History of the Constrictor trail

[Hickey]

I thought we were gonna keep this thread on topic... I.E. about the HISTORY of the trail. Maybe I'll just delete the damn thing.

 

[Caleb]

I thought we were gonna keep this thread on topic... I.E. about the HISTORY of the trail. Maybe I'll just delete the damn thing.

the irony is strong on this one


IMO, this thread is a perfect example of the history of this trail

 

[James K]

Well the trails we now commonly use were once roads that accesses mining claims etc. That is how we can maintain access to them, because they were previously created. We didin't blaze a new trail with chainsaws through the forest, we cleared a existing road of the past to become offroad/rec vehicle drivable, again. Maybe you should just stick to something your used to, like driving on the hgihway

I tip my hat to you sir.

 

[James K]

the irony is strong on this one


IMO, this thread is a perfect example of the history of this trail

its dripping with it

 

[Hickey]

the irony is strong on this one


IMO, this thread is a perfect example of the history of this trail

Maybe the internet history.

 

[scoutabout]

The road was clear to full-size vehicles truly to about the Eagles nest, very little was needed to get a rig through

So was it wasn't always a 5?

 

[James K]

So was it wasn't always a 5?

it was, but not anymore.

 

[Milner]

Well the trails we now commonly use were once roads that accesses mining claims etc. That is how we can maintain access to them, because they were previously created. We didin't blaze a new trail with chainsaws through the forest, we cleared a existing road of the past to become offroad/rec vehicle drivable, again. Maybe you should just stick to something your used to, like driving on the hgihway

This would have been an excellent post without the last sentence. I just don't see the need for all this fingure pointing, blame dishing, credit taking/giving....come on people grow up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS Hickey, delete this, start antoher info only thread and ask the mods to lock it.

 

[James K]

This would have been an excellent post without the last sentence. I just don't see the need for all this fingure pointing, blame dishing, credit taking/giving....come on people grow up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS Hickey, delete this, start antoher info only thread and ask the mods to lock it.

great milfners mad now, way to screw it up guys.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

So was it wasn't always a 5?

In my lifetime, yes.

When it was first cut? Most likely no... does that mean we restore it its original state? No...

Think of every trail in Moab that requires 4WD, it didn't 50 years ago. If it had mining roots, it was most likely passable by a 2 ton 2WD dump truck at some point or the other. Do we start regressing? No.

AF Canyon, RS, Rubicon, etc all fall under the same sitation... There are hundreds of miles of "easy" trails in the 5MP area, there is no reason one can't stay hard IMHO.

 

[scoutabout]

In my lifetime, yes.

When it was first cut? Most likely no... does that mean we restore it its original state? No...

Think of every trail in Moab that requires 4WD, it didn't 50 years ago. If it had mining roots, it was most likely passable by a 2 ton 2WD dump truck at some point or the other. Do we start regressing? No.

AF Canyon, RS, Rubicon, etc all fall under the same sitation... There are hundreds of miles of "easy" trails in the 5MP area, there is no reason one can't stay hard IMHO.

That's what I was asking, but I didn't want to make it read bad so that I'd get attacked.

So did someone make it that way by moving boulders around, or had it just deteriorated to that condition after decades without use?

I don't see the problem with having a hard trail, and I don't think anyone is saying that it should be easier. Not every trail is suitable for a stock j**p. If anyone wants to see what's above that waterfall, they can get there from going around the other side.

With that being said, if there's a chance for someone to cut a bypass (there's enough room, the ground is flat enough, etc) then we all know it's going to happen eventually. We should look at what's happened to constrictor (and the rock garden in AF) as an example of what will happen if we don't do something from the beginning. Had the potential bypass spots been blocked with buck and pole fencing, would the bypasses be there today? Maybe, but maybe not. And maybe they would have taken much longer to develop. So it's a learning experience. In the future, we should think about how a trail will be used 5, 10, 15 years into the future, and do what we can to avoid long term problems. I think it starts by putting in rail fence or steel reinforced signs at potential bypasses. It's more work in the beginning, but might help to avoid headaches down the road. I'm sure this has already been considered.

 

[Jinx]

Not every trail is suitable for a stock j**p. If anyone wants to see what's above that waterfall, they can get there from going around the other side.

I think we are all making progress here, but the only amendment I would make to this is "if anyone wants to see what's above the ""gateway, they can HIKE""

I am not trying to be a hard a$$ but there is no place for a stock jeep on a 5.

Kurt is right there are tons of "easy" trail out at 5 mp, leave the hard ones hard.

 

[Hickey]

That's what I was asking, but I didn't want to make it read bad so that I'd get attacked.

So did someone make it that way by moving boulders around, or had it just deteriorated to that condition after decades without use?

I don't see the problem with having a hard trail, and I don't think anyone is saying that it should be easier. Not every trail is suitable for a stock j**p. If anyone wants to see what's above that waterfall, they can get there from going around the other side.

With that being said, if there's a chance for someone to cut a bypass (there's enough room, the ground is flat enough, etc) then we all know it's going to happen eventually. .

After going out there today, and experiencing the conditiond during the storm, I am convinced that mother nature moves an amazing amount of material in this canyon. While we were there ti was snowing about as much as you can see in the pics. There was a swift moving stream flowing down the trail and right off the face of the Eagles nest. You can clearly see boulders that have fallen within the day.

As far as a bypass, what is currently there will become very hard to navigate in the future. I dare say that the left may become the 'hard line' in the coming years.

 

[scoutabout]

I am not trying to be a hard a$$ but there is no place for a stock jeep on a 5.

Totally valid, and nothing hard about it. For the sake of the stock j**p owner, they don't want to be on a 5. So we're back to stopping bypasses before they begin.

Although, I did see a near stock TJ (2" spacers and 31" tires) go all the way to the waterfall one time (on the trail, not the bypasses).

 

[scoutabout]

After going out there today, and experiencing the conditiond during the storm, I am convinced that mother nature moves an amazing amount of material in this canyon. While we were there ti was snowing about as much as you can see in the pics. There was a swift moving stream flowing down the trail and right off the face of the Eagles nest. You can clearly see boulders that have fallen within the day.

That's what I would think. I haven't been around here a long time, but I've seen the runoff do amazing things in short periods of time.

 

[Hickey]

That's what I would think. I haven't been around here a long time, but I've seen the runoff do amazing things in short periods of time.

The other thing to consider is that the type of rock out there is full of fractures. As the water seeps into these cracks and then freezes, it is forced further and further apart.

 

[Meat_]

After going out there today, and experiencing the conditiond during the storm, I am convinced that mother nature moves an amazing amount of material in this canyon. While we were there ti was snowing about as much as you can see in the pics. There was a swift moving stream flowing down the trail and right off the face of the Eagles nest. You can clearly see boulders that have fallen within the day.

As far as a bypass, what is currently there will become very hard to navigate in the future. I dare say that the left may become the 'hard line' in the coming years.

Yes. This is with 0 rain, it's only run off from melting snow. I can only imagine it during a flash flood

 

[Cody]

personally i think the fact that a jeep on 32's went up the trail is exactly the problem. there is no way a rig like that has any business on a 5 trail and wrestling those rigs up end around all the obstacles (or move the obstacles away from the jeep) is what has made a perfectly good hard trail into something that anyone with a body-lift, a beer, and a buddy can do in 15 minutes. 32's would have gotten you close enough to see the entrance when con was a worthwhile trail, but thats it.

cody

 

[James K]

personally i think the fact that a jeep on 32's went up the trail is exactly the problem. there is no way a rig like that has any business on a 5 trail and wrestling those rigs up end around all the obstacles (or move the obstacles away from the jeep) is what has made a perfectly good hard trail into something that anyone with a body-lift, a beer, and a buddy can do in 15 minutes. 32's would have gotten you close enough to see the entrance when con was a worthwhile trail, but thats it.

cody

AGREED

 

[waynehartwig]

personally i think the fact that a jeep on 32's went up the trail is exactly the problem. there is no way a rig like that has any business on a 5 trail and wrestling those rigs up end around all the obstacles (or move the obstacles away from the jeep) is what has made a perfectly good hard trail into something that anyone with a body-lift, a beer, and a buddy can do in 15 minutes. 32's would have gotten you close enough to see the entrance when con was a worthwhile trail, but thats it.

cody

See, I don't agree - to a point! If someone can do it WITHOUT modifying the trail, then I don't see the issue. It's when they start stacking rocks, taking bypasses, running trees over, tearing trees down, throwing trash on the ground, not picking it up when they see it, etc. That's where I have the problem. Like everyone (or at least me) says, it's not the rig, it's the driver. And I don't see how a unqualified rig, but over qualified driver, can't go on difficult trails. Obviously they will sustain body/mechanical damage, but I think that is their choice - again as long as they aren't destroying the trail.

The people you talk of don't care about the trail and have absolutely no moral fiber left in their body. Their also the ones throwing their beer cans on the ground after downing them. I can't tell you how many times (well you probably have done it yourself and know) I've come up to WW or the 'waterfall' on RS or CON and found dozens of beer cans....Those are the ones that need to be shot, IMO.