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TWOLOST: 37 days; Utah/Arizona (May, 2012)
My wife, my two and a half year old daughter, and I just recently returned from an incredible 37 day overland trip to the southwest United States (spring 2012) in our 2007 Sportsmobile camper van. Much of what is covered in this trip report has been written about and photographed many times before... the content of which provided inspiration and guidance for our own adventure. A big 'thank you' to those who documented and published their adventures and experiences. You collectively provided an invaluable resource for us to draw upon.
I chose to to post the master version of this trip report to the forum that is specific to the make/model of our van... (via link below). As such, there is an over abundance of pics of our van. Fully documenting all of the details + stories of this trip is still a work in progress but most of the pictures have been posted.
http://sportsmobileforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=9178
Here are a few random pics from our trip...
Tower Arch Loop Road, Arches National Park. This is the only 4x4 trail in Arches National Park (and perhaps this is the most difficult few hundred feet, located near the north end of the trail).
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Ascending Long Canyon in Island in the Sky district of the Canyonlands National Park.
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Overnight primitive camping at 'Airport B', White Rim Trail, Canyonlands National Park. Permit required.
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View along the White Rim Canyon, White Rim Trail, Canyonlands National Park. The White Rim Trail passes within feet of many such point-of-no-return ledges.
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View from the top of Murphy Hogback, White Rim Trail, Canyonlands National Park. There are three camping spots (permit required). Be ware of packrats. We ended up with three inside our van at the same time trying to make off with our food storage on this evening.
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Colorado River, White Rim Trail, Canyonlands National Park.
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The remenants of my right rear rotor afer navigating the White Rim Trail. Near as anyone can tell, the inner piston of the right rear caliper stuck, which eventually wore the inner face of the rotor down to the cooling fins. Due to the sever terrain, I was not aware that this one brake surface had errorded until we reached a smoother section of the route. Very glad it did not strand us.
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Collage of images from the Overland Expo 2012 event held in Flaggstaff, AZ. We spent three days there looking at all different forms of overland travel.
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North Rim, Grand Canyon (Tuweep Area). First come first served camping (choice of nine different campsites). It is at the end of seventy miles of washboard road.
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One of my trial slot canyon images from Canyon-X, Page, AZ. Myself and four other photographers had the run of the place for six hours on Memorial Day.
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Pronghorn, Bryce Canyon National Park.
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Museum of Ancient Life (which has the distinction of being the world's largest display of mounted dinosaurs), Lehi, UT.
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Museum of Ancient Life, Lehi UT.
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Gifford Pinchot National Forest near Mt. St. Helens, WA. On the way home to the green north west from 34+ days of sunny southwest weather.
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I chose to to post the master version of this trip report to the forum that is specific to the make/model of our van... (via link below). As such, there is an over abundance of pics of our van. Fully documenting all of the details + stories of this trip is still a work in progress but most of the pictures have been posted.
http://sportsmobileforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=9178
Here are a few random pics from our trip...
Tower Arch Loop Road, Arches National Park. This is the only 4x4 trail in Arches National Park (and perhaps this is the most difficult few hundred feet, located near the north end of the trail).
.
Ascending Long Canyon in Island in the Sky district of the Canyonlands National Park.
.
Overnight primitive camping at 'Airport B', White Rim Trail, Canyonlands National Park. Permit required.
.
View along the White Rim Canyon, White Rim Trail, Canyonlands National Park. The White Rim Trail passes within feet of many such point-of-no-return ledges.
.
View from the top of Murphy Hogback, White Rim Trail, Canyonlands National Park. There are three camping spots (permit required). Be ware of packrats. We ended up with three inside our van at the same time trying to make off with our food storage on this evening.
.
Colorado River, White Rim Trail, Canyonlands National Park.
.
The remenants of my right rear rotor afer navigating the White Rim Trail. Near as anyone can tell, the inner piston of the right rear caliper stuck, which eventually wore the inner face of the rotor down to the cooling fins. Due to the sever terrain, I was not aware that this one brake surface had errorded until we reached a smoother section of the route. Very glad it did not strand us.
.
Collage of images from the Overland Expo 2012 event held in Flaggstaff, AZ. We spent three days there looking at all different forms of overland travel.
.
North Rim, Grand Canyon (Tuweep Area). First come first served camping (choice of nine different campsites). It is at the end of seventy miles of washboard road.
.
One of my trial slot canyon images from Canyon-X, Page, AZ. Myself and four other photographers had the run of the place for six hours on Memorial Day.
.
Pronghorn, Bryce Canyon National Park.
.
Museum of Ancient Life (which has the distinction of being the world's largest display of mounted dinosaurs), Lehi, UT.
.
Museum of Ancient Life, Lehi UT.
.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest near Mt. St. Helens, WA. On the way home to the green north west from 34+ days of sunny southwest weather.
.
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Comments
Educate yourself like you'll live forever and live like you'll die tomorrow.
Ed
Do you have full lockers?
Thanks. Still working on the documentation part of the report. Pics first so that my extended family could see what we had been up to. Data + commentary are next.
Yep, our vehicle has ARB air lockers, front and rear. Used rarely, but invaluable when we needed them.
---Bruce---
My Content Home Base:... McCallum Racing Enterprises