Moab 2016

[lropchan]

Jeffrey's video of the trip:  https://youtu.be/gqFw3os_qe0

[binch]

Looked like a great trip!   Campsite looked pretty compfy too! :D

[Trevor]

Great video Jeffrey! Lots of great videos and pictures there!

[Matt H]

Great looking trip there lads. The desert camping must have been a really amazing experience?

I NEED to get back there some day soon.

[B-Red]

Nice video Jeffery. Good trails challenges. Brings back memories. The desert camping looked great.
How was the heat?

[Trevor]

The camping was a lot of fun. I really like that spot, it's great. The heat wasn't an issue at all Emad as we got to the campsite in the late afternoon and as it is in a canyon, the sun is already behind the rocks. We roll out of there by 9ish the next morning so you never are sitting around in the mid-day heat. Temperatures were very comfortable for the camping.

Matt, I had some conversations with a few locals (vendors mostly) that have been very involved in the entire Greater Canyonlands expansion that has threatened to shut down the area. Overall their feedback was very positive. I had a very long chat with the owner of Moab 4x4 (Steve) who's been quite active in this and learned the following:

-- The expanded area will include a small portion of trails...from Hurrah Pass over. This area will include Lockhart Basin where we camped, so this year's campsite will likely be the last as offsite camping will be verboten
-- For those affected trails, vehicles will still be allowed to use them and the BLM will continue to manage the existing trails
-- The bill was re-jigged to be much more focused as anti-oil & gas legislation, rather than the more sweeping approach originally taken. Accordingly they appear to be allowing land use to continue for recreational purposes, including motorized recreation
-- It is expected to be signed in by Obama

Overall his feedback to me was not dire at all. He didn't see his business as under threat anymore by the pending legislation, and thinks that in its current form the bill will not be that bad.

Where you do see a lot of resistance is still on the general land grab by the government. A lot of residents are very much against that because the vast majority of the land in their county is state owned (like 96% range) and jobs are needed in the area. Oil and gas development was one of the up and coming job creators, and that looks like it will be squashed. 

We will know for sure in a few months when Obama starts issuing his pardons and signing in his last rounds of bills.

[Matt H]

That's very encouraging news.

[Trevor]

Rachele uploaded a bunch of pictures to the ALRE Photobucket site

http://s203.photobucket.com/user/alberta_land_rover_enthusiast/library/Moab%202016?sort=2&page=1