ZukFari 2004 pg2

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I decided to take a crack at the Upper Helldorado trail (Lower is now private land and closed forever) The first real obstacle was a problem for me with my newly installed military surplus front bumper. It kept getting hung up on the rocks and I ended up driving sideways in order to get through after 30 agonizing minutes of rocking back and forth. The Blue Zuk behind me showed how its done correctly and in 5 minutes. No one laughed at me but color me red-faced. So out came the sawzall and I now sport a severely shortened front bumper with the HiLift moved to the rear. The next obstacle on Upper Helldorado is Break Over Rock. You can spend several hours waiting for those ahead of you to complete this part. Long wheelbase vehicles have a difficult time getting through this spot. There were several Jeeps and Toyota pickups ahead of us attempting to cross over. They averaged 30 to 45 minutes each. Many had to be winched through this spot. Good time to eat lunch. Naturally there were many comments of the sort that “if they were having a difficult time that it would be impossible for the Zuks” The Blue Zuk waltzed right through this in yet another 5 minutes, loudly proclaiming it was merely a Zuk speed bump. I’m glad that Blue Zuk from Florida was there to make us look good, eating crow must taste downright awful… While in Moab you can’t help but admire the view and the skyline. Quite a few movies and commercials have been shot around the town. Various Westerns of course, Thelma and Louise, the Mission Impossible rock climbing scene. Don’t forget to check out the numerous museums in town. Another well known obstacle is the Golden Crack found near the end of the Golden Spike trail. There is no bypass for this spot so you must cross over or turn back. Again, longer wheel base vehicles have a tough time here. The bottom of the crack is littered with broken plastic, sheared bolts, and chunks of metal. Because of the time delay involved in repeated attempts by some to cross over, the area tends to become a parking lot with a long line of vehicles waiting to engage the crack. We arrived just as a cloud burst rainstorm hit. No sense in making this too easy for us. ZukFari Sponsor Rick Hawkins of Hawks Strictly Suzuki made the crossing look so effortless (The white and green ‘Kick) I followed his line and it worked for me also. Unfortunately Rick Hawkins busted an axle later on up the trail and had to be towed over the last steep muddy obstacle before we headed downhill and back into town for the Chile Dog feed. If you find yourself on the Chicken Corners trail, look for this spot. A terrific view can be had on this foot path. Not for the faint of heart or those that fear heights. Notice the person standing at the cliff edge? Kind of gives you a feeling for how massive the rock formations are in Moab. (Far Right Photo)