JWnet - Moab 2018

Friday, October 19, 2018
Poison Spider, Golden Spike (very partial), Where Eagles Dare

Friday
Poison Spider & Golden Spike (partial) & Where Eagles Dare
40 Miles
13h 25m

Meet James and Brian to enjoy some Moab scenery and obstacles.

On the trail - near the start

First obstacle

Cacti - one of the "you're in the soutwest" markers

Second obstacle

Not too difficult for us

This set of steps gave the two wheel crowd some difficulty. Most stayed far left for the smoother route up. The four wheel crowd didn't have too much difficulty - though there's a fair bit of tire black on the rock.

Early in the trip - James' license plate in its un-bent state.

Another group heading up.

Brian's turn

Nice window views.

Poison Spider's "Wedgie" obstacle.

It has the possibility of causing a flop onto the passenger side at the exit

Double-check'n the options.

Up top, pull out of 4-low to cruise the road.

On the rock portions - painted marks show the way. Most markings are general - center your vehicle over the marks and you're good. In specific areas where more care is needed, lane lines are painted - stay within the painted lane and life will be good.

the La Sal mountains to the east are sport'n a nice coat of white. You might get tired of the numerous photos of'm...

Looking over the Moab valley. Just right of center, we'll visit a trail tomorrow and look from there over to this spot today.

Panorama
Click for a larger size

One of the follow-the-marks areas. Some areas have two-track-black from tires making the route easy to follow - some leave one looking for trail markers.

Heading up to the "second overlook".

Panorama
Click for a larger size

An unexpected tree covered section

Get the tires wet and then climb up.

At the intersection for Golden Spike we decided to try a bit of it. It is too late in the day to run the full trail but we'd like to get a taste,and if nothing else, make full use of the sunlight.

This is the first obstacle - Launch Pad. You head down a somewhat steep first slope, transition a short U (with gouges in the rock from longer wheelbase vehicles), then up a steep side up - where you're up about 75% to the top and encounter a "bump out" that tips you back in the seat a bit more - just to get your attention. While memorable, none of us had any issue - no slippiing tires.

James with his 1970 CJ-5 - carbureted which can pose limitations with the vehicle at angle (fuel sloshing).

Video

We're on Where Eagle's Dare - a short loop-ish trail off of the Golden Spike trail. The three of us came to this optional route and each easily said - nope - not today - no thanks (see next pic).

In the pic above you can barely make out the white markers (highlighted here). The issue is the steep section in green. You start on a saddle with drop offs to each side. The drop off's aren't terrible but are another component to the obstacle. The steep section is such that should any slip / issue happen, a roll down and off of the saddle is on one's mind. This is an optional obstacle that enters here, goes to the top of the rock and makes a left turn to come down the left side. We considered running it in reverse but getting up the "exit" seemed more daunting.

Nearing Corona Arch and the rail line southern tunnel portal.

I must be getting old as I find myself not getting close to edges though James has no issue.

From map research (and GPS track marks), the southern rail portal is straight down from our location. With the curve of the rock we can't "get to an edge" to look down.
N38.58221 W109.61374

James