Banff, Glacier, Yellowstone, Moab Trip Report

SmallCrawler said:

Here are some pics from our recent adventure. Hope you like them! First stop was Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, where we started with Lake Louise.

Moraine Lake was no slouch either.

Right after Banff came Yellowstone with its famous geysers and hot springs. Old Faithful didn't disappoint, but Castle Geyser came in a close second.

Then we passed through Glacier NP riding along the Going To The Sun Road

In Wyoming we stopped to take in Monument Ridge. Nice easy trail with great views.

Another stop in Wyoming took us to Killpecker Sand Dunes. Couldn't do a tour since we were all alone and the dunes are tall and extensive. You really need some friends to bail you out on this one in case you get stuck. Besides, we came across a group of quad riders, one of whom rolled his rig and broke his wrist. We put a Sam splint on him and drove him to the hospital in Rock Springs.

Our first trail in Utah was Black Dragon Canyon. Made for a good loop along hwy 70 on our way to Moab.

Next day we tackled Chicken Corners, which was a lot of fun, and a good moderate test for the Bronco.

Onion Creek had really great views, but the adjoining Fisher Towers hike really wiped us out.

Our last day we surprised ourselves by getting a day permit for White Rim Trail. It was a blast and we want to go further the next time we are in Moab.

All in all we ticked off a lot of sights and trails we hadn't seen before. Other than Silver Lake and the Outer Banks, this was the first real test for our Bronco. We knew it would be a capable rig from our Off-Rodeo experience, but it exceeded our expectations and handled everything we threw at it. Thanks for checking out our pics!

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Robs said:

Wonderful trip and pics. Thank you for sharing. . I have loads of questions because your trip is exactly what I’m looking forward to taking

I have a 23 black diamond with 4 recovery points, winch,35” tires and 1.5“lift. Sooooo, the most pressing questions:

1. how many days were you away?
2. How would you rate the most difficult trail on a 1-10 scale (and if you don’t mind my asking, how much off roading experience do you have?)
3. Did you run into any trouble?
4. Were you camping or hotelling?
5. any recommendations For where to stay/camp?
6. How was the white rim trail in terms of difficulty?

im sure to have others but would be grateful for your reply!

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SmallCrawler said:

Here are some pics from our recent adventure. Hope you like them! First stop was Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, where we started with Lake Louise.

Moraine Lake was no slouch either.

Right after Banff came Yellowstone with its famous geysers and hot springs. Old Faithful didn't disappoint, but Castle Geyser came in a close second.

Then we passed through Glacier NP riding along the Going To The Sun Road

In Wyoming we stopped to take in Monument Ridge. Nice easy trail with great views.

Another stop in Wyoming took us to Killpecker Sand Dunes. Couldn't do a tour since we were all alone and the dunes are tall and extensive. You really need some friends to bail you out on this one in case you get stuck. Besides, we came across a group of quad riders, one of whom rolled his rig and broke his wrist. We put a Sam splint on him and drove him to the hospital in Rock Springs.

Our first trail in Utah was Black Dragon Canyon. Made for a good loop along hwy 70 on our way to Moab.

Next day we tackled Chicken Corners, which was a lot of fun, and a good moderate test for the Bronco.

Onion Creek had really great views, but the adjoining Fisher Towers hike really wiped us out.

Our last day we surprised ourselves by getting a day permit for White Rim Trail. It was a blast and we want to go further the next time we are in Moab.

All in all we ticked off a lot of sights and trails we hadn't seen before. Other than Silver Lake and the Outer Banks, this was the first real test for our Bronco. We knew it would be a capable rig from our Off-Rodeo experience, but it exceeded our expectations and handled everything we threw at it. Thanks for checking out our pics!

Click to expand...

SmallCrawler said:

We were away for about 3 weeks and stayed in hotels. My wife and I camped a fair bit when we were younger, but she doesn't like roughing it anymore.

Aside from the easy Monument Ridge and Onion Creek, the trails we tackled were rated about a 4, with just enough challenges and views to keep things interesting. I've been off-roading on and off for about 40 years and have been lucky to avoid serious troubles - though a busted transmission in a CJ-7, and a broken oil pump in a YJ were no fun at all. Over time you'll acquire just the right mix of tools and gear to keep you safe. Here's how I stuff things in our 2 door:

Underneath the tarp I have a cheap Harbor Freight ratchet set which clicks in perfectly on the yellow top of our storage bin (tire repair stuff, portable compressor, and other things). Below everything is a cheap set of "one and done" traction boards just in case. I also carry the standard stuff in the hidden cargo area, including the club, a small jump box, and breaker bar.

As for hotels, my wife starts booking a year in advance, then checks back each month or so to see if prices have dropped, which they frequently do.

The White Rim trail has some challenging bits, but I wouldn't rate it as particularly challenging. I saw a wide variety of rigs along the way, including full size stock pickups so any Bronco should be able to handle things ok. At no point during the trip did I need my lockers, though the disconnecting swaybar came in handy.

Hope you decide to go on your own cross-country adventure soon!

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