Trip Report Swell Therapy Report

[TRD270]

Not great at write ups but here goes.

Met up with @Kevin B. @DAA @Gravy @Rot Box @johngottfredson @frieed at the mouth of Spanish Fork at zero dark thirty. Fueled up with coffee and set out for Huntington to meet up with @anderson750 .

Pulled into the Maverick in Huntington everyone filled up, were getting ready to head out when the Biddle bus decided it didn't want to stay running anymore. Paul called a local shop and got Kevin setup to hopefully get his rig fixed.

The rest of us set out and Paul graciously volunteered to lead. Hit the dirt and set out for the swell

Stopped at Buckhorn Well to air down before heading in



Headed through Fuller Bottom


Ice Roads


Stop in Coal Wash

Stratton Flexing the Barbie Jeep

Paul Showing off climbing out of the wash

Stratton Showing off


Not a bad spot for lunch

 

[TRD270]

After Lunch was treated to some great views

Andrew sneaking through a slippery washout

More views


John showing his JT off with a view

Eric and Andrew post incident and a view

More views

 

[TRD270]

After crossing under I-70 and realizing we made an error in Kevin's original plan, Paul left us to go sleep in a nice warm bed and we set out to find a camp for night one.

Wild horses


Z 2 door and camp

Stratton and I enjoyed a sunset

Paul's shop came through and Kevin was able to find us in the wrong spot. After the mechanics stayed until 9pm to get his rig fixed

Little Copper Globe Exploring in the morning





Setting out for the new plan with our fearless leader back with us. Eric and John said they had enough of the weather and headed back north. Met up with @Thursty for a hot min before hitting the trail again

 

[TRD270]

Petroglyphs in Cat Canyon

Random Lava Balls

More Views

Dave's secret spot

Neat formation

Into Capital Reef

 

[TRD270]

Didn't get any pics of camp night 2, but we literally camped about 5 feet out of the park border

Morning we woke and took our time departing camp.

Hit up temple of the sun



Temple of the Moon



Glass Mountain


Before heading south and eventually home.




Was a great trip with a great bunch of dudes. Can't thank my pal Kevin enough for organizing and planning. Glad he was able to catch up with us and enjoy day 2 and 3. Odometer showed 149.5 miles of dirt, which i'm pretty sure is more than the JL had seen in the previous 37,000. All and all super happy with the Jeep, short wheelbase is a blessing and a curse. Jeep really has come a long way with the refinement. Can't wait to get it out more.

 

[Kevin B.]

I missed all of Friday, bumming around town with a busted fuel pump. @anderson750 sent me to Dan Piccolo at Superior Auto who went above and beyond to source a replacement pump out of Salt Lake and stayed at his shop until 9pm to get me back on the road. I can't say enough good about the fellow and his employees. Five stars, will bust my fuel pump in Price again.

I jammed out soon as the truck was running and got out to where the group was camped at Copper Globe about 1130 that night. The Moore Cutoff at night is a little creepy. Rallying the shit out of the Copper Globe trail in the snow and dark was fun as hell. It was cold and everyone was in bed when I got there so I threw up the tent as fast I could and crashed out. The forecast was for low 20s, @Gravy said his thermometer saw mid-teens? It was cold.

Saturday morning we hung about until @Thursty showed up and got to chat a bit, but he wasn't able to join us for the rest of the day so we got moving shortly after. Made our way across the top of Link Flats and through Cat Canyon, checking out rock art and cowboy glyphs along the way, then I managed to take a wrong turn (I think at the bottom of Mussentuchit Flat) and we ended up all the way down Last Chance Canyon before I caught it and we redirected into Cathedral Valley. Losing light, we fought our way along some terrible washboard until @TRD270 found us a reasonable spot to camp. We set up and those of that are sane and reasonable ate tacos, and then we chatted around the fire until it got too cold and we called it a night (some of us earlier than others).

Sunday we slept in a little and got rolling some time after nine, stopped at a couple sites in Cathedral Valley, then jammed out Caineville Rd to pavement. Most of us (again, the sane and reasonable ones) met Thursty at Ray's for a burger and then we were on our way. Just a little snow coming over the top of Soldier, wasn't too bad, and now I'm showered and ready to go back.

@Gravy earned his Overlander merit badge for leaving his house with no agenda and bumming around the desert for a couple days with no plan and no real accomplishments and still enjoying himself. He's already trying to figure out how he's gonna get wontons under that Liberty.

@Rot Box earned his I Don't Like Tacos merit badge because he is not sane and reasonable, and earned his First Blood merit badge for getting his rocker panel into a fight with a rock and losing.

@DAA earned his I Don't Need A Map merit badge, for needing a map and not having it.

I earned my Most Expensive Camping Trip Yet badge, for obvious reasons.

I took a couple pics.

View attachment 168520

Windey canyon-bottom routes are the best.

View attachment 168523

A motley crew.

View attachment 168526

You can be a big pig too.

View attachment 168528

When he's a rock star, this is going to be an awesome album cover.

 

[moab_cj5]

Awesome trip, bummed I couldn't make it down. Looks like a fun time!

 

[jeeper]

I’m laying in my warm bed and got cold just reading the report ❄️🥶

 

[Kevin B.]

I’m laying in my warm bed and got cold just reading the report ❄️🥶

I have discovered battery powered socks. Dude.

 

[Gravy]

Day 1

 

[Gravy]

Moar day 1

 

[Gravy]

Day 2 woke up late at Copper Globe Mine.


So much ice inside the windows.
15°F when we went to bed at about 8.
Best employee at the burrito factory.
Woke up at like midnight to get a snack. Opened up the Tupperware-like food thingy I have and found a banana bruised and VERY fragrant. Had to yeet it out while I was dry heaving. Let the Jeep air out and was able to get back to sleep.
Frozen water bottle next to me inside the Jeep overnight.


Some wild ponies.

 

[Gravy]

Setup camp right at the entrance to the "National Park Side" of Capitom Reef in Monument Valley
Day 3


Yup still cold.


Temple of the Sun ☀️



See that tiny speck, that's me, it's big. 330ft "Allegedly."





Artsy shot with @DAA 's LJ


@TRD270


And the very weak winter sun.

Temple of the Moon 🌙

 

[Kevin B.]

I think Josh needs a new profile pic.

 

[Gravy]

Moar day 3
Glass mountain


Glass Mountain, Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Moon trifecta




The Muddy was more of a trickle when we crossed it.


Cainville


Rays


Soldier's Summit Sketchy

 

[anderson750]

I know everything has gotten more expensive, but man.....Ray's has gotten pretty pricey

 

[Tonkaman]

I know everything has gotten more expensive, but man.....Ray's has gotten pretty pricey

I was just thinking the same thing!

 

[Gravy]

I know everything has gotten more expensive, but man.....Ray's has gotten pretty pricey

I was just thinking the same thing!

Agreed.
I like the atmosphere and service and the company was great, but they kinda do a mediocre overcooked burger with a bun from a bag for $17.50 with a water.
If it's between Rays and Groggs, Groggs wins every time.

 

[Kevin B.]

The vibe at Ray's is so much better. But yeah, they used to be about half the price. Those burgers were under $10 last time I was in there.

 

[Thursty]

I know everything has gotten more expensive, but man.....Ray's has gotten pretty pricey

Agreed.
I like the atmosphere and service and the company was great, but they kinda do a mediocre overcooked burger with a bun from a bag for $17.50 with a water.
If it's between Rays and Groggs, Groggs wins every time.

The vibe at Ray's is so much better. But yeah, they used to be about half the price. Those burgers were under $10 last time I was in there.

Yeah, they made a big price jump last year. Atmosphere is the only reason people eat there and not many of them are locals. Love the owners. They’re my neighbors and would give you the shirt off their back. Good people, but when we have dinner out it’s rarely at Ray’s.