Click on Santana, Top Gun, Bob Marley, Rocky, AC/DC, Mission Impossible,
Beach Boys, Axle's Theme, James Bond, Van Halen, or the Eagles while you browse the Hell's Revenge Report...
Trip Leader--Hobo Willy-- recommends alittle AC/DC...
On Friday May 27th, we set out from camp towards Moab and City Market. For Memorial Day Weekend, it wasn't as crowded as I expected, in fact ALL day we never saw another 4x4 on Hell's. The temps were pleasant (though toasty low 90's mid-day), as we headed off to the trailhead. We aired down and disconnected for the weekend near mini Lion's Back in the Sand Flats Rec Area. If there is one trail you ever do in Moab it has to be Hell's Revenge. It's what 'Slickrock Jeepin' in Moab' is all about. You climb on slickrock for most of the trail, and the scenery along the ridgeline is spectacular! After the Easter Jeep Safari's, and with Well's book, it's pretty hard to get lost on this trail these days. Also, with more tires on the trail these days, the slickrock is becoming more and more blacktop. Please try to eliminate excessive tire chirp around corners to help keep the slickrock cleaner.
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Cool Air Photo of Hell's Revenge Trail (Zoom in or out, use Topo to see the trail) |
Trail map of Hell's RevengeTrail
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I (with my jeepin-sidekick Molly) led the way as Paul 'WeiszGuy' Weisz and son Brett-'WeiszDude' (CJ), & Mark Jensen (TJ) followed. We also had a guy from Rifle, Colorado with a CJ that we met at City Market come along with us. We paid our fee at the gate ($5), and started the morning off on the mini lion's back fin, and back to the entrance to Hell's Revenge. If you ever get to Moab with your Jeep, don't leave until you do Hell's Revenge Trail! This is what Moab is all about 'Slickrock'!!
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Airing down for our 1st taste of slickrock!! Note: due to the lack of photos, I have inserted previous trip photos in parenthesis, other undated photos are from this year's run. |
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As Paul comes of the steep end of it... |
We headed back thru to the Hell's Revenge trailhead and up and over a mini-fin, and thru semi-dry Lake Michigan and past the gate ledges, we made our way to the small tubs, then the steep fun slickrock climbs of Hell's Revenge. The sensation of climbing slickrock is great! Your experience tells you 'that's too steep!', but traction says otherwise. I always wonder how my carb will do, but it never let me down. This is some of the best of Moab!
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We are followed by some Land Rovers on the mini fin... |
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In 1999, Lake Michigan was full... |
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Sand and Slickrock... |
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The steep slickrock climbs of Hell's Revenge (2000)... |
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I'm climbing the long steep hill--lots of fun... |
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Slickrock everywhere! Here is one of the 1st steep climbs (from 2002)... |
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Scenery and slickrock... |
I headed NE along the sandy and easy stretch, working our way towards the Colorado overlook and lunch. A great view at the overlook for lunch with temps in the low 90's, and puffy clouds canvassed the red rock scenery----ahhhhh Moab!! Some 'yahoo' had driven his rig right to the edge, one wrong move and it's goodbye. Why do people insist going off established trails??
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A break before the overlook... |
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As Molly look for more lizards--and drinks from her 'buddy bowl'... |
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The Colorado River Overlook (2002)... |
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We stop for lunch at the overlook... |
Ater a nice lunch, we took a look at Hell's Gate. Paul headed down the north gate. He came back up all smiles, as he came up the south gate nice and easy. We moved on to the loop west towards and around the Black Hole (which is a small crescent-shaped cliff) and up to the higher ridgeline of slickrock. One turn above it is pretty intimidating, with a 200+ drop off. If your steering wheel devilishly turns left on you when you want to turn right, you'll be sucked down the 'Black Hole'. The climb was fun, as some steep slickrock climbs and turns kept you on your toes.
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Hell's Gate near the overlook (from 2000)... |
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Paul heads down... |
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and back up 'in style' in 2005!!! |
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Looking West, the Black Hole and the ridgeline ahead (2001)... |
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Looking North up above the Black Hole which is below, as we climb up to the ridgeline (2001)... |
Once on the ridgeline there are a few depressions (tubs). We took on the easiest, and the other two (one called Mickey's Hot Tub) has a steep exit. All went in and out. One by one we entered and exited the tub, the slickrock traction makes the climbs effortless. There was no water in the bottom of the tubs. Cacti and other desert plant had nice flowers blooming.
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Lots of Spring rain has brought out the flowers... |
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Mickey's Hot Tub nearby, and the Meeker Man (2001)... |
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He never got out on his own, he needed winched out (2001)... |
Once you arrive on the top of the 'Giant SlickRock Dome', welcome again to Moab, and slickrock country!! Vast mounds of rock lie before you for the rest of the day. Steep hill climbs and descents are the order of the day! The trail is well marked with flames on the trail, though there are many spurs, stay on the flames, and get the full enjoyment of the loop.
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| Hell's Revenge...a 'must do' on your trail list (photo from Sept 1999)... |
We made it off the steep dome descent back into the small valley of sand, and on over to 'Tip Over' obstacle. With a series of ledges, and an off camber ledge near the top, tire placement is key. Paul made it thru with ease.
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| I did mention the beautiful slickrock didn't I??? (1999)... |
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| The steep drop off the ridgeline down to the sandy valley (2001)... |
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| In 2000, Hobo 'WeiszGuy' got quite 'Tippy' at TipOver... |
Still early, around 2:30pm, we headed back out the tight leaning gulch and thru some wicked articulation spots on the sandy stretch to the highway. We headed up the hard rocky left to the ridgeline and off to descend to the backside of Lion's Back. Everyone negotiated the tippy lean spot and I noticed the land owner of Lion's Back changed the end of the trail blocking off the great articulation spots off the last obstacle. Through the sand and back on pavement…. Hell's Revenge is all that!!
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| as Paul balances on a rock... |
We headed down to Potato Salad Hill where only one guy was trying to roll with no success. It was back to town to cool off and back to camp to prep for tonight's 'Nite Run' over Sevenmile Rim.
Storyline, web design, and captions by:
Bill Hallinan HoboJeepers
Here are some other Hell's Revenge Trip reports:
2003
HoboJeepers Hell's Revenge Trail
2002
HoboJeepers Hell's Revenge Trail
2001
HoboJeepers Hell's Revenge Trail
2000
HoboJeepers Fin's and Things/Hell's Revenge Trail
2000
HoboJeepers Hell's Revenge Trail 110%
1999
HoboJeepers Hell's Revenge Trail
Hell's Revenge Trail by 4x4Trails.net:
http://www.4x4trails.net/db_view_trail.asp?trailNum=210
Hell's Revenge Trail by Mike Millen:
http://www.moab-offroad.com/EJS98/98Trails/HellsRevenge/
33rd Annual Easter Jeep Safari Hells Revenge by Flatlander:
http://www.4x4now.com/33jshr.htm
30th Annual Easter Jeep Safari Hells Revenge by Flatlander:
31st Annual Easter Jeep Safari Hells Revenge by Flatlander:
http://www.4x4now.com/31jshr.htm
Rockcrawler’s 1998 Hells Revenge Trail Report:
http://www.rockcrawler.com/trailreports/moab98/friday/friday.htm
Hell's Revenge Trail SevenMile Rim 'Nite Run' Trail Steel Bender Trail
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