chaostactics
Well-known member
I'm heading there tomorrow... I've got a spectacular BLM site outside of Capitol Reef at the moment. There has been absolutely noone but me in this area for the last two days.
Travel in the off season
- Thread starter chaostactics
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chaostactics
Well-known member
Hey, this thread should be shut down immediately and everyone's photos deleted!
Why? Because if all those folks who don't camp off-season see what it's like to camp during off-season, they want to go! And then, we'll have crowds during those off-season times and out-of-the-way locations.
So, better shut this thread down so all this great stuff can be kept a secret!
(for an FYI, our best camping experiences were in out-of-the-way places, little unknowns, and off-season. Tourist traps are just that! Tourist TRAPS!) I'm not revealing where this one was, but it was great having the ENTIRE campground ALL to ourselves!
Honestly there's a small part of me that wants to be selfish and not share. ...
I've had so many BLM spots to myself. And Ive had things like complete solitude in Bryce Canyon for 2 hours, the Narrows in Zion for 3 hours, Capitol Reef for 3 hours, Pinnacles for 2 hours. It's been an incredible experience.
Maybe I can post my two bad experiences to even it out. Got real dug into some nasty red clay outside of Bryce (should have scouted the site first) and my dumb*** did route 12 between Bryce and Capitol Reef last night from 630 to 1130 pm. A drive that should have taken half that time. 9600ft of elevation, 20-50` of visibility, and the first time in my life seeming a 14% grade sign. That was a Dawrwin Award Nominee drive.
Oh and my slide and stabilizers were frozen/iced shut. I carry a heat gun and torch but not exactly what you want to be dealing with near midnight after a sphincter cramping drive.
chaostactics
Well-known member
Mountain high
Guest
I just found this website that tells a little about our Mountain West road grades to keep from the surprises. For example from Moab, Utah to Naturita, Colorado it's south on Highway 191 to Utah 46 and to Colorado 90. There's no gas until Naturita or Gateway. Don't even attempt going to Gateway, Colorado from Castle Valley due to the unmaintained snowpack roads.
Western USA Road Grades - Full - Paid - Google My Maps Western USA Road Grades - Full - Paid - Google My Maps
I got a laugh at their review since they know nothing about the road. Yes, there's a steep grade near 10%. I've towed down it. It's pretty typical out here in Western Colorado. Highway 90 is Colorado, not New Mexico.
Mountain high
Guest
I've done 4 low on Sonora Pass in California while towing. 26% grade. They've paved it since.
I like their writeup on the website about our local Highway. Unfortunately, the cutoff road to the Interstate isn't on the review since it has the 10% grade signs.
Our Highway has a 20 mile long continuous grade. We hear the Jake brakes from the diesels. In summer some of the RV's with tow vehicles fly pass at higher speeds on our long straight away with their brakes burning. We smell it at our home.
I like their writeup on the website about our local Highway. Unfortunately, the cutoff road to the Interstate isn't on the review since it has the 10% grade signs.
Our Highway has a 20 mile long continuous grade. We hear the Jake brakes from the diesels. In summer some of the RV's with tow vehicles fly pass at higher speeds on our long straight away with their brakes burning. We smell it at our home.
Mountain high
Guest
Utah Highway 12 has a 14% grade for 4 miles per a review below. We've driven the route to Boulder from Escalante, but it was so long ago that I don't recall the grade. It was when Lake Powell was full. We had to go around off of the Burr Trail road due the lake was across it.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
As with many things, the risks aren't terrible if you are prepared and know how to cope with them. It's the unsuspecting and ill-prepared that need to be warned away.
Off Season camping isn't just for "out west". We camped year-round in the Southern Appalachians in TN, NC, SC, GA because we lived/worked in the area. We had heaters, even for the tent. We would camp for a week. Sure the water was off once it started freezing, but we carried our own. After Labour Day, the campgrounds were pretty much empty, especially during the week. We did have to pay attention to the weather reports. We often got some snow and ice. If you are prepared for it, Off Season camping is nice.
In NM, you have to worry more about the wind and dust storms and be prepared to park for a day or two. But that is actually a year-round problem. We've been getting 15 to 25 mph sustained winds with up to 35mph gusts most days. This past week, we had a few days where winds were over 50mph. One day it was over 70mph (what I call a "desert hurricane" - no rain but plenty of dust). The weather people were calling for snow today. The high is supposed to be 70F and the low is supposed to be 32F. And I am NOT in the mountains!
Wind is 7mph right now, but that will change. It always does. Today should be nice enough that we can "de-dust" the truck camper. This past week has made a dusty mess of the inside and, along with our normal shopping trip into town, we have to make a trip to Lubbock in a couple of weeks. We are going to the aquarium! Yeah! WATER!
In NM, you have to worry more about the wind and dust storms and be prepared to park for a day or two. But that is actually a year-round problem. We've been getting 15 to 25 mph sustained winds with up to 35mph gusts most days. This past week, we had a few days where winds were over 50mph. One day it was over 70mph (what I call a "desert hurricane" - no rain but plenty of dust). The weather people were calling for snow today. The high is supposed to be 70F and the low is supposed to be 32F. And I am NOT in the mountains!
Wind is 7mph right now, but that will change. It always does. Today should be nice enough that we can "de-dust" the truck camper. This past week has made a dusty mess of the inside and, along with our normal shopping trip into town, we have to make a trip to Lubbock in a couple of weeks. We are going to the aquarium! Yeah! WATER!
CharlesinGA
Well-known member
RV Parks and Campgrounds, with laundry and showers are a great place to take a reset from a long trip.
Great pics, however, I detest snow and cold, and will not spend any time in those situations.
Charles
DonTom
Well-known member
"Off Season" means "On Season" in a different area of the USA and vice versa.
Here in this part of CA it is "off season" for this year. But here, it is on season. & I would rather be there right now.
AZ is a fine place any time of year. Off season in one part of AZ means on season in another. Flagstaff, etc in summer, more south in the winter, such as OPCNM.
-Don- Auburn, CA
Here in this part of CA it is "off season" for this year. But here, it is on season. & I would rather be there right now.
AZ is a fine place any time of year. Off season in one part of AZ means on season in another. Flagstaff, etc in summer, more south in the winter, such as OPCNM.
-Don- Auburn, CA
jymbee
Well-known member
Yep, those "shoulder" seasons can be the best time to travel.
CharlesinGA
Well-known member
So if you drove that in the dark, you missed the hogback. No way I would have done that drive at night, snow, ice, etc. Video is less than 2 mins.
Old_Crow
Well-known member
I remember when I was a kid, my dad got us stuck on Sonora Pass in California. He drove right past the sign that said "NO HOUSE TRAILERS" with his brand-new Ford pickup and our 16' Land Commander trailer.Should have had a Ford
"It's only 16', it's not a house trailer." That Ford got us up to the 9000' mark, but just wouldn't make the last 600 feet. Had traffic blocked for 1/2 mile before the tow truck got there. Sure glad I wasn't responsible for that decision.
Mountain high
Guest
In 1980 my friend and I went fishing in the Sierra Nevada near Kings Canyon. I was driving his 1978 Ford Courier pickup with the 1.8L and standard 4 speed transmission, not towing. 4.11-1 gear ratio (based on the internet specs I found). It didn't have the power to climb the steep mountain grades with just camping stuff and a topper. Had to turn it around.
We drove my 1978 Chevrolet LUV with a 1.8L and standard 4 speed transmission after that with the 4.56-1 axle gear ratio and a topper on the bed. It had no issues with climbing up the Sierra Nevada grades for our fishing. I still own it. Just a little difference in the gear ratio made it a mountain road climber. The Courier was much better at highway speeds though.
Our current TV has the 4.10-1 axle gear ratio and a 6.4L. I've towed over Sonora west to east. 26% grade. Don't recommend it.
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Old_Crow
Well-known member
That truck had the 6 cylinder with the 3 on the tree. At the time I didn't know it, but now I know that if we'd had the granny-low 4 speed in the truck it would have most likely made it over the hill.
A couple of years later, he tried it again pulling the same trailer, but with a Toyota Land Cruiser this time. He said it went right over the top. I was in basic training by this time, so I didn't get to ride along for that one.
Lou Schneider
Site Team
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I rented a side-by-side ORV for a day near Salida, CO. Loaded it on the provided trailer and hitched it to my Ford Bronco II to tow to our campsite halfway up a neighboring mountain. Between the elevation and the 2.9L engine in the Bronco it barely crept up to 45 MPH when I floored it on the highway and I had to put it into 4-low to make it up to our campsite.
Old_Crow
Well-known member
I have several campgrounds above the 8000' level. I have to distribute fuel injected golf carts to those campgrounds as the old, carbureted ones won't hardly run at that altitude.
As far as that old Ford (which was new at the time), the 300 6-cylinder would have had no problem with the trailer...if it had been hooked to the right transmission. We'd have been in granny gear, but we'd have gone over the top.
