Wheeling Lockhart Basin trail in Moab

[Superu_legacy]

(I posted this before, but just the link to another thread. Here I've pasted it across in its complete awesomeness

So I went wheeling with some friends in Moab and here's who showed up.

Two 4" lifted FJ80s (land cruisers), a 3" lifted FJ Cruiser and me with my 3ish" lifted legacy.



We had talked and discussed some hair-brained ideas for a couple years, but once I got my AUDM dual range AWD transmission, it was on!

We decided to run lockhart basin north to south, IN A DAY!
(https://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=96
https://mycolorado.org/images/lockhart_basin/index.htm)

One traverses some amazing scenery and dirt roads for about 20 miles to GET to the trail

. . . . many of those miles are amazing rally miles!!!!

When we left the initial phot point, all knew who would be waiting on whom, and it was so.

Kane creek road opens up after hunter and gatherer canyons, past he switchbacks
(sorry this pic is sooo huge :-/ )

We decided to meet at the Kane creek trailhead for some airing down. .. . well, they wanted to air down, I was primed from a 7 mile RALLY while the trucks were rattled a bit :biggrin:
https://www.4x4now.com/mtkcc.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1ONVYl2YA8A

Then we rallied up to hoorah pass, but there were a couple photo ops en route.

@ Hoorah Pass

 

[Superu_legacy]

From Hoorah Pass you see some awesome sights of the red rock canyon country and the mighty Colorado River. In the distance you can see Canyonlands' island in the sky district (to the north and west) perched above the White Rim trail
https://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/whiterimroad.htm

this takes you right to the Adventure Base Camp (formerly Camelot), home of the third most extreme disc golf course in the world (next to Antarctica and Iraq)
https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=2774

https://youtu.be/koaDid7rq2E


From here you continue south toward the Chicken Corners/Lockhart Basin split.
There are a couple techy steps and crawling moves which would leave lesser vehicles behind. . . .
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5k5mGdJ8/UJc7ztxa2BI/AAAAAAAAbZQ/V7Z2q_GCQt8/s1024/2012-11-04%252009.01.30.jpg

and let's not forget some viewshed and the photo ops everyone likes
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Qy4Ao-eXVd4/UJgx11H5ZBI/AAAAAAAAbb0/HN8VurWBzsM/s800/P1090029.JPG

It's a good crew! Knowledge, capability, ability, interest, enthusiasm, support and a winch!
https://youtu.be/1ONVYl2YA8A

At this viewpoint we saw a lifted FJ cruiser heading back to Moab, coming out of chicken corners from an overnight. It's always great seeing the looks and getting the thumbs up when a real wheeler spies the Subaru, NOT looking much like a car


Then we continued on to the Lockhart trail, and it was ON!

While it's only about a mile, it is a technical mile, basically up a drainage gaining elevation to get up on the rim (essentially the same geological formation as the White Rim (I think)....
https://youtu.be/AVf2LS9URFM

 

[Superu_legacy]

Lockhart the technical climb

https://youtu.be/Pfwh28yEWSA

 

[Superu_legacy]

So, there were two spots in the canyon where I high centered on break-over angle and needed a tug from Bret (https://www.bretedge.com/). I was able to drive out both times once all wheels were in contact. Both were preventable hang-ups, had I built the run out up a bit more with more rock stacking, but alas, Lockhart in a day IS 37 miles of trail with a lot of them techy to very technical....so we were trying to make time.

https://youtu.be/-ABbcKeIgqI

https://youtu.be/00rpdd2FmVM

But it was VERY satisfying, fulfilling, enlightening, and impressive to get a full time AWD sedan UP the lockhart trail!!

ALL made possible with a stock AUDM 98 Forester DR 5MT (stuffed in this legacy)

So we'd been making pretty good time all things considered (2 dogs, 4 rigs, 3 friends riding along for the fun and two 3-yr olds)

Then, not too long thereafter..... the trouble started!

 

[Superu_legacy]

the limping stage

A weak half shaft (had been clicking for nearly a year) FAILED!!!!

This meant flat-towing the soob the remaining 30+ miles of the trail and highway 191 back to Moab. . . .uugh!

AWD is NOT 4WD
I know that I know that I know that

And here is exactly the difference. If I had a locking center diff, I could've limped out in 4WD essentially as RWD, but to practically (and I mean in a practical world, without marrying 3 gear boxes to have 4.11s, FT AWD and 1.59:1 low) have that option it'd be FWD when not 4WD. I can't have that!!
After all AWD is All We'll Drive!!!

Turns out with the VCLSD I could drive a little on flat and power downslope

https://youtu.be/qW3JVjBSokA

https://youtu.be/HRreO5lFqKM

But I could not drive out the remaining two-track (which would have been a breeze after what I'd already sent) unaided. And of coarse I didn't have a trail spare (thankfully the one I'd intended to bring was also SHOT, so would have just been that much more infuriating)

Then after a couple miles of this (aka 10 minutes)

https://youtu.be/6CDimkrHJoc

We popped a tire smacking a little ledge. . . compression flat, shoulda aired up... BUT hind sight is always 20/20
https://youtu.be/ZrStDPVfyUU


so then we were REALLY on for a ride!!!

Not surprisingly, my pix stop here (battery exhausted AND sunset).

We limped it out and dropped the rig off at Newspaper rock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspap...toric_Monument


to be retreived by AAA plus' 100 miles free towing the following day!!

 

[Superu_legacy]

recovery

strangely enough, this tow truck driver had TWO AAA calls that morning for downed red subarus, mine (a 1995) and another (a 1994) both out near canyonlands (needls district) by Indian Creek!

Then on for repairs to get back rolling.. . .

Locally I could get ONE half shaft from $60 - $80 depending on core exchange (small towns kinda suk sometimes

But rock auto saved the wallet and supplied 2 front half shafts shipped for $82ish, WITH hub nuts AND roll pins!!

awesome = win!

and the debilitating, handicapping culprit. . . .

I'm not positive, but I do not believe this articulation is within specifications of a Subaru half shaft

And while under the car, I noticed another repairto be done. Here's some rack, inner tie rod action needing some love

A quick call to tire rack had another 27x8.5 14" General Grabber AT2 en route on standard shipping (from Reno) to arrive 2 days later, letting me get the rig up and rolling in time for the T-day holidays.


All in all a good trip and successful test of the AUDM DR AWD EJ 5-MT

But next time, I'll make an overnight of it and enjoy some of the awesome trails, (hiking scenery and amazing landscape!!)


A HUGE and hearty thanks to Gary, Bret, and Taylor for the spotting, encouragement, support and patience!!
It was awesome, we should wheel again!!



BECAUSE, other trails are whispering in my ear. . . . white rim in a day??


stay tuned (and check other footage and different Moab and Superu vidz)!!!
https://www.youtube.com/user/aspleenic?feature=watch

 

[Superu_legacy]

overview and Google earth imaging

So Lockhart in a day?!!! Who does that?!!
We did!!! Albeit a 14 hour day!!!

Here's the technical canyon

and the track of our entire trip!
7.20 AM - 9.49 PM 50ish mile loop Moab - Moab

 

[carljwnc]

I read it before...and now I've read it again.

Great report and fantastic photos Superu!!!

 

[Superu_legacy]

https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/4638643/lockhart-basin

"TOOT TOOT"

I will now put away my own horn.