Mogs @ Moab 2004 Saturday, April 3rd Geyser and La Sal Pass attempts
Kent:
Saturday morning, Eric and Jessica Johnson invited us to join them for
breakfast in their camper, which was strapped to the bed of their lowboy
trailer
Eric's 5th wheel camper on the flatbed trailer.
Kent:
He pulled it and his mog to Moab with his Freightliner tractor
Eric's Freightliner and Mog.
Kent:
Very nice accommodations and works out well for their tribe of four very active boys.
We spent the rest of the morning setting up the Mog Central tent.
Mog Central.
Participants were:
Ron DePugh - 404.1 Unimog
Kent Drummond - 404.1 Unimog
Eric and Jessica Johnson and sons - 416 Unimog
Kent:
About 3:00 we were trying to figure out a short, local trail ride. In all the
years I've been to Moab, I look up toward the La Sal mountains and try to
figure out a way to get up there and maybe bag one of the peaks. So,
with Ron and Eric willing, we headed out for Geyser Pass. It starts out
on the Manti-La Sal Loop road, which is paved, but quite steep. As we
passed a small settlement of cabins we saw a flock of wild turkeys out in
a field.
Snow in the trees.
Kent:
Eventually the pass road turned off the pavement and we continued to climb.
End of the road.
Kent:
As we got into the trees, we also got into remaining
snow cover, eventually coming to a dead end at 9,600 feet. It was snowing so
hard you couldn't see more than about 50 yards.
On the way back down.
Kent:
We headed back down. It was still early yet, so when we got to the turn
off for La Sal Pass everyone was agreeable to give it a try. This is a
little more interesting road. Anyone who has tried the road up to Lake
Como at the base of Blanca Peak in Southern Colorado will recognize the
similarity. The road is a narrow Jeep road and climbs very steeply.
Because it had been raining most of the day, the road surface was kind of
slick, but not as bad as our venture in this vicinity two years ago. We
climbed to an elevation of about 7,700' and started to get into the snow
line. The road was becoming dangerously slick at this point, so we opted
to give it up for another day and headed back to Moab. This trail is
only rated at moderate difficulty, but on a clear day the scenery would
be spectacular. It's probably something that isn't navigable until later
in the summer when the high mountain snow is melted.
Eric:
**Saturday: Geyser Pass and La Sal Pass
Since it was a little rainy on Saturday, we decided to go out exploring on
dirt roads a little. We intended to try the road to La Sal Pass, but we
missed the turnoff, so we continued on up the Geyser pass road. It was just
a dirt road, but the rain made things a little interesting. We all agreed
beforehand to turn around before a replay of the "Day of Mud" on Strike
Ravine a few years ago. The highlight of the drive for us was the
wildlife - we saw a flock of wild turkeys by the side of the road and a
great horned owl near the turnaround before Geyser Pass. The road over
Geyser Pass was blocked at a turnaround point due to still deep snowdrifts.
Which way?
Eric:
After heading back down, we decided to explore the LaSal Pass road and see
what it was like. It became sticky goo a lot sooner than the other road and
we turned around after a few miles. On the way back out, we took the boys
over to Ken's Lake and let them explore around the shore.
