There are few things in life, than a hot Summer day in a Jeep, topless, and doorless. I swear it is the best form of therapy available. But, there are days where the thermometer is in the triples where I have been stuck in traffic and have been roasting.
But there was never a middle ground. It was either run the top as a bikini, or run topless and roast on those peak Summer days.
Enter SpiderWebShade, the middle ground.
And since I can’t be there (bah humbug), I’ll be featuring my reviews and article from Moab right here!
For now, check out this search thread for Moab content.
Golden Spike trail is part of the trifecta of trails in Moab which consists of Gold Bar Rim, Golden Spike, and most of Poison Spider.
On our recent mantrip to Moab, Andy and I actually ran all three of these trails (alone) and (almost)without incident. There were many cases where we took the easier option as we had no other rigs with us.
The trail officially “begins” on the Poison Spider side, but we ran it in reverse from Gold Bar Rim. The area is very well signed. I am actually glad we traversed it in this order, as some of the descents we made off ledges seemed pretty difficult if we were climbing them. The “point of no return factor, however was a bit daunting.
**UPDATED!** I added more information about City Market based on our June 2015 trip!
Vegan and heading to Moab? There are actually quite a few cool places to check out, but there are some tips to also keep in mind.
1. Load up before heading out.
Coming from Portland, we are always sure to stock up on the things we really want, and are not 100% certain we can find in Moab. Some of these items:
Kane Creek Canyon is a trail that was highly recommended to us by a neighbor when staying at Canyonlands Campground in Moab.
“The only hard part is the climb out of the canyon, and that isn’t too bad” were the only words of hesitation.
So with reckless abandon, I hit the trail with friends Andy, Matt and Joe.
The trail follows Kane Creek Canyon road out of Moab, heading West. The road quickly turns to dirt and descends through a really nice canyon. The road was pretty dusty, so Matt in his JK had to drop back a bit.
Eventually the trail appeared on the Left, across from the Kane Creek/Chicken Corners pull off.
It has been a while since I have been Jeeping in Moab, so I didn’t miss a beat when selecting trails for today. By the end of the day, Andy and I will have run three of Moab’s most iconic trails: Gold Bar Rim, Golden Spike, and (most of) Poison Spider. This review covers the first trail: Gold Bar Rim.
The day started with a brisk temp and a stiff wind which kept temperatures pretty mild even though the sun was beating down on us all day.
Heading ten miles North out of Moab, we turned onto the road for Gemini Bridges. This shelf road quickly climbs for some sweet views below. Eventually it levels off in a pretty wide canyon with some nice campsites peppered throughout.
Last year my best friend Andy and I decided to take a trip somewhere. Something kinda like the old days of riding our squeaky bikes down to the lake, but with the resources of middle-aged men.
We chose a Jeeping and camping week in Moab, and the MANTRIP was born.
We left home a bit late, around 1:00PM. This is the first full distance road trip for my M416 expedition trailer, so I wasn’t sure what to expect on the highway.
October 16 2013
8:00AM
This trail was on my Moab Bucket List™ for a long time. A few of the climbs look pretty crazy, the views amazing, and conquering the famed “Hell’s Gate” was one of the reasons I came to Moab.
After a quick air down at the parking lot of Hell’s Revenge Jesse, Melanie and I were on the trail by 8:30.
The trail climbs almost instantly right from the staging area. In the first few minutes, you climb up onto a saddle, riding a narrow ridge – this is just a sample of what’s to come. At the base of this, is a narrow sandy area called “Lake Michigan” due to the potential for high water. It was wet on this day, but easily crossable.
The views open up into some pretty spectacular scenery. The trail is predominantly on slickrock with some sandy spots. The first couple of climbs will certainly get your heart rate going, especially when you see them in the distance – they look almost vertical. With a little throttle control and some alertness, it is fine. Continue reading Trail Report: Hell’s Revenge [Utah]
October 15, 2013
6:00AM
One of my favorite aspects of running trails in Moab is that you can (usually) leave the doors off. Our jeep did not see doors the entire week.
But, this morning was a 6AM departure and a pretty long drive along the Colorado River. It was freezing. Some of the most beautiful scenery I have experienced in a long time. But freezing.
We continued on Route 128 East. After about 40 minutes, the road left the canyon and the river, opening up into a huge desert plateau. We pulled off onto Onion Creek Road where we made a quick bathroom break and to air down. Continue reading Trail Report: Onion Creek Canyon & Rose Garden Hill [UTAH]
With all this snow and freezing temps, how about a warm, Moab moment to remind us what lies ahead for this Summer!?
![Trail Review: Golden Spike [UTAH]](https://offroadvegan.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/cover.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![Trail Review: Kane Creek Canyon [UTAH]](https://offroadvegan.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/20140516_181539.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![Trail Review: Gold Bar Rim [UTAH]](https://offroadvegan.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/cover.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![Trail Report: Hell’s Revenge [Utah]](https://offroadvegan.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/img_8998.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![Trail Report: Onion Creek Canyon & Rose Garden Hill [UTAH]](https://offroadvegan.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/img_8834.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
Off-road Vegan 