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Moab for X-mas?

XJFang

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Wheat Ridge, CO
Any one going to SE Utah about the 20th to the 28th? Any one been there that time of year before?

I'm seriously thinking of going; do some wheeling, hiking and winter camping.
 
Last edited:
XJFang said:
Any one going to SE Utah about the 20th to the 28th? Any one been there that time of year before?

I'm seriously thinking of going; do some wheeling, hiking and winter camping.
snow and wind snow and wind...But looking at your location I guess your used to it :laugh3:
It should be in the mid 30-40s in the day time...way colder at night.
 
I've wheeled Hells Revenge in January before........sunny sides of the fins are dry, shady sides are ice......most of the Moab trails will have snow on them, pick the right ones and it's an added challenge, pick the wrong ones and you're dead.
We're having an odd cold spell this year, Moabs' highs this week have been 30's with lows in single digits. The town sits in a valley so it will get 10 degrees warmer on the mesas. Dress warm, have fun.
 
Thanks for the replys...

Yeah, getting killed would put a kink in my day.

I'm certainly going and looking forward to the time out there, even if its fauking cold. I'm planning on just light wheeling, going to try to get into or near the "Behind the Rocks" area and do some camping and hiking. I hear that area is beautiful. Anyone ever been there?
 
XJFang said:
Thanks for the replys...

Yeah, getting killed would put a kink in my day.

I'm certainly going and looking forward to the time out there, even if its fauking cold. I'm planning on just light wheeling, going to try to get into or near the "Behind the Rocks" area and do some camping and hiking. I hear that area is beautiful. Anyone ever been there?
Behind the rocks will be cold and very snowy....Its about 1500 feet higher in elevation then Moab central is... I would stay away from the south end of the valley.... Northern end usualy has much less snow.
 
My fiancée, my friend Bill and I went to the Moab area from the 20th to 26th of December. I had my Cherokee and Bill has a '04 Tacoma with 4" lift and an ARB locker in the rear. It was in the 50's for the first two days we were out there and even the first night we didn't even use a tent. We went up the Pritchett Canyon trail starting off of 191. We took our time and stopped to look at things. Meanwhile... back east all you people in KY, IN and such were having a massive cold-snap and/or blizzard. It made up for all the doom and gloom warnings I got about going to Utah. Not just here but other from other people as well. Yes it snowed while we were out in the back-country; it was beautiful to watch the snow come rolling in and then to sit there with the snow turning the reds to white while drinking my coffee. It all melted off in two hours and was back to the normal red rocks of the area. After three days in the Behind the Rocks area we went back into town as my thermostat had conked out and I was leaking radiator fluid back out the cap. After getting that fixed we went up to Klondike Bluffs next to Arches. Dinosaur track are way cool. Can't help to think about existence and life seeing those prints fossilized in to the stone. After camping and hiking at the top of the trail we did the connection between Klondike Bluff's road and the Salt Valley road. Next we went to Hidden Canyon and spent the night up there. Hiked up the canyons and I also figured out a route to the top of the slick rock; very cool looking back down onto camp from the top of the canyon walls.

So was it cold? Yeah it was like 17 most nights but we managed. However if the sun was out (as it was most days) it warmed up and was comfortable. Was any of this difficult? Not really. The roads were easy or moderate with a few tricky spots where I needed to get out and look at the road or to spot Bill as he went over ledges or dodged boulders. I went to camp and hike; not abuse my XJ. Do it again? Yes, in warmer weather but I doubt that we'll only run into two people like we did in the back country areas. At one point we parked in the middle of Pritchett Canyon road and ate lunch for 2 hours. No one came by.
 
Sounds like you had a great time and the mild weather was an added bonus. Your experience mirrors most visitors to Moab, a crappy day in Moab is still better than any good day at work......
 
XJEEPER said:
Your experience mirrors most visitors to Moab, a crappy day in Moab is still better than any good day at work......

You ain't kidding there. Although I think the next time I get the bug to go winter camping I'm going to Big Bend, TX.
 
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