Annual Butterfield Canyon Cruise & GTG!! Sat., Oct 3rd, 2009

[UtahAV]

Butterfield Canyon Fall Cruise & GTG!!

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009

Meet at 10:00 AM

Meet at:

Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse
7456 S. Plaza Center Dr. (Jordan Landing)
West Jordan, UT

You have waited. You have counted down. You have laid awake at night thinking about it. IT IS FINALLY HERE!! Our annual fall cruise up Butterfield Canyon!!

Join us for a cruise up Butterfield Canyon in the southwest corner of the Salt Lake Valley. We will cruise up the canyon and see the beautiful fall leaves then continue up to the overlook of Kennecott Utah Copper. This overlook gives you a rare look of the mine that not many get to see. You can also look out on the entire salt Lake Valley. From there we will cruise down Middle Canyon and into Tooele. At Tooele we will stop for lunch at Subway or your choice of several restaurants in the area.

I gave Trafficman the task of finding us another cool place to visit in Tooele and he pulled through again!!  After lunch we will visit the Utah Fire Museum. The museum has an amazing collection of 35 fire apparatus and other firefighting displays.

This is not a GTG you want to miss! We will be talking about it until the next one in 2010!
See you there!!

Attending:

UtahAV

funk drum

badtuffstuff

Trafficman

Shane's 02 Avalanche 

Aussie Red

Walkabout

Muggles

RV'in AV 2500

[funk_drum]

You can expect one funky style bermuda blue Av!

[badtuffstuff]

Badtuffstuff the fam and Tonka will be there.

[Trafficman]

Ummmm Helloooooooooooooo   

[Shanes 02 Avalanche]

Haven't missed one yet, this is an awesome GTG. We will be there with the only Victory Red Avalanche. I look forward to this one every year.

[Aussie Red]

Ok gang be honest what is that road like ? You know I do want to come to this one but it is too soon to 100% commit yet. Pencil me in and tell me it is paved.

[Shanes 02 Avalanche]

Well it is paved for most of it. we do get in the gravel going up and over the mountain. But the Av's don't get to dirty, and since it usually rains, it washes the mud right off.

[Avalanche0_2]

Ok gang be honest what is that road like ? You know I do want to come to this one but it is too soon to 100% commit yet. Pencil me in and tell me it is paved.

The roads are about the same as they were at the place we went shooting at, but they can be wet with water from the rain

[Aussie Red]

Well it is paved for most of it. we do get in the gravel going up and over the mountain. But the Av's don't get to dirty, and since it usually rains, it washes the mud right off.

Ah your AV doe not Shane lol the Pearl I think I showed all tosses mud and snot over the cab on to the one following me

[Trafficman]

Ah your AV doe not Shane lol the Pearl I think I showed all tosses mud and snot over the cab on to the one following me

         
Just make sure Shane is following you and not me! 

[Shanes 02 Avalanche]

Ah your AV doe not Shane lol the Pearl I think I showed all tosses mud and snot over the cab on to the one following me

That is why you should lead, then you can just rain down mud on all of us. That should make you feel better. . I do remember how bad your truck does throw mud and such everytime . And I know how hard it is to keep a nice paint job nice without going off road. I just had my whole Josie repainted on June 5Th. She has to go back in here real soon to have the cladding re-gatorbacked. I think when the Gatorbacked it they did not clean it right or Scrotch Bright it properly. They also did not remove aly of the diamond plate in the running boards or rear bumper. So I have Gatorback coming off all over, and I am pissed . So now the body shop gets to do it all over again.

[Aussie Red]

         
Just make sure Shane is following you and not me! 

Oh now wait just one minute. Am I not remembering one  going through mud puddles on a certain gtg ? Darn wish you had rolled by round two so I had pics

[Trafficman]

Ya, well I just finished cleaning THAT Mud out of my engine yesterday. 

I know I'm a big procastenator or something like that.

The train in back of my office Blows it's horn evety morning.  I keep thinking you are passing by saying hi.....

[Aussie Red]

 
Never know it could be me too only on the road lol.

[Shanes 02 Avalanche]

You all have seen how clean my engine is. I spend a lot of time getting it to look so nice. This winter I am going to try and do some painting and even more detailing to her. But it is all worth it. I know after the last time we went to Laughlin, I had to wait until March or early April to clean her. It sucks but I do so enjoy it. Butterfield is very minor dirt compared to other GTG's we have been on.

[UtahAV]

Ok gang be honest what is that road like ? You know I do want to come to this one but it is too soon to 100% commit yet. Pencil me in and tell me it is paved.

Aussie I really hope you will decide to join us. I think know you will have a great time. The views are spectacular and the leaves are usually AMAZING.

Here is a no bull, straight up assessment of the road.

We will cruise on paved roads from Jordan Landing in West Jordan to the mouth of Butterfield Canyon. Once we start up the canyon the road is still paved but narrows significantly. The trees form a canopy over the road in places but if you move more towards the center of the road there is no problem with them. Remember this is a scenic canyon road, not a road used for getting to and from anywhere. There is very little traffic. About half way up the road comes out of the trees and begins to hug the walls of the canyon. In this area of the road we will need to hug the right side occasionally to allow cars coming down to pass. When this happens you will need to put the right side tires in the dirt. There is a berm of dirt and rocks about a foot high on the sides of the road. It is soft and it is no problem to put a tire in it. When we are almost to the top the pavement ends and a well groomed dirt and rock road begins. At the summit we will turn to the north and continue up the mountain. The first part is dirt and rock and is usually heavily wash boarded. It is very bumpy but easily passable. We will then start into some sharp and steep switch backs. The turns on the switch backs usually have some shallow ruts at the base and then turn mainly to solid rock. Once out of the switch back area the road turns to a mainly hard packed clay surface. This part of the road is very pleasant. Very smooth from here to the top. We also drive through a beautiful grove of aspens in this area. After stopping at the top to view the copper pit we use the same road back down to the summit of Butterfield Canyon. To this point the road has to put up little dust when dry due to the large amount of rock mixed in. Once back to the summit we will continue west down Middle Canyon into the Tooele Valley. The road will be dirt for probably the next 4 or 5 miles. The road on this side tends to be a bit dustier as there is not as much rock in the soil. I almost prefer this road to be wet as the mud doesn't seem to stick to the tires and it keeps the dust down. Either way it really isn't that bad. The road then turns to pavement again for the rest of the day.

Now if you are thinking I made the roads sound really bad, they are not. We will be passing and following passenger cars all day. I have seen sedans do every one of the roads we will be on with no problems. Your AV is going to get dirty. Your AV is not going to get filthy. Overall I really do believe that your AV got dirtier at the shooting GTG than it will get at this GTG. It will have a light coat of dust on it if it is dry out. If it rains you will have some mud on the rocker panels and in the wheel wells. We will never be going fast enough to get it much higher than that. We will never go over 30 MPH on the dirt roads. Most of it will be slower.

There it is. That is as accurately as I can describe what we will encounter.

You will have a great time and I really don't think you will regret going at the end of the day. Just don't let badtuffstuff convince you to follow him to the rock climbing at Miller Motorsports Park!    

See you there!

-UtahAV
-Mark

[Aussie Red]

Thank you Mark. Great explanation. Wish I had the Silverado 
Yea I know that was bad. Ok here is the deal I am going to go because I read your Butterfield Canyon cruise last year as you might remember before I had any idea I was moving to Utah and I really thought this one was so neat and wanted to go. Little did I know I would have the chance. That said I am coming along. Now bear in mind the Pearl is a bit more rigid then the other AVs and bumps lol are going to feel like I am going into a canyon 
After this cruise I am heading off to Montana for a few weeks so the Pearl can not get broken.

[UtahAV]

Great! I was really hoping you would! You will have fun, I promise. The only really bumpy spot is right when we turn towards the copper pit from Butterfield Summit. That section is the washboarded area and it only lasts maybe a 1/4 mile.

 

-UtahAV
-Mark

[Trafficman]

Thank you Mark. Great explanation. Wish I had the Silverado 
Yea I know that was bad. Ok here is the deal I am going to go because I read your Butterfield Canyon cruise last year as you might remember before I had any idea I was moving to Utah and I really thought this one was so neat and wanted to go. Little did I know I would have the chance. That said I am coming along. Now bear in mind the Pearl is a bit more rigid then the other AVs and bumps lol are going to feel like I am going into a canyon 
After this cruise I am heading off to Montana for a few weeks so the Pearl can not get broken.

With you with us I know the weather will be PERFECT.  THis will be a first>>>>>>>..........!!!!!!!

[UtahAV]

Isn't that the truth!!    

-UtahAV
-Mark

[Aussie Red]

Great! I was really hoping you would! You will have fun, I promise. The only really bumpy spot is right when we turn towards the copper pit from Butterfield Summit. That section is the washboarded area and it only lasts maybe a 1/4 mile.

 

-UtahAV
-Mark

Wonders if Utah Av is running in front of the Pearl when he hits that " little bump " 

[Aussie Red]

With you with us I know the weather will be PERFECT.  THis will be a first>>>>>>>..........!!!!!!!

What sweeties but with my luck we will have snow 

[UtahAV]

What sweeties but with my luck we will have snow 

Wouldn't be the first time...   

Seriously, we have had snow. Just a skiff but it was snow.

-UtahAV
-Mark

[Aussie Red]

  oh now there is something I will be looking forward too.......... NOT !

[Trafficman]

oh now there is something I will be looking forward too.......... NOT !

October 13th 2007 Butterfield canyon GTG.....

[Aussie Red]

Not funny ! Hey I need good weather up in to mid November darn it.

[badtuffstuff]

Hi all,
I have heard of a great place to visit for a great meal in Tooele.
It is called Dairy Delight It is a 50's style diner with some of the best burgers in UT.
Address is 46 W. 1st Street.
Let me know what you all think...

[Trafficman]

Hi all,
I have heard of a great place to visit for a great meal in Tooele.
It is called Dairy Delight It is a 50's style diner with some of the best burgers in UT.
Address is 46 W. 1st Street.
Let me know what you all think...

I'm in on this one 

[Aussie Red]

after being up here in hillbilly hollar  I am thinking a big thick burger with everything on it will be a delicacy

[UtahAV]

Lunch at Dairy Delight sounds great to me!

Chris, if you don't mind, could you contact them on Thursday or Friday and warn them that we will be coming. I figure we will roll in at about 1:00 PM. 


Kent, I was just looking through my PM's and found were you told me that the Firefighters Museum is only open until 3:00 PM. Were you able to call them about possibly hanging around for us or do you need me to call? Sorry, I totally forgot about this until I found the PM tonight. Let me know!   

Thanks everyone!

-UtahAV
-Mark

[badtuffstuff]

Concider them warned. I will call today and confirm on Fri.

[Trafficman]

Kent, I was just looking through my PM's and found were you told me that the Firefighters Museum is only open until 3:00 PM. Were you able to call them about possibly hanging around for us or do you need me to call? Sorry, I totally forgot about this until I found the PM tonight. Let me know!

Concider them warned. I will call today and confirm on Fri.

ditto

[Aussie Red]

Hey if it is snowing I am not going. I just spent 70 bucks cleaning the Pearl from Wyoming crap. Honestly a dirt road and snow worries the heck out of me.

[UtahAV]

Concider them warned. I will call today and confirm on Fri.

ditto

Thanks!! 

-UtahAV
-Mark

[UtahAV]

Hey if it is snowing I am not going. I just spent 70 bucks cleaning the Pearl from Wyoming crap. Honestly a dirt road and snow worries the heck out of me.

Hope you can make it Aussie. It is going to be a great time!   

-UtahAV
-Mark

[Aussie Red]

Oh I want to go but got to tell you I am scared to death of driving a dirt road in heavy rain or snow. I would not have fun if I am white knuckling it all the way. I can not even stand to ride with someone else driving in that.

[Shanes 02 Avalanche]

Oh I want to go but got to tell you I am scared to death of driving a dirt road in heavy rain or snow. I would not have fun if I am white knuckling it all the way. I can not even stand to ride with someone else driving in that.

Hey Aussie that is what the magic 4WD button is for. It will get your Av through anything that we will run into. I call it my magic button.

[UtahAV]

Hey Aussie that is what the magic 4WD button is for. It will get your Av through anything that we will run into. I call it my magic button.

LOL!  Very true!!

Oh I want to go but got to tell you I am scared to death of driving a dirt road in heavy rain or snow. I would not have fun if I am white knuckling it all the way. I can not even stand to ride with someone else driving in that.

Trust me, I am watching the weather very closely and will be right up to the morning of the GTG. Believe me I wouldn't dare lead a group of club members up a road that I wasn't sure that I could pass myself and I tend to be very cautious, probably overly cautious. What I can say is that living in Utah for 30+ years and being a bit of a weather junkie... The local weather reporters really seem to get excited about the first "Big" storm of the year. I sometimes wonder how much influence the news director has over the presentation we get of the weather. The first "Big" storm makes a great headline so lets have some big snow total predictions... 

I am working on a couple of alternate cruise routes if need be. I am not going to go into details right now however as I don't think we are going to need them. My guess is that we will see 4" or 5" up there on Wednesday that will be mostly melted (except in the shadows) by Saturday.

Stay tuned...

Regardless of the weather we will have a fun and safe cruise!

-UtahAV
-Mark

[Aussie Red]

Magic button or no I guess I do not have that sense of calm. I am watching the weather too so far our news casters are way off lol. But as I say I want to go but weather is a factor and if it is good I will go. But even with 4wd trucks slip and that is not fun to me. I will stay tunned and see what goes on but trust me it is going to be darn hard to get around me if I freeze up and it has happened. Somethings just are not a go with me. Fact that you make this cruise yearly is a good thing to means says it can be done so I will bear that in mind too. I am very disappointed it has to storm right now 
I know the Pearl is a beast but thing is I am not  I am really afraid of things like this. Don't get a thrill out of off roading in bad weather.

[Avalanche0_2]

I would really like to go to this one but my grandmother was taken to the hospital on the 24th and then moved to a nursing home, so I will be spending as much time with her as possible.

[badtuffstuff]

I would really like to go to this one but my grandmother was taken to the hospital on the 24th and then moved to a nursing home, so I will be spending as much time with her as possible.

Sorry to hear about your grandmother. We will miss you on the cruise. Will will have to cruise in the missing man formation.

Magic button or no I guess I do not have that sense of calm. I am watching the weather too so far our news casters are way off lol. But as I say I want to go but weather is a factor and if it is good I will go. But even with 4wd trucks slip and that is not fun to me. I will stay tunned and see what goes on but trust me it is going to be darn hard to get around me if I freeze up and it has happened. Somethings just are not a go with me. Fact that you make this cruise yearly is a good thing to means says it can be done so I will bear that in mind too. I am very disappointed it has to storm right now 
I know the Pearl is a beast but thing is I am not  I am really afraid of things like this. Don't get a thrill out of off roading in bad weather.

You can drive the enitre route virtually on google maps. Just search for "butterfield canyon road utah" then look at the street view and follow the route all the way to tooele. If that stupid Google Mini-van can drive it, you should have no problems. looks like it should be a great day.

[Walkabout]

Count me in! I'll bring my dog as well!

[Muggles]

You can count me in!  I am sure we will have no problem getting up the canyon and back down the other side.  No matter the weather I will be there.    

[UtahAV]

I would really like to go to this one but my grandmother was taken to the hospital on the 24th and then moved to a nursing home, so I will be spending as much time with her as possible.

Sorry to hear that Chad. We will all be thinking about your family and you.

Count me in! I'll bring my dog as well!

See you there!!   

You can count me in!  I am sure we will have no problem getting up the canyon and back down the other side.  No matter the weather I will be there.    

That's the spirit Michael! See ya there!!

-UtahAV
-Mark

[Shanes 02 Avalanche]

I am driving down from Pocatello, no matter what the weather.This is the best cruise we do, the scenery is beautiful and seeing all those Avalanches lined up going up the mountain, makes the whole trip worth while. The Photo ops are beyond belief. Like I said I drive over 400 miles roundtrip for this cruis every year.

Oh yea this time I have my walkie talkies in my Av.

[UtahAV]

See ya Saturday Shane!

-UtahAV
-Mark

[Aussie Red]

Looks like it is going to be clear so I am going to give it a try. Now if I get scared and freeze up you realize we will all be found up there come Spring thaw 

[UtahAV]

Looks like it is going to be clear so I am going to give it a try. Now if I get scared and freeze up you realize we will all be found up there come Spring thaw 

The road is plenty wide to get around ya...   If you stop, we will be back in Oct 2010.  Will look for you then!!         

Glad you are going to give it a go! I'm sure you will be glad you did!

See ya Saturday!

-UtahAV
-Mark

[Trafficman]

ditto

I talked to dave Hammond the curator for the Museum and He told me no problem and will be looking forward to our visit.

It is free entree although they do except donations.

I saw on the Kinnecott web cam there is no snow over there.  So it looks good for a GTG go.  Of course it might have been pointed in the wrong direction....

Kinnecott Web Cam

After some Viewing and considering what I'm looking at this is not Kinnecott but the eNorth eastern foothills of SLC sorry.  It is still cool.

[Aussie Red]

Do not want to see the Pearl looking like this again ! EVER !

[Shanes 02 Avalanche]

Well I am gonna have to miss one of my favorite GTG's. My wife has come down with the Flu, and I need to be here taking care of her. I am completely bummed.

[Trafficman]

Well I am gonna have to miss one of my favorite GTG's. My wife has come down with the Flu, and I need to be here taking care of her. I am completely bummed.

Well THAT REALLY SUCKS.

[badtuffstuff]

Well I am gonna have to miss one of my favorite GTG's. My wife has come down with the Flu, and I need to be here taking care of her. I am completely bummed.

Sorry to hear it Shane. You will be missed.

[Aussie Red]

Sorry you wont make it Shane.


Hey just because I am running in front of Trafficman !

[UtahAV]

We'll miss ya Shane.

See ya at the next one.

-UtahAV
-Mark

[UtahAV]

I talked to dave Hammond the curator for the Museum and He told me no problem and will be looking forward to our visit.

It is free entree although they do except donations.

I saw on the Kinnecott web cam there is no snow over there.  So it looks good for a GTG go.  Of course it might have been pointed in the wrong direction....

Kinnecott Web Cam

After some Viewing and considering what I'm looking at this is not Kinnecott but the eNorth eastern foothills of SLC sorry.  It is still cool.

Thanks Kent!

I am excited to see the place!

I think something is wrong with the webcam you posted. It is just a black screen on my computer.





Oh, wait...    Um, I get it now. It is about 10:00PM.  I think that could be part of the issue I am having with the camera.







    

-UtahAV
-Mark

[Trafficman]

Thanks Kent!

I am excited to see the place!

I think something is wrong with the webcam you posted. It is just a black screen on my computer.


you need to push play in the middle of the cam pictute.  it is a still motion cam not live


Oh, wait...    Um, I get it now. It is about 10:00PM.  I think that could be part of the issue I am having with the camera.







    

-UtahAV
-Mark

[Aussie Red]

Big question of the day. ARE THERE SEAGULLS UP THERE ? 

[UtahAV]

No seagulls, just AV's!!

-UtahAV
-Mark

[Trafficman]

WOW What a great day this was.  Super GTG,  I mean we saw sights that are just incredible, and only do justice to the necked eye,  Enormas burgers and shakes, Sweet old fire engines,  And friendships to last a lifetime.  Thank you Utah Avalanchers you really are a bunch of super People.  Thanks...........

[Aussie Red]

Ditto what Kent said. Thanks for a great run Mark. You lead that great. I was cracking up all the way watching Kent's dog. Thanks for putting me at ease gang and you are so right I loved it well.................99% of it. Hate the dirty nasty truck thing.

[UtahAV]

Thanks everyone! Awesome GTG! Thanks to Badtuffstuff for the restaurant find and to Trafficman for the Utah Fire Museum.

See everyone at the next one!

-UtahAV
-Mark

[badtuffstuff]

Another incredible GTG cruise for Utah. I never ceases to amaze me that I can have so much fun just driving my AV.  Every GTG is just as much fun as the one before it.
Thanks Trafficman for the choice of the museum.  The kids had a blast and I was really amazed at all of the items in the museum.
Thanks to Dairy Delight for a burger I wont soon forget. 
The view from the top this year was AMAZEING!!! Absolutely beautiful. That road was considerably more difficult this year but that is why we bought trucks, right?
Thanks everyone for making owning this vehicle the greatest experience I have had on 4 wheels.
See ya all at the next one.