The Utah Converse route was run in its inaugural run in the fall of 2010 as part of the Utah Cruiser Expedition II. Formed by Dave Connors of ExpeditionAmericas, this group of rag-tag Utah explorers met several times over a set of paper maps with a simple goal in mind, a corner to corner dirt run through Utah. While members of our group had traversed many segments of the trip in different trips, none had done it non-stop end to end. With a mission in mind it was time to lay out the routes for each day, each of which was captained by a different member of the group, thus taking ownership for the route, the timing and the campsite for that night.

Segment 1 – 4 Corners to Poison Springs (xxx miles)

Route Sketch: The route starts at the popular 4-Corners monument and visitors center and continues northwest on the Reservation before hitting the pavement briefly at Montezuma Creek. The route continues north through Montezuma Creek and into Blanding where we fueled the rigs before climbing into the Abajo Mountains to the west of town.

Notes: Travel on the Navajo Indian Reservation requires a special travel permit that is available at the 4-Corners monument visitors center. Keep in mind the visitors center has seasonal hours and the permits may not always be available. Our original plans had been to cross the San Juan River at Aneth but the water was far too deep and the entry and exit were far from ideal. We opted instead to cross at Montezuma Creek.

Segment 2 – Poison Springs Canyon to Skyline Drive (xxx miles)

Route Sketch: Poison Springs, Eagle City, Henry Mountains, Hanksville, Capitol Reef,

Notes: Travel through Poison Springs Canyon out of the Maze can be impassible during certain times of the year, particularly after heavy rainfall. Not only can the canyon itself be impassible but even during dry weather the Dirty Devil river crossing can be outside the realm of safe travel. Its generally accepted that 150 cfs is the high limit for crossing the Dirty Devil in a properly equipped vehicle, you can view crossing data here.

Segment 3 – Skyline Drive to Newfoundland Mountains (xxx miles)

Route Sketch: Skyline Drive, Desert Mountain, Cedar Mountains, Hastings Pass, Delle (Fuel)

Segment 4 – Newfoundlands to Utah/Nevada/Idaho border (xxx miles)

Route Sketch: Hogup Mountains, Grouse Creek

 

Logistics: Each segment of the route can and has been accomplished in a single day however it is highly recommended that you allot more time, possibly moving camping locations to accomodate different daily mileages.

Total Miles:

Dirt/Paved:

Fuel Consumed (per vehicle): ~110 gallons round trip from SLC

 

Links:

ExpeditionPortal Trip Report & Photos By Adam Tolman

 

 

 

Created: 01/01/11
Last Updated: 09/25/11