My wife & I and another couple in a Jeep Wrangler (with trailer in the Maze District) wrapped up a couple weeks in Utah. Fun trip except for the insane winds that accompanied us for most of the second week.
Instead of regurgitating my blog post here I'll just point you to it for the read and video link.
If interested in raw GoPro & phone videos I uploaded some to YouTube.
I was anxious to do Needles District for Elephant Hill and the squeeze portion. The only other van I'm aware of to do this was Badger (remember him). While Elephant Hill is definitely steep and a bit narrow, it isn't really that technical. You can definitely expect some scrapes in the squeeze. If you attempt it, make sure the driver side of your van is "clean" (no ladders or other attachments) and I recommend bringing several lengths of 4x6 wood to prop up the driver side. After completing it and watching the video I think I would do a much better job if I do it again. I had no idea the passenger front tire was climbing the wall so much but there is a good size nub on the cliff wall that was a bit in my way (to put it mildly). The Jeep had no problems in the squeeze portion being much narrower than I.
Having done the Maze and Island in the Sky Districts before I think I can now say that Needles is my favorite. All three are different though and should all be experienced.
Enjoy!
Instead of regurgitating my blog post here I'll just point you to it for the read and video link.
If interested in raw GoPro & phone videos I uploaded some to YouTube.
I was anxious to do Needles District for Elephant Hill and the squeeze portion. The only other van I'm aware of to do this was Badger (remember him). While Elephant Hill is definitely steep and a bit narrow, it isn't really that technical. You can definitely expect some scrapes in the squeeze. If you attempt it, make sure the driver side of your van is "clean" (no ladders or other attachments) and I recommend bringing several lengths of 4x6 wood to prop up the driver side. After completing it and watching the video I think I would do a much better job if I do it again. I had no idea the passenger front tire was climbing the wall so much but there is a good size nub on the cliff wall that was a bit in my way (to put it mildly). The Jeep had no problems in the squeeze portion being much narrower than I.
Having done the Maze and Island in the Sky Districts before I think I can now say that Needles is my favorite. All three are different though and should all be experienced.
Enjoy!