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CrackRocks Epic Adventure!

53K views 374 replies 59 participants last post by  Sandman14 
#1 · (Edited)
**** Finally Started and Finished--> Day 1 through 15 are posted- start at Post 128 and go from there!! :D****


So as the title reads, me my wife camera and rig will be heading out this early fall for a trip. With places we've both wanted to see and do over the years and having some banked up vacation time (working all but 27 days in the 1st 1/2 the year overseas helps:lol:)

So the places my wife has wanted to see-

Grand Canyon
Garden of the Gods
Colorado Springs (been there before on business and left part of her heart there- she loves that place)

So I added the places I wanted to see

Wheeling anywhere with FJ's - Not really a place yet but more of a reason for this epic journey- this will be an ever expansive list of places and folks Ive spoken to over the years in the forum and have been wanting to cash in on all those beers promised :lol:
Moab- wheeling too
Colorado- Because Texas is mostly flat where I live- wheeling too
Wyoming- I like windy places since being in Scotland- wheeling too
Yellowstone National park- Went there as a young lad and its impression on my mind has never left.

So we originally planned to do this with an RV, towing the FJ and going in style. This was partially due to the fear of being stranded with a broken rig and then wear on the rig. The idea seemed romantic enough but then I got sticker shock.

To rent what would have been an "all inclusive" except fuel (not including a trailer) would have been $4300 for 2 weeks. Yikes! Thats a whole lot of nice hotel rooms and with a fuel economy of 4-6 mpg on gas, thats another $3400-3600 in fuel! Plus- the rig has seen only a few thousand miles since 2011 so Ive really been more worried about losing my 2K+ worth of tires (replacement costs) to dry rot versus wearing them down. :lol:

So being all wise and such- I pleaded the idea of doing this old fashioned "Americana style" with some camping under the stars and hotels scattered throughout to freshen up and keep my wife happy. This also works since the $$ save could be interpreted as mod money...:rofl::lol: Always have an angle- thats my word of advise toi those who wonder how my rig got this way being married :D

So with that said- No set date until I find out when my next job/ hitch will begin which will also give me my return date. I'll be coming back from another possibly long hitch of about 3 months+ so between jet lag from living in New Zealand for over a month to getting things done on the rig- my first days home will be filled

To be done-
Build up back up LT CV- After Jambo I decided one wasnt enough so I purchased a new Toyota CV and +2" axle from All pro
Change all fluids in diffs and TC to Amsoil
Oil change
Lube zerks- all 20+ of them... :lol:
Consider re-balancing tires without the sporting goods store and doing a straight machine balance- this means full tear down and rebuild. Lots of little bolt to tighten up :lol:
Possible TPMS fix- tired of that light and the blinking compass one too... :lol:

Install-

Complete sound deadening of FJ with Fat Mat
New Stereo Head unit, speakers and amps- never done before- this could be intersting. If not for having Old Sarge stop by- I'd still be soldering wrong :rofl:
Slider for ARB fridge onto custom rear platform
Change lower rear links to MT long travel set up

So aside from my brain telling me that 12 midnight is actually 2 in the afternoon, I should have my hands full.

The trip

The plan is to head due east towards New Mexico and eventually into Arizona. Wheel and visit GC. This has me heading northeast through Abilene, TX, Lubbock, TX, over the state line towards Clovis, NM and onto Albuqurerque, NM, across to Flagstaff, AZ then North to the park.

The other route is more easterly across TX on I-10 thru El Paso TX, onto Las Cruces, NM towards Tucson, AZ, Phoenix, AZ and then the park

So aside from two plotted paths on Google Maps (stating "Some roads may be tolled and some may be closed" :worried: gives me goose bumps :lol:

The trip will aim to hit the following places in this order but remain "fluid" enough to change and allow flexibility. The best part is we may have 3 weeks instead of 2 which should allow even more relaxation and a chance to really soak in surroundings and not be so focused on "getting there" and enjoy the journey.

Here's the "Open Plan"

AZ- Wheel/ Grand Canyon National Park
Utah- Moab- Wheel/ camp
Colorado- Wheel/ garden of the Gods
Wyoming- Wheel/ Yellowstone National Park
Head home


Lots to do and plan so as this progresses and my mind changes with new ideas input by you all- so will the trip.

I also want to visit the 4 corners so I can beat my younger sisters record of visiting all 4 States 100 times (I was told to go back to the car for pushing :rofl: and had to settle with 37...). This will be broadcast live on FB since my sister needs to see it for it to be official...:jester:

So any weird, exotic and strange things to see along the way- let me know I can deviate some to see them if they captivate me enough. :bigthumb:

So let the ideas start flowing!:rocker:

-OC
 
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#3 ·
Should and Could are the only reasons I've not. I was looking to snag one online used but funds went elsewhere towards new siding to keep the HOA happy

We unfortunately will be sleeping with the snakes...:worried:
 
#4 ·
G'day OC,
Awesome ..... sounds flipping fantastic.... You are going to have such a great time.... I am envious as all get up.
Looking forward to seeing the photo's and following the trip.
I think you can set up a trip blog, so we can watch and follow your travels.
Cheers
Baz
 
#5 ·
This may be a good reason to be married to an IT gal- she can blog and I can wheel :lol:


Im possibly considering renting a 600-800mm lens part of the journey (mainly for Yellowstone) to take some shots of critters and what not. I've priced them out (rentals) which wasn't terribly bad and would allow me to see if this was a direction I wanted to pursue in purchasing one.

Photos will be a big part of this- trying to decide if a separate PhotoBucket album would be better since we can caption each photo, keep them in order and most importantly- not make downloading this thread a bear. Just a simple link (with maybe a few teaser shots)
 
#14 ·
WOW, I'm Jealous!!! That sounds like one epic adventure! I can't hardly talk my wife into taking some dirt trails with me so kudos to you two. Please keep this thread updated since I'm going to have to live vicariously through your travels.

I have the go ahead to do moab and FJ Summit next year, but my wife does not want to go so any advice you can give me in that department would be greatly appreciated.
 
#17 ·
Sounds like a great adventure, OC. I look foreword to updates :rocker:


Sent from AutoGuide.com App
 
#18 ·
She needs no ear plugs- its gunna be awesome- listening to 311 while jammin down the highways and biways
I'll be posting as much and as often as possible with pics on a separate account to keep down loads easy on the forum.
 
#47 ·
:lol: OC, we can talk about you and the Mrs's taking it! By the way Mrs. OC, one thing in life you don't need is make up! :D

A couple of suggestions on your way north: the Gilla Cliff Dwellings National Monument in NM, going up 191 in AZ a couple of neat towns Pinetop-Lakeside and Show Low, after leaving there the Petrified Forest National Park and then across from that is the Painted Desert and then Monument Valley.

Last Summer I spent 4 days in Grand Tetons and 4 days in Yellowstone, Yellowstone fills up fast need reservations now if its NOT to late. The town of West Yellowstone is expensive $9 McDonalds burgers! I also spent 4 days in Glaicer NP and that was my favorite park of the 3. I found NO wheeling at Yellowstone, there are some places outside of Grand Tetons to wheel and Jackson Hole is a cool town with friendly folks there!
 
#22 ·
it might be a bit of extra work, but you could consider buying a box trailer/utility trailer/M101 to haul around your wheels n tires in. Get or borrow a cheapy set of tires for road driving. Whenever you get to where you want to wheel, find a fellow FJer and do a wheel swap in their driveway. Then when you get home, you've saved your tires, loads of gas money and you can sell the trailer.
 
#23 ·
Not a bad idea but the trailer may cause just as much drag as my tires. On the highway I was getting 16 mpg with it loaded and two people. Thats with the re-gearing too. Im OK with that.

As for the tire wear. Ive only got about 2500 miles on these tires. The whole trip should be about 4500 miles and even with that- they should be fine. worn a little but not too bad.

I did think about the trailer to carry the extras like tent, outside chairs, BBQ, etc leaving the inside for clothes and smaller items- I'll have to see.

Not a bad thought though :bigthumb:
 
#25 ·
Sounds like a good plan. On your way towards CO, you could always cut up towards Amarillo and hit Palo Duro. And if at any point your travel brings you through central or western Oklahoma be sure to call.
 
#27 ·
Holy crap that place is like a mini Grand Canyon and its in my state?!? Stunning!

Thanks for that tip guys- That just got added!! :D
 
#35 ·
That is one huge crack...:lol:

Its on the list- spoke to the non peeler and maybe we will venture out a little on the way home and cut a little further East heading home- may get close enough for a meeting :bigthumb:

It will all depend on time.

Good thing my ADD will be in full effect- keeps me from wanting to stay anywhere too long :lol:
 
#37 ·
Sounds like a great trip, I miss Yellowstone. My wife will go almost anywhere but if it more than two nights, there better be a shower. I have a place far north of Vancouver that is in the middle of nowhere and requires a very long, rough forest service road (if you can call it that) that last year only opened in the middle of July due to snow. Most people go in via float plane. The best part is I take my wife camping there and near the campground is a lodge with a spa, hot showers... Best of both worlds. I swim in the very cold lake to get clean, she goes to the spa for a hot shower and sauna.
Marriage is a compromise.
Enjoy your journey.
 
#39 ·
Thanks rocketfish:bigthumb:

Thats it! The camping will be sporadic while the hotels will be the mainstay. I have camped enough back in the day between Boy Scouts and the USMC to have had my fill. My wife camped every weekend for a few years, while her parents went to a property in Central PA to build a barn and improve the property. Were looking for fun without the hassle.

If I were going with a group , say to Summit- its all part of the bonding. In our case going as a single rig- We'll pick the night depending on the weather and location

Plus she said she needs a trailer for her make up...:worried::lol::rofl:
 
#41 ·
On your way up to Moab from the Grand Canyon I recommend hitting Bryce Canyon National Park. I have visited most of the parks around that area of the US and really enjoyed Bryce the most. Although due to fires and such large parts of Zion were shut down and we were rushed that day. However, the reason that Bryce was so amazing was that we hiked down into the canyon. It was a couple hour hike but definitely worth it.

As far as Yellowstone, it is a large park but I have found that the best stuff is all in the top loop of the figure eight (look at a map of the park and the roads are shaped in a figure 8). Much of the lower loop is trees that are very thick and Yellowstone Lake. While it is pretty there is just more to see on the top loop. I am sure no matter how much time you plan you will end up being rushed as there is just so much awesome stuff in that part of the country.
 
#43 ·
Sounds like a great trip! You may want to plan a day for the Grand Tetons along with your Yellowstone portion of the trip.

View attachment 75349
Thanks! This inevitably becomes the monster on "wing-it" trips- how much time to spend at each place so your not cut short on the others. I was planning a jog to the Tetons but never knew about Bryce. Cool.

Things to see. The beauty with this is I'm used to limited sleep from work (4-5 hours a day) and can drive till the cows come home (personal best- 1800+ miles in 2 days) and my wife can sleep on a rock, in the middle of an earthquake... :lol:

Only concern is night driving and critters who see the "light" :lol:

Great Places!:rocker:
 
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