Day One - We begin our trip driving on I-70 through Colorado, but Lowell's Bronco dies along the way. After search for a little while, we found the problem...a bad fuel filter. Hmmm. On Sunday, there aren't too many car parts places open. Thank God for Wal-mart! Open 24 hours! We got the last one they had. So we continue our trip, problem free.

Day Two - We immediately went to the trail that has defeated us 2 years in a row...tranny, then tire. This will be it. This will be the year we finally complete this trail. After wel get our trucks ready, we our off. Well, everything was going smoothly, until POP goes Lowell's rear axle seal. There was no way to get a tow truck up there, so we decide to quickly get back to the Canyonlands NP Visitor Center. So we return to Moab to find no trailer places open, so we get a tow truck to tow him back to Moab. Well this stinks, I don't want to do any of the harder trails by myself.

Day Three - We start off today finding the bad news about Lowell's truck. It need a new axle shaft and they'll have it the next day. Ok, not so bad. So we take off to do less than challenging trails around Arches NP. Got a little muddy from our mud hole from last year too. We then go to the Northern entrance of Canyonlands NP, and do a couple trails up there.

Day Four - We then take it easy and wait for the truck to be done. We swim a little in the river, and goof off a lot. Then get more bad news about the truck. Needs more parts. So it won't be ready for another day or two. But he gets a new locker out of the deal.

Day Five - We then went back to the Southern part of Canyonlands NP to do some other trails in that area. But what's this? Rain. HAHA! Rain makes mud! So we find another good muddy place to goof off doing donuts. We then get to our campsite and set up. We head out for Salt Creek trail. All is going well, the water wasn't too deep for most of the trail. Until, THUMP, I got sucked into the river and stopped moving. "Great, this isn't good." Lowell jumps out and clears the area around my exhaust pipe so I could turn off the engine. So we start digging, and Hi-lifting. My car just keeps on sinking as we lift it. This isn't going anywhere. We've been at it for 2 hours trying to get some sort of traction for my tires, but no luck. And the man-eating mosquitoes weren't helping at all either. Shoot, we were the only ones that have been on that trail for about 2 days. So we brought 2 trucks, and both of them are disabled. So we start walking...and walking...and walking. Wet sandy shoes are not fun to walk in. About 3 miles to the Ranger station, no one there who could pull us out. So we get to the Park campground. The biggest truck we see is an Explorer. Great, the owners are some people from New York who have never put it in 4WD before. So we try it. They get there and we hook up, but my truck doesn't even budge. Good try. They drop us off at the Visitor Center where we call a tow truck. Well he can't come until the next day, so we head out back to our camp. But, now its pitch black outside. The cool breeze cam along, and we are still in shorts. None of us brought anything, not even a flashlight. Oops! So we walk the 7 miles to our camp and finally get there about 3:00 in the morning. Our feet are covered with blisters, ugh!

Day Six - The tow truck arrives at about 9:00 in the morning, he gets to where my truck is in the trail at around 10:00. It takes him about 10 mins to pull me out no problem. And then the price tag. 2 hours here, 2 hours back for about a total of 5 hours. $560 bucks. Yikes! We finally make it back to Moab where Lowell's new rear locker is being installed. But it's not quite done yet. So we get to wash up and stay in a nice hotel.

Day Seven - We pick up Lowell's Bronco, and head out. We need a vacation from our vacation. Oh well, there's always next year.

Fixing the fuel filter	Who needs doors?	Lowells rig	Starting Elephant Hill	Lowell's fiance Ashley
Lowell and Ashley	Coming down Elephant Hill	Lowell's turn	FS: Dana 35 TTB	It's worse then it looks
Uh-oh!	Almost got to the top	Lots of sand = lots of donuts		Canyonlands. What a view.
Ashley and her brother Noah.	Lowell and Ashley	Another easy trail. Oh well.	And more donuts.	I always seem to find the mud in Moab.
Our campsite.	Stuck on Salt Creek Trail		Who knew sand and water made quicksand?