Climbing the Moki Dugway . . . again.

[Old Henry]

My final "shake down" cruise before my Alaska trip next month. 811 miles in two days. Camped in my tent with car batteries powering my CPAP just fine. I did this trip three years ago to Monument Valley (https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99523) but have honed my videography skills some since and have produced this much better video of climbing the Moki Dugway on UT 261 between Mexican Hat and Hanksville. It climbs 1,200 feet elevation in three miles on 10-11% grades. It is by far the most breathtaking three mile stretch of any road I've driven. Hope you enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ8L...ature=youtu.be (The video is in real time uncut - 9 minutes to drive the 3 miles.)

Here is my best attempt at showing the road on Google Earth. To view yourself on Google Earth search for Moki Dugway.



Here are a few stills from the previous trip.





There are two dead cars in the bolders below the road in the above picture.





Someone else's photo that I like:

[Mart]

Stunning. Glad the battery cpap test worked out well.

Mart.

[JSeery]

That one turn in the first photo is going to be a bear!!!

[Ken Crans]

That's what i was thinking! Crazy..

[petehoovie]

Craig,

Spectacular! Utah should rightfully be referred to as 'God's Country'. Were you in third gear all the way up?

[Old Henry]

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Originally Posted by JSeery

That one turn in the first photo is going to be a bear!!!

Originally Posted by Ken Crans

That's what i was thinking! Crazy..

Yeah. I had to slide as far as I could to the right side of the car and lean on that one.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by petehoovie

Craig,

Spectacular! Utah should rightfully be referred to as 'God's Country'. Were you in third gear all the way up?

Not on 11% grade. Second was fine.

[51 MERC-CT]

Google earth view.

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by Old Henry

Yeah. I had to slide as far as I could to the right side of the car and lean on that one.

Now that is FUNNY!!!

[Barry-ct]

I have to admire your guts to drive that! Most wouldn't even attempt that in a new car.

[36coupe]

Cool

[41ford1]

"It is be far the most breathtaking three mile stretch of any road I've driven."
I think the Sheafer Trail Would have taken that award.
At any rate as my wife said about the Sheafer. "No F'n way are we going on that." would also apply to this one. Great video by the way.

[flatford8]

Unbelievable!.... Amazing!.... When are we leaving for Alaska?.... Mark

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by flatford8

Unbelievable!.... Amazing!.... When are we leaving for Alaska?.... Mark

May 12th.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by 41ford1

"It is be far the most breathtaking three mile stretch of any road I've driven."
I think the Sheafer Trail Would have taken that award.
At any rate as my wife said about the Sheafer. "No F'n way are we going on that." would also apply to this one. Great video by the way.

Indeed. Shafer Trail is another breathtaker.

Here it is for anyone not familiar. It goes between Moab and Dead Horse Point. The big difference is it's not a main highway. The Moki Dugway is three miles of dirt road on otherwise paved state highway 261.





I've driven it in other vehicles but not Old Henry. We tried a year ago but it was still closed for winter.

[Talkwrench]

wow awesome !

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by petehoovie

Craig,

Spectacular! Utah should rightfully be referred to as 'God's Country'.

That's actually what the locals that live there call it. And, "Valley of the Gods" that I drove through on the trip three years ago, is actually what you look down on from the Moki Dugway.

[Brendan]

you could see John Wayne there!

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by Barry-ct

I have to admire your guts to drive that! Most wouldn't even attempt that in a new car.

When I was a kid Old Henry was actually called the "Climbing Car" as it is the one dad always drove us "off road" up into the foothills above our home. Then, one summer, my dad was a lumberjack and Old Henry was our "logging car" that drove us all over up in the mountains on very primitive roads. So, he's pretty experienced with this sort of thing.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by Brendan

you could see John Wayne there!

Truer than one might think. Gouldings Lodge at Monument Valley where I camped Friday night was where John Wayne and John Ford spent a lot of time filming movies. And, in fact, the museum there has a movie room, that was originally built as the mess hall for the crew of "The Harvey Girls", where a John Wayne and John Ford movie is always playing. http://www.gouldings.com/gouldings-history/museum/ And, old Brittle's Cabin there was used as John Wayne's personal quarters at the fort where he played the commanding officer in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon".

[RalphG]

That was an amazing climb and scenery view. The camera always makes the road look narrow but this one was a little scary in places. Looking out over that edge. Would have been interesting to meet another vehicle. The kind of road Lucy and Desi were pulling the house trailer on with their Mercury in "The Long Long Trailer".

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by RalphG

That was an amazing climb and scenery view. The camera always makes the road look narrow but this one was a little scary in places. Looking out over that edge. Would have been interesting to meet another vehicle. The kind of road Lucy and Desi were pulling the house trailer on with their Mercury in "The Long Long Trailer".

I was thinking of that very same scene in that movie when I was climbing up that steep road.

[TonyM]

I drove up that dugway near Mexican Hat a few times myself, but in a modern vehicle.

[Old Henry]

Don't know if anyone saw the two dead cars in the boulders below the road in this picture I took three years ago.



Here is someone else's closer picture circling the two dead cars:



This is that turn that looked so bad in my first picture distorted by Google Earth.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by JSeery

That one turn in the first photo is going to be a bear!!!

Originally Posted by Ken Crans

That's what i was thinking! Crazy..

Originally Posted by Old Henry

Yeah. I had to slide as far as I could to the right side of the car and lean on that one.

Some did not slide and lean enough going around that turn.



I make that turn starting at 7:25 in the video and the cars are actually seen starting at 9:00.

[Old Henry]

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Just had a PM asking:

"What instrument did you use to shoot the video of the Moki Dugway road trip? It maintained the focus and color contrast well considering the variations in color and external light conditions. Also the absence of road vibrations that usually show up on vehicular shot videos is remarkable."

My response for anyone else wondering:

"I use a Sony DSC-WX350 point and shoot camera on a monopod resting on my windowsill. The steadiness of the image and automatic focus and exposure are the camera’s doing. I enhance the color, brightness, contrast, and sharpness of the image when I edit with CyberLink Power Director 13."

This is the gadget:

I use a telescoping monopod (that's a one legged tripod) with a small cheap plastic level taped to it.



I screw the camera onto the mount just to where it is on the same plane as the level. Note that the carrying strap for the camera and monopod are tied together so that they don't flap in the wind and fly into the frame of the video when filming behind while driving.



Then I rest the monopod on the window sill braced against the top of the window and hold it with my left hand while driving.



Because the level is on the same plane as the camera I know where the camera is pointing by the level position even though I can't see the camera. And, I can keep the camera level pointing any direction by glancing at the bottom bubble which I can see any direction the camera is pointing. That's how I kept the camera level when the car was climbing the 28% grade on Lombard street in San Francisco.



Inside the car I extend the monopod a bit longer to stand on the floor rested against the dash board.

[A bones]

Thank you for that one. In the past I've avoided (reason unexplained) the You
Tube. Tried your Moki Dugway the other night. Now I must ask. Care to name that tune? I think, I want to take it home with me. Thanks.

[Kerk]

Reminds me of Colorado's Million Dollar Highway. Drove it in 99 with a Ford F350 and a 24' enclosed trailer with a friends 39 Convertible on way to Dana Point Show. Tight corners!

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by Kerk

Reminds me of Colorado's Million Dollar Highway. Drove it in 99 with a Ford F350 and a 24' enclosed trailer with a friends 39 Convertible on way to Dana Point Show. Tight corners!

Another fun one is Phantom Canyon from Victor to Cannon City. It is an old rail bed and not too bad in some places, but in others there is only room for the old single line and a lot of blind corners. Several tunnels that are also single line! Gets real interesting.

[Ol' Ron]

Thanks again Professor, for a great ride. I just went over to google earth and took one in my easy chair. Thank you again. Looking forward to your trip ti Alaska.

[fourtydlx]

Henry: Good luck and be safe, Thanks for sharing.

[al's28/33]

Truly BRAVE and ADVENTUROUS!!!....Best of Luck on the Alaska trip!

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by A bones

Thank you for that one. In the past I've avoided (reason unexplained) the You
Tube. Tried your Moki Dugway the other night. Now I must ask. Care to name that tune? I think, I want to take it home with me. Thanks.

Music: The Pines of Rome - Iii. Pini Del Gianicolo by Mannheim Steamroller on their "Yellowstone" CD. A lot of great music like it.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by Kerk

Reminds me of Colorado's Million Dollar Highway. Drove it in 99 with a Ford F350 and a 24' enclosed trailer with a friends 39 Convertible on way to Dana Point Show. Tight corners!

That's another good one. We did that in June 2014. https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142975

[Old Henry]

Just spotted another dead car over the cliff at 7:30 in my video.

[A bones]

Originally Posted by Old Henry

Music: The Pines of Rome - Iii. Pini Del Gianicolo by Mannheim Steamroller on their "Yellowstone" CD. A lot of great music like it.

Thanks, will have it soon.

[39 STD]

Henry, Thanks for the memories. Driven it up & down at least 3 times. First time in a class C-Motorhome, next in my 74 Bronco & most recently(2014) in our GMC truck. We always enjoy staying 2,3-4 days camping/relaxing at Goosenecks SP.

[john worden]

OMG you don't drive that road with both hands on the wheel ???

[Bolts]

Thrilling! Made my heart leap a couple times.