Golden tidbits took a little longer than I wished to type up, but it is how these things go, and I find it takes time to reflect on everything learned.
Please be gentle on judging them, I want to share in case they help others, and some are definitely meant most so I remember. I'm putting them in their own post here and will add a link in the first post.
Here we go as copied/pasted from my notes app:
Dino Adventures lessons 09-01-2025
- #1 lesson: Type up lessons and notes for future internal & external leadership. Plus other neat & fun important lessons picked up along the way
- What worked well - probably more than only typed.
- Getting to camp early
- Calling NPS people
- Dropping truck bed contents to make a nice sleep setup real each night
- Running a few miles each night after driving all day
- Gadgets, hacks, tips & tricks, suppliers
- Bring laser range finder to the Whispering Cave
- Carry a Ziploc full of nitrile gloves
- Carry a bag of rags
- Swiffer for cleaning dashboard
- Solid woodworkx
- NPS app
- Windshield film to block UV or infrared to keep dashboard temps down
- Headliner rack for light stuff
- Portable shower/sponge bath hose and tent - a slowish drip rate uses little water but still cleans. Use coarse sponge or exfoliating glove.
- Starburst and vanilla wafer s'mores
- National Geo Trails Illustrated will soon no longer be printed. They will be available in digital form.
- Having 3/4" big washers for regular screw pin bow shackle is great in a situation needing medium hardness shims/spacers - worked for body mount bushing
- Triflo works great as a penetrant for fasteners
- Definitely carry extra cash - cash is king
- Skull lava rocks in the propane fire pit are sweet
- Definitely build or buy a propane fire pit
- National Parks Pass is totally worth it vs just a day pass
- Laser range finder for Whispering Cave
- Cruiser Fest is Sept 6th 2025 - double check on website
- Electric Fan and switch for the transmission cooler radiator
- Geiger counter for fun of the Utah geology and history of uranium exploration
- Self improvements - internal leadership
- Truck AC, desert climate, and high altitude likely combine to produce nose bleeds. Maintain good hydration, nose hygiene, mouth hygiene, and maybe nose lotion to combat possibility of nose bleeds.
- Dress sharp & clear - confirmed
- Triple and quadruple check layers in Gaia, Google Earth, property searches of areas via Uncle Google, consider OnX subscription
- Carry extra socks
- Carry paper towel in pockets - South Park Towelie wisdom. Get perforated Scott industrial towels and maybe Pig mats
- When in doubt, over communicate - per Mr McRaven Wisdom of the Bullfrog
- Fully 100% dismiss someone else's input at your own risk
- Definitely good to memorize people's names and forum handles and partners names, kids names, pets names
- Park service people's are fun and very good to talk with - as Dr. D says - "always make friends with the techs"
- Definitely chat up the cute NPS women and avoid the highschool foreign exchange kids - just a professional observation.
- When confronted by a person lashing out. Remember they feel hurt and that's ok, emotions are to be respected. For their intent/purpose they are hurt. Establish understanding if there are any physical injuries or other outright problems. Agree with them on the important thing that no one is physically hurt and never was the intention to hurt if feelings have been slighted. Do not let yourself be hurt in the process - neither physically, nor mentally, nor emotionally. Remember the drowning man/woman habit of drowning the rescuer.
- Keep your act together, both physically, emotionally, and mentally. Pack things simply and maintain physical and food and drink discipline
- Definitely worked to provide clear direction in-person and on the forum. Need to do better on radio transmit/reception next time around
- Let feelings of failure flow through and pass, then engage 2nd order cognitive processes to evaluate options, adjust plans, communicate to everyone, and execute. OODA loop - observe, orient, decide, act. Also reread Gracie’s flow book.
- Trail leading improvements - external leadership
- Great to run on the trails on foot for 4-6 or maybe more miles if time allows. Provides an intuitive sense of the conditions. Plus confidence.
- John Marshall - Coyote Tour - where you are, where you want to go, etc. Lookup the method
- Better radio hardware setup - have antenna outside cab
- Better channel selection - avoid channel 6, it is cursed
- Memorize trail and road names for the update & adjustment of plans - worked pretty well.
- Areas for future exploring
- Wyoming BDR - Lookup maps on their website and potentially Gaia layer
- White Pocket camping in southern Utah
- Plans for future Dino Adventures:
- Bear Wallow along Island Park Rd - not great. Further down the road on the left there is a branch Daniel found before getting to the private property
- Harper's Corner, Dinosaur Quarry, and Rainbow park are great last day additions to the roster
- The Utah Welcome Center getting back to Jensen is a good spot for gathering back together and dropping trash
- Definitely do Yampa Bench Road - Harding Lookout was great. Avoid Castle Rock. Katy's Nipple and Cleopatras Couch are good terrain features to show off
- Echo Park has hiking trails to the west and east sides of Steamboat Rock
- Definitely have folks hike to Cub Creek #14 petroglyphs, Josie's Cabin, Echo Park petroglyphs, Whispering Cave, and around Cow Basin
- Maybe - Next year start at cow basin, go down to Josie's cabin, see the cub creek petroglyphs, go to the Quarry, see rainbow park, hit Echo Park for the 2nd camp. 3rd day head out to Elk via Yampa Bench road, then Harper's Corner and back to cow basin
- Maybe - Next year start at southern river canyon, go down to Josie's cabin, see the cub creek petroglyphs, go to the Quarry, see rainbow park, hit Echo Park for the 2nd camp. 3rd day head out to Elk via Yampa Bench road, then Harper's Corner and back to cow basin
I'm stoked for future adventures. Some time by end of the year, maybe early January, I will begin a 2026 planning thread.
Hope everyone is doing well, excited for Halloween, also close to my bday
and thanks for your patience on the adventure reporting!
Allen
