derf

Both places don't want a bunch of uninsured vehicles running around causing damage. In Moab, they're having a lot of trouble with a bunch of (but not all) UTV drivers basically being idiots. Racing around on the streets, running open exhaust, etc. The town is fed up with the jerks. So they're cracking down.

Just as a heads up. Your trail rig will need to be licensed and insured to run on most of the trails around Ouray and Moab. A lot of the trails in Colorado are actually county roads. Moab has been somewhat lax but is starting to crack down. But you need to drive to the trail head in either place and that means you need to be legal.

It's worth doing both. Probably not in the same trip but absolutely worth making two trips.

Up hell's gate, an optional obstacle on Hell's Revenge in Moab.

Coming down Black Bear behind a stock 1974 Cherokee

Best thing to come out of Iowa? I-80

And some Moab scenery

Looking down on Black Bear switchbacks.

That was my rental JK. And yeah, I grew up in Cedar Rapids, IA. I know the lack of trails in that area.

I ran those trails in my stock XJ on 235/75R15 tires.

Top of Imogene Pass

Telluride as we were leaving on Imogene.

The Black Bear switchbacks, looking from Imogene trail.

I forgot a couple of things: Both places have plenty of restaurants in town. Typically, the groups I run with will do a trail during the day and go out for dinner when they get home. The Ouray area has a lot of trails that take you to another town. It's possible to run a morning trail to another town, stop for lunch, and then run another trail back. I've run Black Bear from Silverton to Telluride, stopped for lunch, then run Imogene trail back to Ouray. Black Bear Pass is one way (Ouray to Telluride). It's not overly technical. Stock Jeeps can do it and I've even followed a Suburban down it. But the switchbacks are pucker inducing. Plenty of 3, 5, 7, and even 9 point turns depending on your wheelbase (*cough* Gladiator). If people in the group are afraid of heights, it's not the trail to run.

Ouray/Silverton/Telluride is very scenic. Lots of trails lead to old mining camps that can be cool to explore. Most trails are not especially difficult. The MJ on 31's will do fine on 90% of the trails. The bigger Jeeps won't be challenged as much. But still it's a great area to go. Moab has a much wider variety of trails to challenge all levels of Jeeps. The MJ on 31's can push it up to maybe a 7 or 8 rated trail. You may need to be tugged over an obstacle or two. Lockers make a big difference as you get up to the harder trails. Hell's Revenge and Fins 'n' Things are two trails that a Jeep on 31's can handle and are the "go to" trails for Moab trips. Moab in the summer gets pretty hot. You're in the desert in the summer. It can get over 100 degrees. It is a dry heat so it's not terrible. Just be sure to have plenty of water along. There can be some summer storms blowing in that can drop the temperature substantially depending on when you're there. Ouray is a lot higher elevation and doesn't get nearly as warm. In fact, when weather blows in it can be downright cold. It's not impossible to get snow even in the summer. I've been at the top of Imogene pass a number of times. One year it was sunny and warm. I was in shorts and a t-shirt. Another year it was in the 30's with a sustained wind over 20 mph and I was glad I brought my winter coat. In both cases, the best way to do it is to get a hotel or rental house in town. Camping options are open if you like to do that. Pack a lunch (and food for dinner for just-in-case of a break down) and strike out for a day trip to a trail each morning. There's usually enough traffic on all of the trails that if you get in trouble, you can get some help. It's a good idea to have radios (CB or GMRS usually, Ham if you're inclined to do that). There's plenty of places to get information on the trails. Cell phone service is spotty so if you look online, be sure to have everything downloaded before the trip. You can get GPS files that you can load up and it gives you a nice route to follow. If you like paper books, there's one book series that's really good. Colorado (south of I-70): https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Colorado-Backroads-4-Wheel-Drive-Trails/dp/1934838268/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=charles+wells&qid=1612193726&sr=8-2 Colorado (north of I-70): https://www.amazon.com/Northern-Colorado-Backroads-4-Wheel-Drive-Guidebooks/dp/1934838276/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=charles+wells&qid=1612193726&sr=8-3 Moab: https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Moab-Backroads-4-Wheel-Drive-Trails/dp/193483825X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=charles+wells&qid=1612193726&sr=8-1

NFC Best chase scene: Ronin, Bullitt, other?

So did later full size Jeeps. Around the same time as the YJ. Front leaf springs work fine by themselves but they don't corner as well as a good independent suspension or properly designed coil suspension with a straight axle. A panhard bar helps with that.

It's actually warm enough to open up the house today. So most of the snow is gone. We'll get more by the end of the week though.

If you can take the axle out yourself at the junkyard it's usually $100-150 around here. Buying one already taken out it's going to be more.

At least.

You maybe could cut it in half and use the pieces separately.

First coat done all the way around. Now it's time for the sanding to begin.

Yeah, there's people who are good at drywall. Then there's guys like me who are good at sanding.

One wall at a time...