ten:

    At this point I didn't have an itenerary of where I wanted to be and by what days, so I started to wing it. I woke up to a nice sunrise and spent most of the day relaxing in the sun. By early afternoon, I started to head out towards Capitol Reef. I really liked the drive through there and wish I had spent more time. The Burr Trail switchbacks were fun, and the huge canyon you drive through after them is spectacular.

    Day 10 (2).jpg

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    Day 11:

    Made it to Moab! I was unfortunately on a crunched schedule while I was here due to other responsibilities, so most of my wheeling was done in the afternoon. As much as I wanted to do Hell's Revenge and Fins and Things, I stayed away from those due to lack of trail partner, and my shitty approach/ departure angles. Still happy with the trails I did and all the sites I got to see. I would definitely go again. My favorite trail was Long Canyon; Shafer Trail and the lookouts over the river were enjoyable too. I did Shafer going down -- I would hate to do that trail on a weekend and deal with trail traffic.

    View from near the start of Gemini Bridges trail

    Day 11 (2).jpg

    Gooney Bird rock

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    Shafer Trail

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    Day twelve:

    I ran Long Canyon and planned on doing Onion Creek up to the La Sal mountains and doing the scenic byway up there. However on the way to Onion Creek, rain and thunderclouds started to roll in. Then I got a flat. I think that was nature telling me to stick to pavement that day!

    Didn't take too many pictures in Long Canyon, but it was my favorite trail in all of Moab.

    Day 12 (6).jpg

    Spooky. It's also very cool to see the Colorado River in this area. Most of my time spent on the Colorado is well below all the major dams, so the rapids and silty water are a trip.

    Day 12 (7).jpg

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    Lots of deer on the mountain.

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    View from the La Sal mountains:

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    Wilson Arch

    Day 12 (3).jpg

    Day 13:

    I stayed the night in Monticello and woke up in a hotel room. Nice little town. Much nicer than Blanding. Spent a little bit of time exploring the Bears Ears National Monument. Arch Canyon and Snow Flat are great trails. Other roads in the Monument were freshly graded, so I was able to get a little bit of speed. I drove down the Moki Dugway and went through Valley of the Gods at sunset. That was fun.

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    Last edited: May 14, 2023
  2. May 14, 2023 at 8:52 AM
    #2
    des2mtn

    des2mtn [OP] Third Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2020
    Member:
    #48721
    Messages:
    3,739
    Where my wheels stop rolling
    Vehicle:
    2004 Black DC Limited 4x4
    Tonto cover
    Day 14:

    More driving through Bears Ears. I camped at the top of Moki Dugway at the lookout, that was nice. Mostly an uneventful day.

    Camping buddy

    Day 13 (3).jpg

    On the edges of a dry town, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

    Day 14 (6).jpg
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    Day 15:

    I drove down the Moki Dugway and through Valley of the Gods again. Enjoyed it so much the first time, figure that I would do it again. After spending a bit more time in that area, I wandered towards Monument Valley. What a place! I went into the tribal park and got some good views, but if I visit again, it will likely be to just sightsee along the highway. The tribal park was a little crowded, the tour guides tailgate you, and it's unpaved so there are cars spinning tires everywhere.

    Day 15 (8).jpg Day 15 (10).jpg Day 15 (9).jpg Day 15 (11).jpg Day 15 (12).jpg
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    The highway from Forrest Gump:

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    Day 16:

    Back in Arizona. I knew my trip was coming to an end soon, but still had some time to kill and a few places I wanted to see. Plus I needed to make it up to the Mogollon Rim, my favorite AZ spot.

    Miami to Young is textbook desert to mountain. Lots of blooming Saguaro, Ocotillo, and wildflowers. Was pleased to see there wasn't much stinknet in this area.

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    Found me a nice creek to dip my toes in. Probably some of the colder water I found this trip

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    Chevelon Crossing

    Day 16 (2).jpg


    Day 17: Spent a tiny bit of time in Phoenix then ventured out into the west desert. Finally did I start to feel at home and in familiar territory, even if there's still a few hundred miles to go. The desert was filled with plenty of blooming Ocotillos and Saguaros, the Palo Verde were a sea of yellow.

    Day 17 (3).jpg

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    I made way down to the bridge over the Gila along the old US 80. Probably one of the cooler bridges I've driven across. Lots of water, but the levels are dropping. According to photos, it was underwater where my truck was sitting a month ago.

    Day 17 (6).jpg

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    After traveling from Yuma across the desert, I thought I would make one last stop and watch the sunset over Anza Borrego. Once the sun was down, one more hour of driving and I was finally home.

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    I believe I still have more pictures and videos of this trip to go through. I will try to make updates in the future. Thank you for taking the time to read and enjoy the pictures!
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2023
  3. May 14, 2023 at 12:25 PM
    #3
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol Brake Czar

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2018
    Member:
    #22934
    Messages:
    12,916
    East TN
    Vehicle:
    2002 AC
    Awesome pictures and narrating. Thanks for sharing @des2mtn . I'll use this when we decide to venture into Utah.
     
    des2mtn[OP] and FrenchToasty like this.
  4. May 14, 2023 at 1:44 PM
    #4
    RainMan_PNW

    RainMan_PNW SSEM #82 RGBA #4 “That Guy” Vendor

    Joined:
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    Casey
    Clark County, WA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Lunar Rock TRD Pro CM
    Check the build link in my signature.
    That’s an awesome trip.
    Makes me jealous I had to bonsai straight home… now I’m jonesing to get out on a few trails and back roads again already
     
  5. May 14, 2023 at 2:50 PM
    #5
    Cruzer

    Cruzer Wheeling Full Size

    Joined:
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    Cruz
    Sunnyvale, CA
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    Build Page: Cruzer's Re-Build for the Rubicon
    Geeezus I wish I had that much time to just go wherever I want. Fuckin awesome!
     
  6. May 22, 2023 at 2:35 PM
    #6
    InfernoBoyz

    InfernoBoyz YoutubeTech

    Joined:
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    Reno, NV
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    2016 Inferno Tundra Double Cab OR
    Thanks for sharing. I was just in the area and working on a trip report.
     
    des2mtn[OP] likes this.
  7. May 24, 2023 at 7:26 AM
    #7
    CaptRussia253

    CaptRussia253 New Member

    Joined:
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    Ruslan
    Washington
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    Awesome pictures.
     
    des2mtn[OP] likes this.
  8. May 24, 2023 at 7:34 AM
    #8
    Sundog

    Sundog Zoom Zoom

    Joined:
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    MNSP
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    Thanks for sharing. Epic trip!
     
    des2mtn[OP] likes this.
  9. May 24, 2023 at 9:37 AM
    #9
    dittothat

    dittothat New Member

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    Awesome trip bud! Thanks for sharing
     
    des2mtn[OP] likes this.
  10. Oct 2, 2023 at 4:12 PM
    #10
    TundraAllDay

    TundraAllDay New Member

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    That looks amazing. Thank you for sharing.
     
    des2mtn[OP] likes this.
  11. Nov 24, 2023 at 9:07 AM
    #11
    BroHon

    BroHon Don't Re Member

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    Bro
    Location: Bitch Mitten
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    Just viewed all these. WOW, what an adventure! Thanks for sharing all the pics des2mnt, incredible scenes. :thumbsup:
     

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