PDA

View Full Version : Moab: 7 Mile Rim - PSM trip



PassRunnerZJ
01-17-2006, 08:57 PM
My brother and I headed to Moab to spend some quality MLK weekend off time with nature. We did Poison Spider Mesa on Sunday and Seven Mile Rim on Monday.

PSM was a good trail for him to learn some slick rocking on with his newly lift and 31s XJ. It was my second trip on PSM, first with 31s and sliders, which really helped in allowing me to take harder lines now. His only other experiance was with a stock IFS rig. There was some rain/snow when we hit the trail late morning and the wet tires picking up sand made the waterfall more exciting as the rigs would slide towards the drop off until the wheels cleaned the sand off. Shortly after we finished the waterfall section the water works from the sky stopped and the rest of the trail was dry or only a little damp which made for some good lines on the slick rock climbs and decents.
269
Seven Mile Rim turns out to be a great moderate trail with a few decent ledges that offer lines from easy to hard depending on your rig build, the scenery views were great too. We missed the turn off for Uranium Arch and didn't go back for it as we were on the trail late after letting the night before's snow melt. The two sections that really demand your attention are the off camber sidehill--that has three or four lines depending on the amount of side hilling you want to do--really gets your attention when you are pre-walking it and when you are doing it. Even with minor lifts there was a lot of body leaning as it felt like the body was leaning on downhill the bump stops. We choose the straighter up, turn, and go straighter down route and completed it without any issues.
284
There is a smaller version of the Crack on the trail right before you get into the off camber sections that also offers many line choices and depth and will allow you to lift a wheel if you choose the correct line. I don't think it is as deep as the Golden Crack at its deepest part though, but I haven't done the Golden Crack yet either.

Wipe Out Hill can be incorporated into this trail, it is a steep set of steps that should be done with both front and rear lockers. On the second step down the XJ lifted the rear wheels for a moment and got the heart beats up for myself and his wife as we watched. The first step up was pretty uneventful, but the second step took more skinny peddle since he only has an ARB front locker and there was some serious wheel spin as the XJ clawed it way up. Of course with this wheel spin the vehicle starts sliding to the right as you go up. Unfortunately--well kind of--he didn't get the wheels turned to the left quick enough as he crested the edge and crinked the front bumper, side marker, and fender into the rock wall at the top for some battle scarring and better tales to tell at work. I opted out of the try for a couple or reasons, besides it was getting late. The formost being I'm still running a D35 and my compressor pump wasn't stopping leading me to believe I have an air leak in one of the fittings. Also, being in a hurry the sun was getting low we forgot to check and see if there was another way up. There are a few more ledges that have to be done on the way out as well as a fun wash to drive before you get to a maintained road.

The late day shadows made for some poor lighting from this perspective.

Needless to say my D44 replacement got moved way up on the short list of things to replace on the ZJ before the next trip to Moab. Out of the garage, to the welder and install the correct gears...

Seven Mile Rim Photos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=62225566407.654869000107.1138083881988&page=1&sort_order=0&albumsperpage=12&navfolderid=2006&ownerid=62225566407

PSM Photos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=61194838907&page=1&sort_order=0&favorites=true

Hopefully Kodak Gallery will work, if not I'll find another server to host them. More pictures when I get them from my sister-in-law.

-Todd

nate
01-17-2006, 09:00 PM
Yeah it's not working for me :(

BigDaveZJ
01-17-2006, 09:06 PM
Hey Todd, just upload them in your post!! You're a paying member, utilize what you get!

Z
01-19-2006, 12:28 AM
Todd,

So which is a better trail - GBR or 7-Mile?

Cody
01-19-2006, 02:43 AM
I think 7 mile is more scenic--in a different sort of way. It has a couple arches you can go to, follows the rim for a good ways (instead of just ending at the rim) and then brings you accross the valley between two huge buttes and then around desolation towers, and then out bartlett wash (I think it's bartlett wash) which may be the most fun high speed area I've ever been in. It's a different type of terrain for the most part than GBR.

PassRunnerZJ
01-19-2006, 11:31 AM
Along with what Cody said, Seven Mile Rim also has more challenging areas for playing/photo ops depending on the group size, and the pucker factor is higher. Even before you get to the serious off camber section there is a slightly less off camber section that you have to do right after you go between Monitor and Merrimac(sp) Buttes. Then there is Wipe Out Hill for those with capable rigs. Yes driving the wash was a blast, as it too is challenging with high speed sections and a really tight section that requires your full attention, but is easily passible in a Grand so we don't have to worry about any pin stripping.

PassRunnerZJ
01-24-2006, 02:29 AM
I added more photos that my brother sent and seperated them into two galleries for easier viewing. Some better shots of Wipe Out Hill for perspective and some other ones of the side hill, although photos don't do it justice.