Author Topic: Plan SB's Elite Vision Quest Through Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho (Read 110903 times)

ben ji · « **Reply #775 on:** March 27, 2019, 10:55:53 AM »

Planning my 2019 Vision Quest and would appreciate any feedback or tips, will be just me and my dog in our Rav4 out taking on the world. Tentative date is middle of July and we will be leaving KC on a Friday after work then taking the whole next week off. Planning spend Saturday at the farm near colby helping my dad do farm stuff like feed the cats then its off to the Mountains on Sunday morning.

Stops –

1.   Somewhere in the mountains in Northern CO for a day or 2 of camping/fishing/hiking.
2.   Miracle Mile in WY for some trout fishing (Starts just downstream from Seminoe state park)
3.   Follow N Platte river up to Casper, fishing/camping wherever (Tentative spot is Buffalo Berry Campground)
4.   Drive to the Valentine National Refuge in the beautiful Sand Hills of NE for some fishing.

Besides normal camping gear/food is there anything I might not think of to bring that I should?

Anyone take their dog on a long trip like this? I should have her by my side most of the trip (Bears/Cougars will eat her first sparing me) besides quick runs into stores etc where I can leave her in the car. The only time I might be away from her is if I inflate my kayak and go out on a lake/river. Tie her to a tree and stay in sight? Keep her at campsite in Vehicle with window cracked in the shade? Bring a kennel and set it up outside or in tent?

SkinnyBenny · « **Reply #776 on:** March 27, 2019, 11:39:17 AM »

Oh man Ben Ji, I know nothing about the sand hills of Nebraska, but that might be pretty awesome. Best of luck to you and make sure to post an absolutely absurd amount of pics and an even more absurd amount of ben ji dad stories.

ben ji · « **Reply #777 on:** March 27, 2019, 11:58:48 AM »

Quote from: SkinnyBenny on March 27, 2019, 11:39:17 AM

Oh man Ben Ji, I know nothing about the sand hills of Nebraska, but that might be pretty awesome. Best of luck to you and make sure to post an absolutely absurd amount of pics and an even more absurd amount of ben ji dad stories.

Yeah, the sandhills stop if pretty random. When I first started message boarding a long long time ago I read a post talking about fishing in the sandhills and have always wanted to check it out.

I might take a detour up to the Badlands in SD on the drive to the Sand Hills. Have you been? Worth the 1.5 hr detour each way? Probably wont spend the night, just drive through and hang out during the day.

star seed 7 · « **Reply #778 on:** March 27, 2019, 12:04:16 PM »

I used to take my dog when working in the fields in the summer. I had a 20' wire rope I clipped to the trailer hitch. She would mostly just sleep under the truck but every now and then she'd get the rope wrapped around a tire or something and get stuck like that. I would check on her and refill water every 2-3 hours. I imagine lady would do fine too.

ben ji · « **Reply #779 on:** March 27, 2019, 01:13:17 PM »

Quote from: libstradamus on March 27, 2019, 12:04:16 PM

I used to take my dog when working in the fields in the summer. I had a 20' wire rope I clipped to the trailer hitch. She would mostly just sleep under the truck but every now and then she'd get the rope wrapped around a tire or something and get stuck like that. I would check on her and refill water every 2-3 hours. I imagine lady would do fine too.

michigancat · « **Reply #780 on:** April 03, 2019, 10:33:00 AM »

We are taking spring break in utah right now. Flew into SLC Saturday and drove to vernal for dinosaur national monument. Found a random arch to hike to (Moonshine) on day 1. Day 2 went to the actual monument and saw the dinosaur quarry which is pretty cool. Did a 5.5 mile loop in the park (monument) where we saw like three people and slogged through some mud but it was still alright. Went to the dino museum in vernal which is surprisingly pretty good. Vernal is a fairly dumpy tourist town on the downswing with creepy/weird dinosaur statues everywhere and I loved it.

I mean look at this thing.

michigancat · « **Reply #781 on:** April 03, 2019, 10:35:57 AM »

We also did a "hike" on a closed dirt road to see some petroglyphs and we were the only people there. Great stuff.

tdaver · « **Reply #782 on:** April 03, 2019, 10:43:10 AM »

If you’re still in Vernal, google Fantasy Canyon. Where else are you going in Utah? Let me know if you want any recommendations.

michigancat · « **Reply #783 on:** April 03, 2019, 10:43:20 AM »

Day three we drove to Moab. There's no straight shot south from Vernal to Moab so we went over to Colorado and drove down highway 139 which is a fantastic lonely highway over a pass and through free range cattle. Got into Moab at like 5pm and thought what the hell let's go to Arches NP since the entrance is close. Driving into Arches for the first time is one of the most amazing views and experiences you can have, it's very similar to seeing Yosemite valley for the first time. Just stunning rock formations around every turn. Went to the windows Arches around sundown and did a hike around them on a little primitive trail.

michigancat · « **Reply #784 on:** April 03, 2019, 10:43:54 AM »

Quote from: tdaver on April 03, 2019, 10:43:10 AM

If you’re still in Vernal, google Fantasy Canyon. Where else are you going in Utah? Let me know if you want any recommendations.

We're going to Canyonlands Needles today. Moving slowly.

michigancat · « **Reply #785 on:** April 03, 2019, 10:44:44 AM »

We looked at fantasy canyon but it was just kind of out of the way for what we wanted to do

michigancat · « **Reply #786 on:** April 03, 2019, 10:51:58 AM »

Day four we got up sort of early to do delicate arch. Made it through the gate with no wait at about 8:15 and went straight to the trailhead parking with no issue. Not really a vision questy hike at first because there are shitloads of Mormon families dragging 6 toddlers up the trail, usually with a dad totally decked out in full Backcountry gear and kids in sweatpants and light up Spiderman shoes. But man oh man it's worth the crowd once you come around the corner and see the arch and the surrounding setting and views. Everything I'd heard about it undersold it.

michigancat · « **Reply #787 on:** April 03, 2019, 10:53:25 AM »

Here is a picture of me doing a rap squat at the delicate arch

tdaver · « **Reply #788 on:** April 03, 2019, 11:07:15 AM »

Moab and Arches and that area, hell all of Southern Utah, is fantastic. Keep posting updates.

SkinnyBenny · « **Reply #789 on:** April 03, 2019, 11:14:06 AM »

MICHCAT, YES. THIS is what the freakin VISION QUEST thread is ALL aBOUT

michigancat · « **Reply #790 on:** April 03, 2019, 11:14:06 AM »

LOL at the 4x4offroading bros in Moab BTW. So many jeeps and trucker hats and side by sides

michigancat · « **Reply #791 on:** April 04, 2019, 09:37:28 AM »

We got down from delicate arch about 10:15 then went to the visitor center to get fiery furnace permits. Had to wait till Friday! Watched the video and takes to the ranger and then went to devil's playground. It's really flat to some famous arch so it was super crowded but started to thin out up to the Double O arch. You walk on a scary thin part where you will fall to your death if you slip and it's called a "fin". Got to Double O and considered heading back the way we came but decided to take the primitive trail loop which they make seem death-defying and super crazy. Guess what it was totally pud but we got away from crowds. You just had to hop down a couple rocks, I don't know why morons on AllTrails thought it was so scary. Then we got back to the main trail with hella tourists and broke off on some easy side trails to arches and we were followed by these semi-serious hikers who were clickity clacking their little poles on a trail that was at worst a casual stroll and they reminded me of those Boston scientific robots that walk like people. They were so loud with their clickity clacks and just seemed awful

michigancat · « **Reply #792 on:** April 04, 2019, 09:52:58 AM »

Yesterday went to Needles part of Canyonlands. Great drive there from Moab and the visitor center is pretty isolated, like fifty miles from anything resembling a town. Saw rock climbers on BLM land on the way in through a great canyon. The one thing you do start to encounter at Canyonlands is hashtag #vanlife dudes aka everlasting vision questers.

Decided on an 8 mile hike through two canyons (Lost Canyon loop). Met 8 people the entire way but when we started there was this group of 2 or 3 families with a couple toddlers who were heading the same direction as us a bit ahead of us. One of the most incredible views ever when you cross between canyons. We thought no way will they make it far so we followed them and eventually passed them. We thought we were in the clear but when we stopped for a break we started hearing yelling and loud talking and eventually we realized that group had shed some dead weight and we had two awful tween boys and their gossipy suburban moms yelling and giggling their way through the canyon. We stopped just to wait them out and let them pass so we wouldn't have to hear them and our efforts to avoid them and getting annoyed by them made the hike way worse than it should have been.

On the way out saw a ton of permanent vision questers on BLM land

tdaver · « **Reply #793 on:** April 04, 2019, 02:53:48 PM »

Fiery Furnace is great. Worth the wait. Tower Arch is another one that will get you away from most tourists.

Corona Arch is outside the park and is very cool. Probably lots of people though.

michigancat · « **Reply #794 on:** April 04, 2019, 07:02:35 PM »

Did Island in the Sky today. Tried Lathrop Canyon Trail. The views are ridiculous and we didn't see a single person until we got to the top of the crazy switchbacks. We went probably 2/3 down and didn't see much value for continuing. Had lunch and headed back up and ran into a backpacking couple who I'm pretty sure we're trying to bone on the edge of a cliff. Good for them. Parts of this hike were seriously scary since it looks like a wrong step will send you plummetting to your death in this canyon.

The photo doesn't do it justice but I was afraid to look down. Still we went like 7 miles round trip and met five people. And then you go to whatever arch is there and it's theme park central. But yeah what a ridiculous place to have so much close together

michigancat · « **Reply #795 on:** April 04, 2019, 09:51:44 PM »

Also @tdaver please recommend a restaurant for dinner in Salt Lake. Like something unique to Utah like a jello themed restaurant or something

tdaver · « **Reply #796 on:** April 05, 2019, 12:15:44 AM »

Oh man. Let me sleep on it.

In the meantime, carve out 30 minutes in your itinerary for a truly bizarre SLC experience. Gilgal Garden.

tdaver · « **Reply #797 on:** April 05, 2019, 10:03:07 AM »

Struggling to think of a good stereotypical Utah option. You’d probably have to crash a Mormon potluck to get jello and funeral potatoes. You could try Lion House Pantry or one of the other restaurants in Temple Square but fair warning it’s general conference weekend. It will be packed like Mormon Disneyland down there. You will be chum in missionary infested waters.

Not sure if unique to Utah but definitely a surprise to me when I moved here... Utahns love fry sauce, pastrami on their burgers, and super thick milkshakes. Fry sauce is everywhere. Has to be the #1 condiment. Just about any locally based burger joint will have a pastrami burger. Crown Burger was the original and also has a huge menu that includes gyros, burritos, and all kinds of stuff. But it’s just fast food. If you really want a burger, go to Proper Burger and get a beer too. And the milkshakes... they’re like DQ blizzards. I have yet to see one you could actually drink with a straw.

If you want to get outside the city and up in the mountains a bit you could try local favs Ruth’s Diner or Silver Fork Lodge.

Sorry, not coming up with any great options. There are lots of good normal restaurants around town.

michigancat · « **Reply #798 on:** April 06, 2019, 12:00:18 AM »

Fiery furnace was of course incredible. Better than expected.

Mrs michigancat grew up in sugar House so we went by her childhood home and then the local crown burger and lol wtf it was fantastic and weird. Perfect recommend

tdaver · « **Reply #799 on:** April 06, 2019, 12:46:05 AM »

Haha. Shakes, pastrami burgers, and tons of fry sauce. The Utah trifecta. And I forgot about the weird decor!