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Old 06-07-2015, 07:53 PM   #1
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Good Sam Trip Planner Got it WRONG!!

Just to let folks know that Good Sam's Trip Planner, while good, is not perfect.
Recently used trip planner to route our trip to Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon (Page, AZ), Monument Valley and from Monument Valley to Natural Bridges National Monument. The last segment called for us to travel on UT State Road 261. I had the "RV Warnings" turned on and the program still routed us without warning UT 261. It's only a 30+ mile road but take a look at this: Mokee (or Moki) Dugway We made it up with no problem but really feel like we dodged a bullet as we didn't meet any RV's coming down. When we stopped at the top to take a quick photo here comes a guy in the "Battleactus Galapedus" of motor homes, 35' +, towing a car behind. If we'd have met him on one of the hairpin switchbacks it would have been a real mess.
The old adage is still true, "Trust BUT Verify"
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Old 06-07-2015, 09:41 PM   #2
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My old stomping grounds. I have seen quite a few very big rigs go up and down the Moki. That's one reason why I always prefer going down on a switchback; you can see farther ahead; but then they have the right of way.

I'm surprised a service that touts RV ownership, didn't route you up 191 to 95, over to the bridges.

You were very close to one of my favorite dispersed areas; the Valley of the Gods, In fact, in your photo, the dirt road off to the left off 261 is the Valley of the Gods road; it winds around and eventually hits 163, just a few miles north of 261.

Another view of the Moki...


I'm pretty sure that rock formation in your photo, off in the distance is the Lady in the Bathtub...


I sometimes miss that area....
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Old 06-08-2015, 07:37 AM   #3
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But looking back at all this at least you got to experience the Moki Dugway route. Awsome country.
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Old 06-08-2015, 08:53 AM   #4
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Thanks Guys, I have spent a good deal of time on Cedar Mesa exploring the numerous Indian ruins in that area. I had heard of the Moki Dugway and knew enough about it to at least Google it. I knew my rig would't have any problems making the climb but didn't consider the problem of someone with a rigid 40 footer coming down. Wouldn't do it again with the TT attached but it was a real experience for sure. Whole trip was a bucket list tour ending in Capitol Reef.
DW was not in for a tour of "Trail of the Ancients" but we did stop at the Goosenecks State Park before heading up the hill to Natural Bridges Natl. Monument.
HWY 95 to Hite and north to Hanksville was awesome!
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Old 06-08-2015, 09:08 AM   #5
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Ever visit Riverhouse? Out of the way. Might want a 4x4 with some clearance or visit via the San Juan River. Just south of Comb Ridge (south of Bluff). BLM does a very poor job of marking the trail! A lot of "Y" intersections.

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Old 06-08-2015, 11:24 AM   #6
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What a beautiful area!
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Old 06-08-2015, 11:24 AM   #7
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All gorgeous photos!!!! Looks like wonderful places to visit!
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Old 06-08-2015, 12:00 PM   #8
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Really nice shot f5. Have not done much exploring around the San Juan River area.
Will PM you for some specific directions and info if that's OK?
Our friends at BLM are all about keeping secrets and not marking, even removing cairns and other markings to places some of us would like to enjoy. Folks die every year trying to follow BLM's directions to the Wave. If that were the track record for any private company they'd be shut down!
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Old 06-08-2015, 12:38 PM   #9
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please contact goodsams with this info, asi will be traveling this area soon. thanks
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Old 06-08-2015, 12:39 PM   #10
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great pics tho
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Old 06-08-2015, 12:51 PM   #11
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Quote:
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great pics tho
I ditto that!
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Old 06-08-2015, 02:14 PM   #12
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Really nice shot f5. Have not done much exploring around the San Juan River area.
Will PM you for some specific directions and info if that's OK?
Our friends at BLM are all about keeping secrets and not marking, even removing cairns and other markings to places some of us would like to enjoy. Folks die every year trying to follow BLM's directions to the Wave. If that were the track record for any private company they'd be shut down!
Thanks. I have a GPS route to the Riverhouse; and in fact, I have tons of GPS routes for many off-road trails in the Moab to Bluff area and probably for the off-road areas of Capital Reef.

I've never heard of BLM moving cairns, but have seen other try and do it; usually people who do not want people going to places they only want their friends to go.

"Folks die every year trying to use BLM's directions to the wave?" Please, is there any evidence of this? I have a lot of friends in the BLM in UT.

My experience; living in Moab for six years, and visiting that area at least four or five times before the move is most visitors to the desert have no idea how to follow directions; don't take enough water, don't understand GPS, don't carry a map in case the GPS batteries go bad, and never tell anyone where they are going. Even experienced people make mistakes, look at Aron Ralston. (Not only UT, also encountered these same types in other desert countries in the middle east.)

So yea, PM me if you want any GPS coordinates.

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Old 06-08-2015, 02:15 PM   #13
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I drove up the Moki with my truck but sure as heck wouldn't be pulling my trailer on there. Glad you made it safely. We spent quite a bit of time in that area a few years and loved it so much we are going back this fall for a round two.


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Old 06-08-2015, 05:01 PM   #14
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Cool Us too.

We have used the Good Sam trip planner and this has happened to us as well. You need to be careful to check alternative routes. I combine the Good Sam with Google Maps to make sure we do not end up on very narrow and winding roads. There is nothing scarier that towing a frog with a Class A and being on a road that is not is too narrow. Otherwise, i love the Good Sam features in their trip planner, especially the ability to locate camp grounds on the route.
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Old 06-08-2015, 06:40 PM   #15
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Thanks for the pictures and info. We are headed that way later this summer. We're really getting excited.
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Old 06-08-2015, 07:30 PM   #16
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Thanks for the pictures and info. We are headed that way later this summer. We're really getting excited.
If headed to Moab, and want info, just PM me. Not much I don't really know about the area.
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Old 06-09-2015, 11:13 AM   #17
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Thanks. I have a GPS route to the Riverhouse; and in fact, I have tons of GPS routes for many off-road trails in the Moab to Bluff area and probably for the off-road areas of Capital Reef.

I've never heard of BLM moving cairns, but have seen other try and do it; usually people who do not want people going to places they only want their friends to go.

"Folks die every year trying to use BLM's directions to the wave?" Please, is there any evidence of this? I have a lot of friends in the BLM in UT.

My experience; living in Moab for six years, and visiting that area at least four or five times before the move is most visitors to the desert have no idea how to follow directions; don't take enough water, don't understand GPS, don't carry a map in case the GPS batteries go bad, and never tell anyone where they are going. Even experienced people make mistakes, look at Aron Ralston. (Not only UT, also encountered these same types in other desert countries in the middle east.)

So yea, PM me if you want any GPS coordinates.

Much appreciated f5. Now I just gotta learn to spell GPS
Hikers die visiting the Wave is an easy Google. Stories ran on local (SLC) TV and news. I think even ABC picked it up. As for the BLM, appreciate your friends and their efforts protecting the land. But, eye witnesses report them knocking down cairns not moving them as they patrol the trail. They do not want unregistered folks going to the Wave. I have close relatives working for the UT Division of Wildlife Resources in Kanab who have assisted with several "close calls" in that area.
You are right about folks not being properly prepared. They think they're in friggin Disneyland. That having been said, the hike alone would discourage 90% of folks from going out there and a better marked trail would only make the hike more enjoyable for those lucky at the lottery.
As for notifying Good Sam re the Trip Advisor issue, I will see how contact them with that update. Don't need any more 40 footers getting the wrong info.
Thanks again
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Old 06-15-2015, 10:48 PM   #18
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Just an FYI to the group. I did send a message to Good Sam regarding the issue with Trip Planner. The reply received today is attached below. Looks like they really do care about the service they provide.

Hello Mr. Oakden;
"Thank you for your email and the feedback on the routing you received through the trip planner. My sincere apologies - I have forwarded this to Ran McNally who provides the routing services for this tool.
Your feedback is very much appreciated and is taken seriously when improving and making products and services better."

Kind regards,

Ellen



Ellen Tyson

Sr Product & Marketing Manager|Good Sam RV Travel & Savings Guide"
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Old 06-16-2015, 03:44 AM   #19
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FWIW, I found myscenicdrives.com to be a better planning tool, but it only knows about very few campgrounds along the way. So I used Good Sam to find campgrounds and RV parks and used myscenicdrives to plan the route. myscenicdrives allows you to click on optimize by distance or optimize by time. I liked that feature.

I have no interest in either tool. I am just another dumb user.
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Old 06-16-2015, 07:05 AM   #20
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One thing we can all do if faced with a route we don't like or might consider dangerous, and that is turn around.
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