Moab - White Rim Road in January

stanieldanley

New member
White Rim Road – Potash Road
Moab, Utah
2nd Gen (2008) Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road
Distance Covered: 100+mi from hardball to hardball
Check out photos and videos on my Instagram - stanieldanley

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Mid-January brought me to Moab amidst the Winter and a government shutdown, with most Utah national parks either closed completely, or barley open with volunteer skeleton crews and minimal access. However, my visit to the US offered me this time of year, which, although cumbersome at times, ended up a great blessing in disguise. White Rim Road/Trail (WRT) was my destination. There are multiple ways to tackle this trek, taking anywhere from 1-3 days. I had 1.5 days to work with. Ideally, you should travel with a couple vehicles on any off-road trail, or at least more than one passenger in a solo vehicle. My circumstances left me in Utah without a partner vehicle or co-pilot. I decided to push ahead anyway and not waste the opportunity.

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Upon visiting the Island in the Sky Visitor Center on Grand Viewpoint Road to check-in, get information about pricing and some information about the shutdown and weather, I learned of the Shafer Canyon Road (just up the road from the visitor center) entrance being closed, and I was forced to begin the trek near the crossing of BLM 129 and Mineral Canyon Road in the northwest, about 20 miles away from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center. In my opinion, this ended up being a much better route. During this portion of the drive I would lose cellular service until the completion of my trip. My route followed the WRT counterclockwise, around Junction Butte, Grand View Point and Airport Tower until WRT meets Potash Road. Because of Shafer Canyon Road begin closed, the quick exit from WRT to Grand Viewpoint Road, I was required to continue my trek on Potash Road into Moab, an extra 35 miles into the town.

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I brought a full tank (18 gallons) and 5 extra Rotopax gallons. I depleted the 18 by the time I got back to Moab. Take into consideration the distance from the last filling station to the beginning of the trail, along with possible re-routes, unknown trail conditions, cold weather, and the rocky and snow-covered terrain burning more fuel. Also, along with a paper map with my route and destinations marked, I downloaded the Google Map for offline use, and inputted the route onto my GPS watch for a backup. The Google Maps download feature is great since I don’t currently use an external GPS for navigation. Once a map is downloaded, you can still use the search and navigation features within the downloaded portion of your map.


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I aired down and began the trek in the early evening during snowfall, beginning the climb down the canyon before dusk, where I would night-drive along the Green River until I arrived at my campsite. I use Heretic Studio lights, currently setup with a lightbar on the roof, ditch lights and fogs. They were a lifesaver during this portion (and future portions) of the trip. Upon arriving to my campsite, I cracked a beer, set up the CVT awning and camp table and made tacos.

Note: National parks like Canyonlands are over-regulated due to government overreach in attempt to preserve, i.e. 15mph speed limit, no fires, pages of laws and rules, etc. You may feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, until a ranger hiding behind a boulder hits you with a radar gun, flips on his lights and writes you a speeding ticket like you're on a Wyoming interstate. But, it's still worth the trip, which is why I mention it so you're not surprised by all the rules. In the end, they're just trying to prevent folks from tearing things up.

The temperature dropped into the 20s with snow falling throughout the night. I parked next to an old fallen tree, which was perfect to anchor the hammock and built a shelter. A bottom layer, warm sleeping bag and a woobie kept me comfortable. Winter hammock camping in the middle of Canyonlands, knowing for sure you’re the only person for miles, is a great experience. The morning was cold, low 20s. Coffee was enjoyed while watching the sunrise light up the canyon walls. I could do an entire write-up on coffee in the outdoors. For this trip, I brought Black Rifle beans, a hand grinder, a camp/travel pour-over, filters, a scale and a JetBoil. Once packed up, tied down and giving the truck a once-over, the adventure was ready to continue.


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I won't recap every turn but I'll highlight some things to look for and look forward to. First, the terrain. Most of WRT is very rocky, of course. The cliffside drives will keep your stress level at its peak, especially if you’re in the rain or snow. In the snow, 40% inclines felt like 60%, and you may find yourself spinning your wheels with a 1000ft drop off on one side, a canyon wall at your window on the other, and the only option to back down carefully and reassess. In the warmer months where the rocks are dry, none of the obstacles are very complicated, aside from looking out your window straight down for what may as well be fall into forever. However, during my trip, with new snow, much of the WRT terrain caused for planning and creativity. Most of the snow was pretty light, and melted away in the open areas. However, on the canyon-sides, it collects, and is shaded a large part of the day. It can become very slick. The terrain is broken up into two main sections, cliffside canyon driving and in-between, which is much flatter, but still very rocky.

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The sites, there are plenty, and you’ll be tempted to make the most of them. Even if you’re doing the trail quickly, you’ll have time to stop for photos. I stopped more times than I can count and it was well worth it. It also didn’t push my timeline too drastically. Of course, I made up time in the flats, taking advantage of the lonesomeness in the park. However, when the government isn’t shut down, rangers will patrol even the most remote parts of WRT, speed check, and write tickets. So, be aware of the 15mph speed limit as you travel, especially in regard to planning within your timeframe.

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As mentioned before, WRT isn’t overly technical when dry. Other than the cliffside driving, you probably won’t find yourself too stressed, and most likely won’t get stuck. A 4x4 with clearance, good lighting, maintenance and recovery tools, and enough fuel for both you and the vehicle should have you covered. During the winter, however, it will pay to be prepared with the right equipment and knowledge to get you through any sticky situations. I utilized my shovel on multiple occasions to dig tire paths on snow-covered inclines, and could have used some MaxTrax or similar boards. I almost winched on two occasions but was able to dig paths and engine my way up. Make sure you have a boulder sling with your recovery kit before you venture into this terrain. Having a spotter would have been ideal, but not possible during this trip, unfortunately. So, I utilized sticks and things to line cliffsides to give myself visual boundaries to prevent falling into the canyons. Ingenuity.

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Along the canyons, the trail is often vehicle-width with nowhere to turn around. You either drive forward or reverse. There is no bailing out. My first “oh ********” moment was on a steep snow-covered incline that left me wheel spinning mid climb and had the vehicle making its own way back down when I stopped. The truck slid backward and started to shift direction, back-end toward the cliff. For a brief second, I thought that was it for me and the truck. The next incline I prepped the hill first, digging out the snow cover so I could get good tread contact on the rocks and not die.

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The WRT is much more technical on the west side of the canyons, where you will be traveling south. The east side, where you will be heading north, is still technical, but with much more open areas, especially near Airport Tower and the Airport Campgrounds. I prefer to get the tough stuff out of the way first, and make up time later, which is why my initial re-route ended up being a blessing in disguise. Toward the end of WRT you’ll hit the intersection for Potash Road. You can continue on WRT if it’s open to Mineral Canyon Road and get back on hardball to head toward the highway. If you want to, or have to, continue on Potash Road, it’s very similar terrain to the canyon-side portions of WRT for about 20 miles directly into Moab. I would recommend it if you have the time. Once you leave the technical terrain and hit the 279 hardball, there is a great drive along the Colorado River into Moab. I drove the entire Potash Road at night, but would like to go back and see the sites during the day.

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DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Looks like a great trip.

If I was to guess the climb and descent of Hardscrabble and Murphy had some pucker in the snow. I've brought chains with me on the WRT when solo. Even in the summer it doesn't take much rain to make parts of the road impassible for hours.

Just FYI for anyone in the future, collecting firewood is forbidden in the Canyonlands and wood fires are only allowed in established fire rings in developed camps. The only fires allowed on the White Rim Trail are charcoal and you must bring a fire pan.

https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/management/compendium.htm#CP_JUMP_5606746
 
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inexplorata

Member
Good write-up. I've noticed (with less than you saw at least) the snow on the west side of things tends to stick around longer, mostly being in the shade.

And I agree that heavy-handed regulation feels bad out there. But it's way better than the results of overuse, which is what the area faces with the explosion of visitors. You're good, I'm good, most of us here treat a place well, but people in general are awful at taking care of things out there. Sadly we can't turn back the clock to 1985 when practically no one had even heard of Canyonlands.
 

stanieldanley

New member
Good write-up. I've noticed (with less than you saw at least) the snow on the west side of things tends to stick around longer, mostly being in the shade.

And I agree that heavy-handed regulation feels bad out there. But it's way better than the results of overuse, which is what the area faces with the explosion of visitors. You're good, I'm good, most of us here treat a place well, but people in general are awful at taking care of things out there. Sadly we can't turn back the clock to 1985 when practically no one had even heard of Canyonlands.

The west side was much more snow-heavy, which just so happens to be the most technical portion of the trail. A perfect mix to get your nerves going!

Definitely the case in regard to attempting to prevent over, or mis-use. I like letting people know to expect the overreach so not to be surprised when they get there and have it deter them from an enjoyable trip, also to be prepared. There's a new trend attempting to keep your trips a "secret," not to geotag photos or mention where you are. Plenty of IG pages are pushing this idea and I get that, and try to be as broad as possible. But, someone's photos and writeup of WRT is the only reason I went. So, I'm glad they did. Double edged sword, just like the national park control. I actually wasn't sure if I wanted to do a writeup for that reason. Should I share where I went if it means more people will go there?

¯\(ツ)/¯ Might be an interesting poll.
 
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inexplorata

Member
Well, I think we can safely say the secret is out on Moab in general. :)

One good thing about National Parks is they have the ability to control large crowds, by limiting access (in the case of the White Rim) or by just getting good at dealing with crowds (like the South Rim of the Grand Canyon). Sort of centralizes the difficulties.

Or, as a friend put it, the best trick the NPS ever pulled was convincing Americans that all the arches are at Arches National Park. ;)
 

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