Not another Beef Basin trip

JackBurns

Member
Joined
May 14, 2013
Messages
132
Ever since I ventured into the fringes of Beef Basin I have been itching to get back. I have to ask for vacations at the first of the year. So I picked the first week of May when my two sons would be out of school. 5 days. A friend ventured into the same area two weeks before and said that the road over the top had some puddles but was passable.
The weather report showed storms that were moving out and sunshine for the week.

We started out early my brother in his Cherokee and me in my Rubicon. We both were towing old military jeep trailers with extra gas, food, and water. Everyone has their preferred method of exploring. I love my trailer because it will follow my jeep almost anywhere. Then I can set up camp and take just the jeep to explore traveling light.20160501_091129.jpg
We arrived at the Beef Basin turn off by the dugout ranch just after noon. A group of jeeps had just crossed the river and were attending to a jeep that swallowed some water. They had just come over from Beef Basin. (They went in over Elephant Hill the day before.) They were muddy but said it was still doable.
20160501_133007.jpg

Before we rounded Bridger Jack Mesa it started rain pretty good. As we passed the trail head for Salt Creek we were in the clouds.
20160501_144229.jpg
About a mile from the pass where we would have started down I hit an uphill right hand turn that was impassable. The mud stuck to everything and totally clogged my tires. I felt like a piece of butter on a warm griddle. The mud was strange. It was about four inches deep then the ground was firm under it. Like thick chocolate cream frosting. But it was so sticky that it would not clear from the tires and they just balled up.
20160501_152826.jpg
20160501_154349.jpg 20160501_154355.jpg
Luckily the road sloped towards the hill instead of off the cliff.
20160501_154404.jpg

We were able to unhook the trailers and then get everything turned around and drove down the mountain until we found a place to camp. Our idea was to wait until the morning and try again.
Had Mr. Eubank told me that the "few lingering scattered showers" would have been directly over the road that I intended to take I might have changed my plans. As soon as we got the tents up it started to sleet. Then hail. All told about a half an inch of slush covered everything. DAA had warned me "That access might still be a bit dicey in May."
The next morning things were looking up. Skies were clearing and the sun was poking through now and then. We chased the road to the point overlooking salt creek. When we turned back towards camp the mountains were boiling with clouds and rain was falling right where we needed to go.

Thus our trip into beef basin ended and another started.
20160502_172032.jpg

Hamburger rock camp site was full. $10 for a picnic table and fire pit. We drove on and found a very nice spot close to the road but away from everyone else.

There are so many roads around needles that I have wanted to chase. Now was my chance.

Hearts draw. I have always wondered what hearts draw looked like.
20160503_162902.jpg 20160503_162907.jpg 20160503_163135.jpg
The weather turned fantastic and Harts draw was beautiful. We hiked a side canyon that has a spring. To our surprise we found zero evidence of early inhabitance. All we found were two old roads and cow pies.
IMG_0029.JPG IMG_0045.JPG
IMG_0025.JPG
20160503_160009.jpg 20160503_160958.jpg Indian creek was flowing.

20160503_182129.jpg 20160503_182158.jpg
I wanted to explore Horse canyon but it was still closed. I don’t know if it has been open in the last two years.
So the next day we got a permit and drove up Lavender canyon. What a beautiful canyon.
IMG_0056.JPG IMG_0057.JPG
Things were green and flowers were in bloom.
20160504_123145.jpg

IMG_0077.JPG IMG_0107.JPG IMG_0129.JPG
The day before we had to head home we drove the road through Lockhart Basin to Moab.
IMG_0168.JPG IMG_0134.JPG IMG_0140.JPG
Again the country was incredible. So many flowers were in bloom. We drove down Lockhart canyon to the Colorado River and the Globemallow were blooming everywhere.
IMG_0141.JPG
IMG_0147.JPG IMG_0158.JPG

The first half of the road was fine and you can make good time. After we examined an old plane wreck the road got much slower and quite a bit rougher.
IMG_0166.JPG IMG_0154.JPGIMG_0180.JPG

The last bit down to the turn off to chicken corners was in bad shape.
IMG_0205.JPG
IMG_0200.JPG IMG_0174.JPG IMG_0183.JPG IMG_0185.JPG

Although we did not get into where we wanted the trip turned out fantastic.
 
Nice report Jack,

I've run into that same mud on the south end of Bridger Jack mesa before but we were trying to get OUT. Got out to chain up and I slid, on my feet, into the ditch. I made my wife and dogs walk ahead instead of riding in the truck. Even though I was chained up and going downhill it was still way sketch because of the cliffs alongside. Next time I am staying there until it dries out.
 
Very nice report!
How did the trailers do down the last rough part of Lockhart Canyon Rd on the way to the intersection to Chickens corner?
I have driven that section last year and can imagine it would be interesting with a trailer in tow.
 
Last edited:
Nice report Jack,

I've run into that same mud on the south end of Bridger Jack mesa before but we were trying to get OUT. Got out to chain up and I slid, on my feet, into the ditch. I made my wife and dogs walk ahead instead of riding in the truck. Even though I was chained up and going downhill it was still way sketch because of the cliffs alongside. Next time I am staying there until it dries out.
Yes. It stuck to the bottom of my boots just like it did the tires.
I still haven't gotten all the mud off my Jeep.
 
Very nice report!
How did the trailers do down the last rough part of Lockhart Canyon Rd on the way to the intersection to Chickens corner?
I have driven that section last year and can imagine it would be interesting with a trailer in tow.
We didn't take the trailers. We left them back by the needles and drove back around on the highway.
I'm sure we could have done it but I'm glad we didn't have to.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
scatman Another Interesting Article General Discussion 6
kwc Another Fall Day of Paddling On The Water 0
kwc Another Adirondack Hike Hiking & Camping 3
BeardoMcGrath Oh look yet another Utah conditions thread: mid May 2023 Trip Planning 9
Rockskipper Did someone put another monolith on Mt. Wilbur in Glacier? General Discussion 14
kwc Another sunny day, another jaunt in the Southern Adirondacks Hiking & Camping 1
kwc Another short jaunt in the southern Adirondacks Hiking & Camping 0
kwc Another Southern Adirondacks hike - Clockmill Pond and Rock Lake Hiking & Camping 0
Mikjik86 Another Wind River Trip Planning! Elkhart/Titcomb/Knapsack/Shannons Pass loop back to Elkhart, or continue to Green River Lakes Trailhead? Trip Planning 10
kwc Yet Another Adirondack Paddle On The Water 1
Reef&Ruins Interesting Thread on Another Hiking Forum General Discussion 13
Nethos Another water post(Bowdie/Midway) Trip Planning 10
kwc Another day, another Adirondack paddle On The Water 1
kwc Yet another Adirondack paddle On The Water 1
kwc Another Adirondack Paddle On The Water 0
kwc Another Adirondack fire tower Hiking & Camping 2
G another lurker converting to a non-lurker Noobs: Introduce yourself! 0
zionsky Another Fatality at AL General Discussion 40
Ben Longest you've gone without seeing another person General Discussion 17
kwc Another Hike in the Adirondacks 5/13/20 Hiking & Camping 3
kwc Yet Another Adirondack Hike 5/5/20 Hiking & Camping 1
kwc Another Adirondack Hike 4/23/20 Hiking & Camping 2
kwc Another Adirondack Paddle ... On The Water 0
kwc A Sunny Day Calls for Another Adirondack Paddle On The Water 2
kwc Another Adirondack Hike Hiking & Camping 1
F Another Lurker comes out of the Woods Noobs: Introduce yourself! 11
boulder Another new guy Noobs: Introduce yourself! 2
WasatchWill Horsetail Falls: Another Father-Daughter Overnighter Backpacking 3
kwc Another Adirondack Paddle On The Water 4
Ugly Another Friday Night... White Winter Sports 7
balzaccom Another Trail Crew trip Backpacking 4
C Another Noober Noobs: Introduce yourself! 6
T Another of those what shoes for cdt loop Gear 8
wabenho Another Morning MTB Ride – Wasatch Back Everything Else 1
Kelley Another Sleeping Pad question. Gear 5
Miya Yay! Another Tent and Trail Runners! Gear 8
kwc another Adirondack Canoe day trip On The Water 5
Tymath Another noob from Utah Noobs: Introduce yourself! 4
IcyJ Yet another noob here Noobs: Introduce yourself! 6
Perry Wow! Another Impressive Feat: Man Climbs Colorado's 100 Highest Peaks. Nonstop General Discussion 2
Rockskipper The Bells - yet another place getting overwhelmed General Discussion 19
SKLund Packs: On Another Subject Gear 9
WasatchWill Memorial Day: Another great trip to Torrey Hiking & Camping 11
Blake Merrell Kayaking Lone Rock Canyon: Another beUTAHful adventure! On The Water 8
H Another noon! Noobs: Introduce yourself! 2
Curt Another Salt Creek Canyon Report Backpacking 12
Nick Banz Another Noob Noobs: Introduce yourself! 0
Nick Another wolf was in Utah General Discussion 2
dfcooper Another Noob. Noobs: Introduce yourself! 4
Deepak YAH. Yet Another Hiker Noobs: Introduce yourself! 1

Similar threads

Back
Top