Tabeguache Trail thru ride questions

[jeremy11]

A friend and I are plotting a thru ride of the Tabeguache Trail this fall, and are researching, looking at maps, and riding sections near home.

-Is Thanksgiving break a good time weather and water wise?  He's a teacher in Montrose and I'm a student in Grand Junction, so finding another long weekend would be tricky, and cramming it into a normal weekend could be risky - hobbling into class half asleep Monday morning is bad style.

-How crazy would routefinding be without GPS?  We aren't hot rod fast, but staying on course would be nice.  Neither of us have appreciable GPS experience, but do have plenty of map and compass experience.

-How is water availability and quality?  Should we buy and carry a pump, or just iodine?  In the high country we both prefer iodine, where clear clean water is found, but if I need to get water from a muddy cow puddle........ a pump and iodine would be nice.... also, how much water capacity would be advised?

-Would Kokopelli be a better option for these stipulations?  We might also be hitch biking, one of us to the start, one of us at the end...

Thanks!

[DaveH]

Ah, the Tab.  I've always wanted to get out there in the fall...

Late November is early winter on the southern Tab - it's all above 8k', and much of it above 9k'.  Escalante northward might be ok, weather depending.  Still cold though.  For all of the Tab I'd think anything beyond mid-October is high risk.

GPS - it's been done plenty without.  Even a GPS doesn't guarantee you stay on the route since there aren't any files floating about for it that I know of.  Some of the turns are marked, some are not.  Last time I was out there a rancher had put up a big fence right over the route - no gate, just a 6' tall fence.  It gets primitive out there.  I don't think you can too lost out there, downhill is hwy 50

Since I haven't been there in the fall I'm not sure what water would be like.  In the spring it's lush and wet all over the place until you leave escalante, and after whitewater it is super dry and a lot longer than you think to GJ.  I'd think a filter would be needed for a fall trip.  Hard to say how much water...depending on weather 100-150 oz from whitewater?

The KT could see perfect conditions at that timeframe if it isn't snowed in yet in the La Sals.

[jeremy11]

Good info Dave.  Thanks.  KT sounds like a better option, but we've both lived in Lake City for a few years and like winter/snow suffering too, so unless mud is an issue, and depending on conditions.... Turkey Tabeguache has a slim chance of happening.  But we'll more likely just fit sections in on the weekends then thru ride the KT over Thanksgiving.

How is water on the KT in late Fall?

[jeremy11]

how about Oct 8-11 on the Tab (hopefully won't fill 4 days, but that's my long weekend)?
I'm about to order a water filter and a couple soft bottles for desert stuff, although in the alpine, I just carry betadine.

[DaveH]

That's a roll of the dice, but could work out perfectly.  There isn't normally much snow yet by that date, and often times the weather is still decent.  That's ride-perfect season in the deserts...the time of the 24 hours of Moab.  Barring any freak early storms I think that would be a good date - probably with quite a bit of color l lingering too in all those aspen groves.