Moab in July

[JTGuy]

The crowds are way down in Death Valley in July if you want to test the heat. Guys on motorcycles are falling dead in the heat. Do the Rubicon or Dusy Ershim trails in the summer.

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[Loud Lyle]

When is the best time to visit. I’m used to Mississippi Heat and humidity but would rather not fight July temps in Moab.

 

[Sweetums]

When is the best time to visit. I’m used to Mississippi Heat and humidity but would rather not fight July temps in Moab.

Moab's best times are what we call "shoulder season" spring and fall. This year the season started President's Day weekend, but by mid-June you are getting into the summer heat and it's time to call it off until mid- late-September.

 

[Zachanadandy]

Maybe y'all need to get out of old habits and adjust to the fact that you're in the desert in the summer? Awning? Shade? How bout top on, windows up, AC running and stay in the Jeep for lunch? We've wheeled in moab and AZ in the mid day heat of summer many times. Bring plenty of water and learn to wheel without a spotter are my 2 biggest suggestions. Don't need to get out and huddle in a group for lunch, I'll stay in the Jeep with the wife if we are eating lunch on the trail. That and we are early morning people. Odds are even a 6+ hour trail we are back in town for lunch. The best part about wheeling those areas in the summer is no trail traffic. Just spent 3+ months on a power plant job in AZ, boots, hard hat, safety vest, long sleeves, pants, all day long outside in that heat, and we are afraid to wheel air conditioned Jeeps in it for a few hours now? Better than the humidity back east any day if you ask me.

 

[Sweetums]

Maybe y'all need to get out of old habits and adjust to the fact that you're in the desert in the summer? Awning? Shade? How bout top on, windows up, AC running and stay in the Jeep for lunch? We've wheeled in moab and AZ in the mid day heat of summer many times. Bring plenty of water and learn to wheel without a spotter are my 2 biggest suggestions. Don't need to get out and huddle in a group for lunch, I'll stay in the Jeep with the wife if we are eating lunch on the trail. That and we are early morning people. Odds are even a 6+ hour trail we are back in town for lunch. The best part about wheeling those areas in the summer is no trail traffic. Just spent 3+ months on a power plant job in AZ, boots, hard hat, safety vest, long sleeves, pants, all day long outside in that heat, and we are afraid to wheel air conditioned Jeeps in it for a few hours now? Better than the humidity back east any day if you ask me.

My last vehicle had an awning and we'd use it all the time, even in the spring and fall. Going out and relying on AC is not something I like to do, you are one failure away from "we can stay in the AC" to "This is now a survival situation and it's too hot for helicopters to fly".
I've been out there and gotten stuck on a trail, the result was me getting heat stroke. My body stopped sweating, I started to shiver, and felt cold. Essentially, my organs were going to start shutting down because my body stopped trying to cool itself. Fortunately, I recognized the signs; I packed my crotch, armpits, and hat with the last of the ice from the cooler, doused myself with cold water, and crawled under a rocky overhang to find shade where I spent the next hour having vivid auditory hallucinations.

To this day I have a greater sensitivity to heat.

Focusing on shoulder season is not just about comfort, it's about survival if things go wrong.

 

[Zachanadandy]

My last vehicle had an awning and we'd use it all the time, even in the spring and fall. Going out and relying on AC is not something I like to do, you are one failure away from "we can stay in the AC" to "This is now a survival situation and it's too hot for helicopters to fly".
I've been out there and gotten stuck on a trail, the result was me getting heat stroke. My body stopped sweating, I started to shiver, and felt cold. Essentially, my organs were going to start shutting down because my body stopped trying to cool itself. Fortunately, I recognized the signs; I packed my crotch, armpits, and hat with the last of the ice from the cooler, doused myself with cold water, and crawled under a rocky overhang to find shade where I spent the next hour having vivid auditory hallucinations.

To this day I have a greater sensitivity to heat.

Focusing on shoulder season is not just about comfort, it's about survival if things go wrong.

There's few trails in moab that either aren't real close to town and super heavily traveled or where there aren't plenty of rock ledges etc to find shade. I've spent 10 hour shifts working in the heat, I'm pretty acclimated. If I need to hike out a few miles because of a vehicle failure I'll be fine. There's airways plenty of food, water, etc in the Jeep that even a longer hike could wait until the early morning hours. Survivability is easy with a plan and being prepared.

 

[Silverator]

I've been in Moab in mid-late April and thought I was going to die - even with snow on the La Sal's. Deep in those canyons, the heat index goes up dramatically. 100 in town feels like 110-115 in the redrock canyons. No way would I voluntarily schedule a Moab trip in July.

 

[MPMB]

Meh. A couple years ago we were in Moab in late July/August and it was 104*. We're spending a couple days there a little over a week from now.

Heat keeps the pansies away.

Just hope there's no rain.

Re: Timed entry in Arches... I wonder if they've closed the dirt roads in from the north.

 

[Josh00333]

It's hotter here in Boise than in Moab.

 

[bd100]

Re: Timed entry in Arches... I wonder if they've closed the dirt roads in from the north.

A few years ago we had the annual pass and Willow Springs Road was open so in we went. A bit of offroading, saw some dino tracks, petroglyphs, and an arch, and we spent an hour just checking out the constellations at night, etc. Went out on the pavement.

 

[Sw00per]

Bonus points if you get Rory to weld something back or replace an axle shaft in the dirt.

Ha - I have his number on my FAVs list. I hope to see him at the shop if I stop in to get a selfie and a t-shirt.

 

[Sweetums]

Ha - I have his number on my FAVs list. I hope to see him at the shop if I stop in to get a selfie and a t-shirt.

He's kind of shy in person, don't be surprised if you only see one of his guys.

 

[Sw00per]

He's kind of shy in person, don't be surprised if you only see one of his guys.

Should I say Sweetums sent me?

 

[Sweetums]

Should I say Sweetums sent me?

I don't know him personally, I just met him, Shawn and Mike briefly at the Off Road Expo. He seemed kind of tired after all the meet-n-greet stuff so we didn't hang around. He's also mentioned a couple times in the videos that he's more reserved in person; he also reminded his viewers that the videos are a side-show to the main business of recoveries and maintaining the fleet of vehicles, so he's often too busy/tired to meet with everyone who drops in.

At the expo I wanted to ask them about what parts they see break most often on our trucks that I should reinforce. The answer, by the way, is the upper and lower trackbar mounts front and rear. Shawn recommended Artec Industries for a weld-on reinforcement plate.

 

[JTGuy]

I have a Bernese Mountain Dog. I don't want to think about what would happen if the engine and AC failed in temps over 100. .

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