Woo-eee! Utah highway 12!!! - Montana Owners Club

sreigle · 04-20-2006, 06:22 PM

Wow, Utah highway 12 is a beautiful and fun drive! But nobody warned me about the grades on that road!

Before taking 12 we took 95 from south of Blanding, UT, up to Hanksville, UT, where we turned west on Utah 24. 95 had some 8 percent grades and, if I recall, one marked 10 percenter. But UT 12 was something else!

UT 12 has several 8 percenters, a couple of 10 percenters, one marked 12 percenter and one marked 14 percenter. That 14 percenter was roughly two miles climbing a winding, curvy road with speed limit at 35 all the way up except for some of the curves marked/recommended for slower.

We held 35 all the way up with lots of throttle remaining but EGT (pre-turbo) running close to 1200. Trying to run faster the EGT wanted to climb above 1200 so I just kept it at 35 mph and kept EGT just below the 1200 mark. Supposedly the critical point on this powerstroke is 1370 degrees but.... 1200 is high enough for me.

We also had to go back down at 12 and 14 percent on the other side of those grades. I figured I'd find out if the exhaust backpressure of Ford's turbo vanes closing and the TorqShift managing the gears would be enough. It was plenty good.

This is a beautiful drive I highly recommend. We drove the loop (with Montana) through the Natural Bridges National Monument on UT 95, not too far from Blanding. Then we overnighted at Hanksville. Our trip the next day from Hanksville to Cannonville covered UT 24 going west, then UT 12 from Torrey on. This day was only 145 road miles but it took us 8 hours. We stopped and took pictures a lot at turnouts and scenic view areas. At Capitol Reef National Park we dropped the trailer and drove all the driveable roads, paved and dirt, in the park. Beautiful area to visit.

I highly recommend this drive to anyone with a chance to take it.

jrgwdenner · 04-21-2006, 02:14 AM

Awesome pictures, Steve and Vicki. Doesn't look like a place for a dually!

firetrucker · 04-21-2006, 04:52 AM

Steve, that trip sounds like one that would qualify as an aerobic exercise. I'm going to check my atlas that lists the grades of roads to see if it is listed and what it has to say about it. It sounds as though the road is one you drive first and read about second, though.

Bob

kwbosch · 04-21-2006, 09:28 AM

Steve,

If it's not too late, don't miss the drive up or down the Mokee Dugway, Utah State Hwy. 261.

http://www.physast.uga.edu/~dbh/phot...2100400-r.html

We drive mountainous terrain most of the time and didn't think anything of it. Sorry I failed to warn you.
I don't remember any grades that were extreme but that was 2 years ago.
My rememberer doesn't go back too far.......

Every turn on Hwy 12 is definitely "Ooooh Ahhhh Alley".

Ken

patodonn · 04-21-2006, 05:53 PM

Steve: Were you able to stay in tranny lock at 35? If not, what happened to your tranny temps?

We maxed out the 99 Dodge towing up the grade from Payson AZ, to Heber AZ. 5+ miles at 6%+ and 6000 ft. I don't think we would have been able to do it without the 4" exhaust system I had put in Jan. I was even able to run full throttle without getting above 1200 EGT! I would definitely have been EGT limited without that 4" exhaust!!

Best regards!

sreigle · 04-23-2006, 05:58 AM

Ken, where is that highway and Mokee Dugway, highway 61? It looks interesting but I find nothing on it. Is it like Shafer Trail coming out of Canyonlands National Park? That one drops 2100 feet in four miles of switchbacks and is a 4x4-recommended "road." Mokee Dugway looks interesting. We're about 35 miles west of Escalante. The other day we went to Escalante with intent to drive Hell's Backbone but it's still closed for the winter. Between here in Escalante is one of the 12% signs. Vicki took a picture of that one although the sign we got the picture of is at the start of the downhill side. The 14 percenters are east of Escalante. I can't remember if they were north or west of Boulder. Since we couldn't do Hell's Backbone we went down to Devil's Garden. We really enjoyed that place. Then I wanted to take a different road back, which meant traversing 11 miles of 4x4 only road. Collet Canyon Rd, something like that. Then we'd reach another road and take it back up to 12. We got 5 miles on the 4x4 road before it started getting muddy. You do not want to get into the clay mud here. So we turned around and went back the way we came. A thousand dollar tow to get out of the mud is not in my budget.

PJ, I was in tow/haul so I assume it was locked although I'm not sure how to tell. My tranny temp probe is a couple of inches outside the transmission in the line headed to the cooler so is at about the hottest point. It ran from 195 to 210. I was watching it closely. If I pushed the speed any more then it might heat up more. It's a pretty cool running transmission overall. The tranny temp gauge on the dash read smack in the middle of the range. I've never seen it move above that point.

I've seen EGT over 1300 and trans to 225 when pulling long steep grades and holding 60 or 65 mph or so, whatever speed I had been running. I decided awhile back that's dumb, I'd rather keep things cooler and run a few mph less.

Judy, we've been in places you wouldn't take a dually but there was nothing on the trip in this thread where a dually wouldn't work. That includes the dirt roads in Capitol Reef. Those are graded to allow two-wheel drive passenger cars to drive the road and there were only a couple narrow areas. If someone came the other way you'd have to pull over best you could but I'd still do it with a dually.

kwbosch · 04-23-2006, 09:01 AM

Steve,

The Mokee Dugway is on SR 261 between SR 95 and US 163.
It's the shortcut from Natural Bridges National Monument to Mexican Hat. We were warned about it being too steep and windy for towing. We talked to a ranger at Natural bridges and he said they were coached to tell people not to go that way but said that the road was built by a mining company to haul ore by double semi's. My wife wasn't a bit worried witch means it couldn't have been even a little a bit scary.

Latitude: N37° 16' 25.7"
Longitude: W109° 56' 22.4"

Ken

Montana Sky · 04-23-2006, 09:02 AM

Sounds like a great drive. I marked it in my book of routes recommended to take by other MOC members.

sreigle · 04-23-2006, 01:59 PM

Thanks, Ken. We came up 95 on the way to Cannonville and went through the Natural Bridges NM. I remember seeing that road on the map, now, but we didn't take it. We were going north. Mexican Hat is infamous in many books about the 1800's western days so someday I'd like to at least visit that town. I know it's not much of a town but there's a lot of history in the area.

I'll put that road down for "someday". Our "someday" list continues to grow! Thanks for the tip.

kwbosch · 04-24-2006, 12:21 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Montana Sky

Sounds like a great drive. I marked it in my book of routes recommended to take by other MOC members.

Montana Sky,

Beware, the road is gravel for 3 miles of the switchback section (the 1100' drop) but the actual switchbacks are concrete. We happened to be going down towards Mexican Hat from Natural Bridges. You'll have to wait for any opposing traffic to clear the switchbacks since the Monty eats up most of the road in those tight turns. How they ever pulled doubles up and down that is beyond me. Other than the 1100’ 3 mile section the road is quite good.

Ken’s disclaimer:
If you have a sense of adventure, it’s a must see and do.
If not, take the long way around.

fulltimedreamer · 04-24-2006, 05:41 PM

Steve and Vicki,

I hadn't looked at your postcards for several weeks and stopped by for a bit tonight. I really enjoyed your adventures in Moab area. Seeing the sites vicariously through you only makes me more determined to fulltime or at least part-time and see this great country. We have our home on the market. Hopefully, we'll get a buyer soon! Thanks for sharing your adventures with the rest of us.

vickir · 04-25-2006, 04:48 AM

Lamar & Debbie ... Thank you so much for the kind words. We did indeed have a great time in Moab. And we've been have a wonderful time seeing the U.S. and look forward to seeing and experiencing more of it.

Sounds like you're close to being out and about enjoying "the life" youselves! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures ...

CRUZIN 2 · 04-25-2006, 03:42 PM

Hi Steve and Vicki
That route sounds like a "must see" experience. We certainly will write that down in our trip book. We enjoyed CA. for 5 weeks, then on to beautiful Yosemite traveling a great route on hwy 49 and now in Reno. We're hoping to see Yellowstone and Black Hills (if the road conditions allow) now on our way home.
Safe travels.
LaVonne & Larry

sreigle · 05-08-2006, 06:00 PM

Firetrucker - Bob, I missed your post earlier. What did you find in your book? I saw in one book that drive was listed as the "second most scenic drive in America." I don't know if I agree but it sure was a gorgeous drive. And I don't know what drive they say is first.

Lavonne and Larry, isn't Yosemite gorgeous? It is an awesome place to visit. We got to most of it but some was snowed in. We will be passing near there in a couple of weeks and checked with Yosemite about those roads and they told us to forget it this year at least until mid-June. So we'll have to do those later. We also towed 49 from Oakhurst to Coulterville, then east on J20 to Greeley Hill. Beautiful drive and a fun tow, as you know.

Lamar and Debbie, thanks for the very nice words. As Vicki said, we are enjoying our fulltiming experience more than we dreamed we would. After three years we feel we have barely scratched the surface of all the wonderful things there are to see in this country. And we have made so many good friends through this forum and several who are not members but were neighbors in rv parks.

firetrucker · 05-22-2006, 06:25 PM

Steve, I finally stumbled on the Mountain Directory West in the trailer as we were packing. Utah 12 has 5 identified spots that could be...exciting. "...most of these grades are fairly short but can be in the 8 to 12% range." They range anywhere from 1 1/2 miles to 5 1/2 miles long. I'm sure you got great mileage on the way down. Did the truck hold the speed down without Vicki helping to brake on her side of the floorboards?

Bob

sreigle · 05-24-2006, 03:42 PM

Bob, they need to update their book. There is a marked 14% grade that is around 2 miles long, also. Yes, it's an exciting road. As for going down those grades I was initially concerned. We do not have an exhaust brake but our turbo has the variable vanes that close and create exhaust backpressure along with tow/haul downshifting the transmission. There's something else involving the transmission and grade braking but I can't for the life of me remember what it is. Anyhow, I did have to occasionally apply the foot brake for a few seconds, maybe every quarter mile or so coming down the 14 percenter but it really never gave me any feeling that it could get out of control. It held very nicely for such a steep grade, especially with 14,360 lbs pushing on the back of the truck.

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