Working on the Tabeguache Trail 2017

Tabeguache Workday ‘17

By Jerry Smith

Sunday morning at the Orchard Mesa City Market looked like a Jeep convention.  Fourteen rigs of the Grand Mesa Jeep Club lined up for a great day on the Tabeguache Trail.  Even though this trip was advertised as a workday, people were eager and willing to turn out.

Cody leading up the first climb

After a quick safety meeting, trip leader Cody lead from the rear of the line to the “Tab” trailhead parking lot across the highway where the airing down process took place.  Tom had the keys to the gate and was waiting with the open gate.

When this short trail segment was constructed a year ago, some of the BLM’s criteria were that it would NOT be highly visible from the highway and that it would be sufficiently difficult to keep the typical party crowd from accessing the area.  Then someone complained that it was too difficult and even dangerous, so the BLM went back with machinery and did everything but pave it.

Airing down in the parking lot.

Now, anyone in a Subaru can get to the top of the first grade to begin doing whatever.  I predict they will make the BLM pay for this.

The Jeep club is working through the process of acquiring a grant to construct a legal highway crossing for unlicensed vehicles before the official opening of this piece of the Tabeguache.  It will be a BIG day when that occurs.  Presently, this 19-mile section of the "Tab" is a one way in and out that makes for a long day.  Most of this trail is a sloooww go.

Some off-camber and rocky conditions

After the first hill climb, you enter a gully where having a flexible suspension is a great asset.  After that, for several miles, the trail is relatively mild going as it steadily climbs through a Utah Juniper and Pinyon Pine forest.

Last year, the Jeep club did a workday project on the northern end of the trail.  Thick trailside brush and tree limbs had encroached into the trail making it tough on the paint to proceed.  They also blocked off several of the braiding (trail widening) problems and illegal side trails that were in the progress of being used.  The day grew short and the southern end was never finished.  This was the mission for today.

After a few miles, we began encountering some of the overgrowths and the trimming began.  Then, some braiding and more side trails were blocked with dead trees.  It seems that some people can’t be satisfied with a perfectly good “legal” trail in front of them.  If something looks interesting off the trail, rather than investigate on foot, it is more convenient just to turn the steering and go.

A Sunday drive on the Tabaguache Trail

The braiding is largely a result of the UTV invasion occurring across the country.  The new technologies allow a lighter vehicle with a softer ride and the speeds that people drive have increased exponentially.  Those speeds apparently are not conducive to encountering obstacles on the trail, so they evade the slightest obstacle and widen the trail.  This is becoming a huge issue with public land management agencies.  Trail closures are the result.

As we went further along the trail, it was obvious that some can’t take a hint.  Some of the barriers we had built last year had been breached, so we rebuilt them.

The southern end can be quite mild

Well into the trail, there is a side trail that I had never been to the end of.  Deep snow had thwarted the first expedition and another chance to explore the road had never been convenient.  Today proved to be convenient enough, so 5-vehicles left the main body and went exploring. 

As the maps suggested, the trail wasn’t too long, only about 3-miles to the end.  But the maps did NOT say that that there were some side trails along this route.  Tom’s GPS suggested that we would encounter another trail that would loop us back to the Tabeguache.  That proved to be a false as I predicted.  Too many other trips into this area had shown no signs of a trail leaving the “Tab”.  Technology isn’t perfect.  My past is full of taking any and all side trails, so I was confident that we wouldn’t be getting through.

Contrasting the gray bentonite with the red cliffs, Tom tops the sharp breakover

At the end of the one trail was an awesome view of two intersecting, very rugged canyons with an “island” peak between them.  The effort of trimming many tree limbs to get there was fairly worth the effort.

You must "hope" no one is coming from the other side here.  it's a totally blind hilltop

We returned to the Tabeguache and headed to the Bangs Canyon Staging Area to air up for the short drive to town.

The Tabeguache Trail will be one of the offerings during Rock Junction 2017.  Rock Junction (May 31, June 1&2) is three days of guided trips on some of western Colorado and eastern Utah’s premier Jeep trails.  This year, we added some new trails so that previous participants could see something new if they choose to.

Choosing a good line is important

For perspective, those are 40" tires

You may find a rock or two along the Tabeguache