The missing link to Lockhart Basin

[Hatchcanyon]

Behind Hurrah Pass Chicken Corner is well known and Jackson Hole one of my favorites.

More to see and explore? Yes, indeed! There is a trail connection down to UT 211 into the Needles District. It is a long ride even if you will not need the two days I heard from.

In principle the road is mostly fun, except for a stretch of one mile through a little canyon without a name - we call it the missing link. This one is hard work. The difference in elevation between Chicken Corner Trail and the end of this nasty piece of work is about 330 feet. Sure one can find steeper trails but this one is a little bit mean - at last to me. But I learned there how to use wedging. You will need this technique for a short stretch (no pictures)

We have scanned slides from our first attempt in 1993 and from 2002. As often with scanned analog pictures quality is mediocre.

In 1993 we used a Ford Explorer from the first serie, in 2002 it was a Chevrolet Explorer.

1993:

Going around the first turn needs to back up


The trail in the little canyon


For a stretch of the trail my wife will drive the Explorer


On the passenger side with a camera


The last grade doesn't look that bad at first sight....


....but it may spite one


I am the spotter, will we get the car over that?


We did!


The proof is in the track

In 2002 with the Blazer:


Looking back to Deadhorse Point








Tilt but not toppled






Thats easier


Rocky


Trouble



Temperature was above 100

[phatch]

Do you use anything special to monitor your coolant temp beyond the dash gauge? I use Scan-Gauge and get close to real time coolant temps via the ODBII port. I need to reprogram it to also pick up tranny temps as I'm in an automatic Tacoma and that's something I want to monitor more closely.

[Hatchcanyon]

Do you use anything special to monitor your coolant temp beyond the dash gauge?

No, i didn't!

Do you think that such monitors like you descibe were available in 2002?

[phatch]

The ODBII port dates to 1996, so it's possible. But less likely and certainly more expensive. I've been playing with Torque (Android app) and a $5 Bluetooth ODBII dongle. Even more functionality, but I don't have a phone mount I'd use for harder backcountry routes.