Where's the beef?

[Jacket]

I was disappointed to find out there were not more hamburger stands and steak houses in this place called Beef Basin. The cattle were there, but I’m not much of a cowboy….

Spent a week in SE Utah exploring some out of the way places, visiting friends, and finishing up at the Cruise Moab event.

Day 1 – Colorado to Utah

The day started cold and wet, and the highway west quickly turned from rain to snow as I climbed in elevation. The snow, rain and clouds persisted all the way into Grand Junction, so my original plan to take a dirt track from GJ to Moab got revised and I took the more direct route through Cisco, past the former Dewey Bridge, and into Moab. After gasing up and getting a few supplies, I continued south and veered off the highway near La Sal Junction onto some dirt track to connect me to Beef Basin Road.

Looking Glass Arch
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I had hoped to see a for sale sign

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009006.jpg

Beginning of Beef Basin Road
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009007.jpg

[Bugetexpedition]

what did that cliff house look like inside? Wow, I would love to own that.

Scott

[Jacket]

Days 2-3 – Beef Basin

We spent some time exploring the finer details of the Basin, hiking down into Gypsum Canyon in the morning, and visiting some cliff dwellings in the afternoon.

Near Camp
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Perry was our tour guide
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Canyon bottom
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Cliff Dwelling
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009032.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009034.jpg

Moving on
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009043.jpg

[Moody]

Great photos. I love Beef Basin. Looks like you saw some excellent sites.
I saw you at CM...

[Richie]

Love the photos. Just another southwest location I'd like to visit.

[Cabrito]

Great stuff.

[Jacket]

Great photos. I love Beef Basin. Looks like you saw some excellent sites.
I saw you at CM...

The CM "experience" is an interesting one. The entire weekend can go by without seeing many people you already know, so finding folks you should know by now is tricky (especially if you drive an 80....). Sorry I missed you.

[Jacket]

Day 3 – Lockhart Basin

We broke camp early Tuesday morning ahead of a long day on the trail. The plan was to exit Beef Basin to the east via Beef Basin Road, and then turn north to the Lockhart Basin trail and drive the entire length up over Hurrah Pass, into Kane Creek, and then to Moab. We clocked close to 100 miles of dirt that day.

Trail head off Hwy 211 just before the Canyonlands entrance
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009052.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009054.jpg

Lockhart Basin
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009056.jpg

A few tougher sections on the north end of the trail
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009070.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009071.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009076.jpg

The most difficult section where you drop down into a narrow, rocky canyon before the final climb up to Hurrah.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009078.jpg

[Ursidae69]

Nice trip!

[Moody]

The CM "experience" is an interesting one. The entire weekend can go by without seeing many people you already know, so finding folks you should know by now is tricky (especially if you drive an 80....). Sorry I missed you.

True story. Extremely interesting. Next time...

[Jacket]

Moab

The rest of the week was spent in Moab, including a day trip down into Canyonlands via the Elephant Hill Road, and day trips on Hells Revenge, Cliffhanger and the Wipeout Hill area.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009085.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e352/BearJake/Moab%2009/DSC_0301.jpg
Photo courtesy of Vermejo

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009094.jpg

Elephant Hill
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009099.jpg
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[Jacket]

more...

Chesler Park - stunning beauty

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009116.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009117.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009119.jpg

This guy in the FJ45 pickup drove it down from Canada and pushed it pretty hard on Cliffhanger

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009129.jpg

Light snow fell on the La Sals
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009143.jpg

Trip Approved!
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/mralsto/moab2009/moab2009138b.jpg

[Sgt Grunt]

Awesome pictures Matt!!! I missed you there as well. I saw Perry, or was it the Guy from SNL (Andy Sanberg??? :victory:)

Was that Robbie with you as well???

[Jacket]

If he was half naked then it was Perry. ;) And yes, Robbie was there with the trailer. He only had one iffy moment on a ledge where the weight of the trailer and the angle of a ledge obstacle made it a bit tricky. Otherwise he was the master driver as usual.