Hole in the Rock

[Brett]

 

[Goose]

Thats sure a fun trail, looks like you guys had alot of fun.
I enjoyed the pics thanks.

 

[string]

We did! I'm kind of new here, I'm the fat guy in the yellow shirt ridin' an atv on thering's HITR pics. I'm working on a suburban that I hope will make it in (and out) of HITR someday. Thanks Thering for posting our trip. It was cool to see on the web. See ya at work!

 

[wheelin4me]

I would like to get a trip going, I'm thinking on Memorial day weekend in May. Got a few friends who are interested in going and anyone from RME who wants to go. I went on that trail back in the fall of 1986, had a blast and have been wanting to go back there again. Hey, Thering I work with your uncle (Ryan).

 

[JL Rockies]

I'd be down for that, looks like a great trip.

 

[themaniam1]

We have a group going that same weekend. It might get crowded. Looks like a real fun trail. Can you go all the way to Powell? We are the best places to camp while on the trail?

 

[wheelin4me]

When I went back in 86, we had 6 rigs in our group and the group in front of us had about 25 to 30 rigs (I believe it was the searchers and they were filming the trip for thiere video series. This year we should have 4 or 5 rigs + who ever wants to join up from RME, UOOC or anyother group.

 

[Mope]

My family wants to make a trip down there at the end of March. How do the short wheel base vehicles (sami) do on places like the chute, etc. My setup is spoa, toy axles with 4.88, 4.9 t-case, and locker in the rear. Wheelbase stretched 2 inches. I DO NOT want to wreck it. I'm a wuss.

2 of them will be in stock cj's, and a lifted modified cherokee, and wrangler

Thanks Looks like a really fun trip!

 

[thering]

I would like to get a trip going, I'm thinking on Memorial day weekend in May. Got a few friends who are interested in going and anyone from RME who wants to go. I went on that trail back in the fall of 1986, had a blast and have been wanting to go back there again. Hey, Thering I work with your uncle (Ryan).

Hey Cool,
He mentioned someone at work showed him a picture of himself on the internet. That must have been you..Small world.

 

[thering]

My family wants to make a trip down there at the end of March. How do the short wheel base vehicles (sami) do on places like the chute, etc. My setup is spoa, toy axles with 4.88, 4.9 t-case, and locker in the rear. Wheelbase stretched 2 inches. I DO NOT want to wreck it. I'm a wuss.

2 of them will be in stock cj's, and a lifted modified cherokee, and wrangler

Thanks Looks like a really fun trip!

In my opinion you should be fine. There are a few ledges that are getting longer because of erosion that might cause some white knuckles but shouldn't cause a sami to roll. The four wheelers made it but we tied them off with ropes just in case they went over. I haven't been down the Rincon leg of the trip but I hear it has some pretty tricky spots and you can drive right to the lake. Can't wait to go back.

 

[Bart]

We did the Rincon when we went last year. It's not bad if you're locked. It gets a bit dicey without lockers. We had a 4x4 side by side down it, but had to pull him up a couple of places. A long full sized rig would be scary in a couple places also. It's pretty narrow on the cliff face.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Another trip report:

http://www.cruiseroutfitters.com/PG_HITR_Dec07.html

 

[thering]

So are there now two bybasses?

So let me see if I have this straight. There is a new bypass that loops all the way around the canyons via Nokia Dome road, but is there now a new bybass IN LAKE CANYON that bypasses the latest bypass? We are planning a big trip with tons of people the third week in April but we don't know which way to plan on.

 

[Brett]

So let me see if I have this straight. There is a new bypass that loops all the way around the canyons via Nokia Dome road, but is there now a new bybass IN LAKE CANYON that bypasses the latest bypass? We are planning a big trip with tons of people the third week in April but we don't know which way to plan on.

The bypass shown in Kurts report is the first one that was made. The one shown in this thread is the one that the county/BLM made. You can try the one that is in Kurts thread, it "might" not be there by the time you go though......

Here's my report on it:

http://rockymountainextreme.com/showthread.php?t=37529

 

[frenchiexj]

We did the Rincon when we went last year. It's not bad if you're locked. It gets a bit dicey without lockers. We had a 4x4 side by side down it, but had to pull him up a couple of places. A long full sized rig would be scary in a couple places also. It's pretty narrow on the cliff face.

You already probably know that the Rincon road is closed. The signs just keep getting removed, the same at the turn around at the end of the road. The person who went down past the end of the driving part of the trail 4 years ago ended up with a $1,000.oo fine for the destruction that he caused. The person was from New Mexico in a maroon Mitsubishi, Montero. They park service was looking at a $7,000.oo fine for him. Because the sign was broken off and hidden around the left side of the turn around, they only got the $1,000.oo fine. He also got kicked out of national park property for a year. Be forewarned that they can get you, if you get caught down there.
I took a new Park Service ranger out on the trail a few years back and he personally did not see why the road was closed. He was told by his supervisory that the discussion was not up to him to make and he had to enforce it. The ranger has now gone back to Washington state and is a ranger there. I do not know very well the Ranger who is their now though he has stopped by our camp in the past. He seems to be a nice person.

 

[Bart]

I had no idea the Rincon was closed or we wouldn't have gone down. Seemed like a good 2 track all the way down and back and there were no signs. I know ignorance is no defense. All I can say is I won't do it next time. Good information to know.

 

[Brett]

That road closure is still up for debate. The National Parks claim it....and so does San Juan county, who continue to remove the closed signs.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

That road closure is still up for debate. The National Parks claim it....and so does San Juan county, who continue to remove the closed signs.

We spoke with the ranger at the Bullfrog entrance station, she had no clue one way or the other. Said the signage on the ground should indicate... seeing as there was none, and its an obvious historic route, I didn't think twice. I've since brought this up with several Park Rangers and county officials, the most recent being during the RMP meetings for the surrounding BLM land, there doesn't seem to be an answer one way or the other? The NPS is reviewing their OHV management plan, they had some initial public scoping meetings last September, we didn't hear about them until it was a bit late in the game... as far as I can recollect Rincon wasn't on their documents at the time. I know Dave Perry (greenjeep) and I both sent in letters about Rincon, we'll see...


EDIT: I just spoke with the recreation planner for the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.... EXCELLENT NEWS. He was literally waiting for my call, well, not from me specifically but from someone from the OHV groups. We spoke about the trail, the current legality, etc. Here is the rundown. As of today it is closed, it was closed when their last travel management plan took effect in 1979, though they realized use pre-existed that as well as continues to this day. He didn't have a stance one way or the other, but would love to get us involved on the planning in the future (April timeframe). Just like the recent BLM RMP's, we (U4WDA) will be working on this one! The rec. planner has never had the chance to run either trail, though I'm proposing to change that for him So in the meantime, it closed... you could be ticketed. STAY TUNED!!!

 

[Alex]

FWIW, I sent in a comment about opening up the Rincon Road to legal OHV use when GCNRA had their scoping period about off road vehicle use in Glen Canyon.

http://www.rockymountainextreme.com/showthread.php?t=46765

Last time I did HITR we encountered a large group coming up the Rincon that had been chased out by a ranger in a boat. They said he took down all of their license plates and as long as they left immediately they would not be cited.

The GCNRA park map does not show the Rincon Route and further states that vehicles should remain on designated roads.

I also noticed that the Rincon shows up as a designated route on the maps put out by the Monticello BLM office as part of their Draft RMP, in every one of the Alternatives.

http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/media...ng/rmp/rmp_maps.Par.59179.File.dat/map 49.pdf

What's a responsible OHV enthusiast to do when there is a perfectly good 4wd road going to a beautiful, remote destination that several government agencies can not agree on whether it is open or not?

 

[Brett]

We spoke with the ranger at the Bullfrog entrance station, she had no clue one way or the other. Said the signage on the ground should indicate... seeing as there was none, and its an obvious historic route, I didn't think twice. I've since brought this up with several Park Rangers and county officials, the most recent being during the RMP meetings for the surrounding BLM land, there doesn't seem to be an answer one way or the other? The NPS is reviewing their OHV management plan, they had some initial public scoping meetings last September, we didn't hear about them until it was a bit late in the game... as far as I can recollect Rincon wasn't on their documents at the time. I know Dave Perry (greenjeep) and I both sent in letters about Rincon, we'll see...


EDIT: I just spoke with the recreation planner for the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.... EXCELLENT NEWS. He was literally waiting for my call, well, not from me specifically but from someone from the OHV groups. We spoke about the trail, the current legality, etc. Here is the rundown. As of today it is closed, it was closed when their last travel management plan took effect in 1979, though they realized use pre-existed that as well as continues to this day. He didn't have a stance one way or the other, but would love to get us involved on the planning in the future (April timeframe). Just like the recent BLM RMP's, we (U4WDA) will be working on this one! The rec. planner has never had the chance to run either trail, though I'm proposing to change that for him So in the meantime, it closed... you could be ticketed. STAY TUNED!!!

Going to take him out on a trail date eh? I wanna go