I just got back from Moab and did Lockhart Basin on the last day - an all day event in temps ranging from 93 at the start to 111 in the heat of the day (not counting those moments when the sensor picked up engine heat and read "134"). In this 30+ miles it is oft said that the "1st mile" is difficult -- and that is true, but there are short stretches afterwards of ledges, less than obvious trail, eroded areas, all of which require lockers to ease over. Charles Wells says "don't travel this trail alone" - and he is right. After Hurrah Pass, we saw no person, nor vestige of habitation. About a mile up in Rock Canyon there was a Colorado vehicle, a lifted Yota, as I recall, which had no winch and had slipped off the trail - almost rolling. It was full of gear, with a hi-lift and shovels laying about, but no persons were evident. Nor had we met anyone in the somewhat less than 20 miles from Moab. I was able to climb a ledge on his left side and go around, but upon returning that evening I called the S.O. who called BLM to check it out. On follow-up, the driver must have walked out during the night and located recovery vehicles (at considerable cost). This trail, however, was genuinely tough and clearly earns it's rating of 3 1/2 for that stretch and maybe a bit more. It is also not necessarily easy to find the trail or stay on it - I meandered off a time or two. If you do it, go with friends. We had 2-3 days of food/water/radios and a lot of years of experience and it did raise the anxiety factor a bit. The scenery factor is moderate - generally due to the vastness of the canyonlands area, and a few towers. There was essentially no water in Kane Creek and Indian Creek was dry as a bone.
Originally Posted by Doc_Floyd
