The Mav and a Capitol Reef Adventure

[Edge Haley]

That's awesome to hear!! I was planning on getting some recovery boards, I will add the shovel. What do you think about a hitch mounted winch just in case lol

Hitch mounted winch, with remote control - Yes. Probably 5,000 lb capacity. Best options & costs are at Harbor Freight and they have all the adaptors you would probably need. My old Suzuki Samari had a hitch mount in the front so winch could be mounted in rear or front...just need a tree or big rock nearby as an anchor. I've had the EXPENSIVE recovery boards, but found the thick rubber floor mats actually work better since they are way more flexible, and much easier to haul in the bed, taking up less space.

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[Hardening2753]

Hitch mounted winch, with remote control - Yes. Probably 5,000 lb capacity. Best options & costs are at Harbor Freight and they have all the adaptors you would probably need. My old Suzuki Samari had a hitch mount in the front so winch could be mounted in rear or front...just need a tree or big rock nearby as an anchor. I've had the recovery boards, but found the thick rubber floor mats actually work better since they are way more flexible, and much easier to haul in the bed, taking up less space.

Good to hear about the winch. I have a few spare mats laying around so I will play with them when I get the truck

 

[Laricat]

Are you guys also doing the passport stamps at the national parks? We started a few years ago and it has led us to explore locations we never thought of before

We haven't, actually. We've been to a bunch of National Parks and Monuments and I'm aware of the stamps but we haven't actively pursued them. We've been really into desert hiking and slot canyons the last few years so we've been more focused on that. I know we will want to see them all at some point though!

 

[Red Ryder]

Thanks for sharing those beautiful photos! The most beautiful part is seeing the emptiness! Living all my life next door to the world's most visited national park, it has become pretty much unenjoyable the past several years, certainly since covid. Way too crowded.

It is very refreshing to see the wide open spaces. I think I need a western vacation soon.

 

[lajlmt]

I'm finally getting around to posting on this. My husband, a friend, and I were in the Capitol Reef National Park (south central Utah) over Memorial Day week. The plan was to do a few scenic drives and lots of hiking. We're in Wisconsin so we road tripped it out in my Mav.

Firstly, the Mav is a pretty comfortable road trip vehicle. Nice to drive, very comfortable, and having the bed for all our stuff was perfect. (We were in a cabin so no camping gear - definitely more than enough space in the bed). One thing of note, the back seat was a little tight for taller/larger folks (considering we had some bags in the bag seat) but definitely manageable. Overall, very pleased.

As for the trip, the photos are from two scenic drives while we were out there. The Maverick did excellent for both!

The first drive was Cathedral Valley, which we did on Memorial Day since it was going to be much less crowded than doing activities in the main areas of Capitol Reef. The Cathedral Valley loop actually starts just east of the park on Hwy 24 and heads northwest back into the park before looping again towards the southeast and back onto 24.

95% of the road for Cathedral Valley was pretty easy going. Light bumps and rocks but very manageable. The other 5% was dicey going over some bigger rocks or, most commonly, rough terrain when going in and out of washes. I have the Fx4 package and there were a couple of instances where I was very glad I had skid plates. Additionally, a little more clearance on the Maverick would have been great for this but overall it handled it just fine, when driving carefully.

This was taken just off Hwy 24 by the western entrance of the park.

A shot by the Bentonite hills.

My absolute favorite photo of the entire trip that my husband took. The color, composition - everything is perfect. This is the road going through the Bentonite hills. I'm in front of the truck and our friend is at the rear. It would make a great advertising image and I think Ford could sell a lot of trucks with it!

The Maverick by the gypsum sinkhole (not pictured but it was VERY cool) off the Cathedral Valley loop.

Towards the end of the Cathedral Valley loop.

The other major drive was "Looping the Fold" where you drive around Capitol Reef (also called the Waterpocket Fold, hence the name of the drive). This drive was much easier since it's partly on pavement and partly on a dirt road. Beyond some wash boarding in a couple of areas, the dirt road was easy. In non-rainy conditions, any car could do this just fine. Despite the ease of the drive, we only saw 4 other cars the entire day!

This was a very scenic drive that also started east of the park and follows Notom-Bullfrog road south. One could take this all the way to the Bullfrog Marina on Lake Powell, but our turn off was the Burr Trail Switchbacks, which was built on an old cattle route. The switchbacks are the only way to get up the fold.

Once on top of the fold, we took the 3 mile drive to the Strike Valley Overlook, which was totally worth it. This optional sidetrip would not be suitable for just any car as this was a rough road - very rutted and rocky. Taking it slow - the Maverick handled this beautifully as well.

As we continued the drive, the paved road came back when entering into the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (another fantastic place to visit) and the road heads down into Long's Canyon. The Burr Trail eventually went to Boulder on Hwy 12.

Hwy 12 between Escalante in Boulder is an incredible drive. Knowing that, we took our friend to The Hogback on Hwy 12, which is a fantastic section of the highway where both sides of the road completely drop off for small stretch. It's fun to drive and the views are amazing. From there, we headed up back to Torrey, the town outside Capitol Reef.

The Mav with all the wild flowers off Notom road and a section of the fold in the background.

The parking area for the Strike Valley Overlook.

My Maverick on The Hogback off Hwy 12.

Overall the trip was great, the Mav did great, and we can't wait to go on another one!

We are heading to Alburqueque next May/June, our mainland friends from Vancouver, Wa are meeting us in their ‘23 cyberorange lariat. We’ll definitely be visiting the Utah dreamscapes!

 

[Laricat]

We are heading to Alburqueque next May/June, our mainland friends from Vancouver, Wa are meeting us in their ‘23 cyberorange lariat. We’ll definitely be visiting the Utah dreamscapes!

That sounds like an excellent trip! You'll have plenty of great things to see along the way. Please post a few photos when the time comes.

 

[inthecabin]

I’ve done a lot of desert travel in the past. The traction devices and hacks are good. They always say carry extra water, in fact I bring no less than 5 gallons. Yeah to drink just in case but also to help get unstuck. Pour water in front of your drive wheels to harden the sand, maybe all 4. This saved me a few times.
I love the Death Valley area, Panamints etc..

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