Trail Difficulty Ratings 1- 5		Joes Ratings for MBS 2007
Description	Rating	Description	Examples
Graded dirt road. Dry, or less than 3" water crossing depth. Gentle grades. 2WD under all conditions except snow. No width problems, two vehicles wide.	1	You can drive the mini-van down it most of the year	Highway 70
Dirt road. Dry, or less than 3" water crossing depth. Some ruts. Slight grades, up to 10 degrees. 2WD under most conditions. Rain or snow may make 4WD necessary. Usually one and a half to two vehicles wide.	1.5	Sometimes, it would be nice if the mini-van had AWD.	Highway 191 into Moab
Dirt road. Rutted, washes, or gulches. Water crossings up to 6" depth. Passable mud. Grades up to 10 degrees. Small rocks or holes. 4WD recommended but 2WD possible under good conditions and with adequate ground clearance and skill. No width problems for any normal vehicle. Vehicle passing spots frequently available if less than two vehicles wide.	2	An Aerostar minivan can drive it in all but the worst weather.	The driveway into the Moab Oasis Campground
Rutted and/or rocky road. No shelves but rocks to 9". Water crossings usually less than hub deep. Passable mud. Grades moderate, up to 15 degrees. Side hill moderate up to 15 degrees. 4WD under most conditions. No width problems, vehicle passing spots frequently available if less than two vehicles wide.	2.5	An AWD Aerostar minivan can drive it in all but the worst weather.
Rutted and/or rocky road. No shelves. Rocks up to 12" and water crossings up to 12" with possible currents. Passable mud. Moderate grades to 15 degrees. 6" holes. Side hill to 20 degrees. 4WD required. No width problems.	3	At least one L/S, 32" or so tires, body damage not likely, fun easy run.  Usually scenic, take some pics and enjoy them.	Sevenmile Rim
Quite rocky or deep ruts. Rocks to 12" and frequent. Water crossings may exceed hub depth with strong currents. Shelves to 6". Mud may require checking before proceeding. Moderate grades to 20 degrees. Sidehill may approach 30 degrees. 4WD necessary and second attempts may be required with stock vehicles. Caution may be required with wider vehicles.	3.5	L/S both front and rear will get you through it.  33" or so tires, specific tire placement may be needed to avoid damage.	Fins and Things
Rocks frequent and large, 12" and may exceed hub height. Holes frequent or deep (12"). Shelves to 9". Mud 8" deep and may be present on uphill sections. Grades to 25 degrees and sidehill to 30 degrees. Water crossings to 18" and may have strong currents. 1-1/2 vehicles wide. 4WD required. Driver experience helpful.	4	At least one rear locker and a L/S front.  Spotting may be required.  If an inexperienced driver ASK for help, it's easier on all of us in the long run.	Metal Masher,  Rusty Nail, Gold Bar Rim, Cliff Hanger, Steel Bender
Heavy rock and/or severe ruts. Rocks exceeding hub height frequent. Shelves to 12". Deep mud or uphill mud sections. Steep grades to 25 degrees and can be loose or rocky. Water crossings may exceed 30" in depth. Side hill to 30 degrees. One vehicle wide. Body damage possible. Experience needed. Vehicle Modifications helpful.	4.5	At least one rear locker and a L/S front and the willingness to accept body damage.   33" tires.   Some places (Moab Rim) may be scary due to potential death.	Moab Rim, Hells Revenge
Severe rock over 15". Frequent deep holes over 15". Shelves over 15". Mud bog conditions (long, deep, no form bottom). Over 30" water crossings with strong currents. Steep grades over 30 degrees. Sidehill over 30 degrees. May not be passable by stock vehicles. Experience essential. Body damage, mechanical breakdown, rollover probable. Extreme caution required.	5	Two full time lockers and the willingness to accept body damage.  36"tires, winching likely.  Off camber and sharp drops likely.	Pickle, Prichett, Behind the Rocks,
Trail CANNOT be driven the whole way. Winching is required in at least one point on the trail. Water crossings may exceed 2-½ feet in depth. Grades exceeding 40 degrees. The biggest rocks with off camber situations exceeding 35 degrees. Rollovers possible. Usually only suitable for short wheel base vehicles (under 105" wheelbase), winch, 33" minimum tires, (35" or larger preferred), 3" to 5" of lift, gearing of 60 to 1 (30 to 1 for automatics) or lower in first gear, low range, and hard locker in both front and rear axles probably required. Axle upgrades highly recommended. Speed continuously under one mph. A day run is typically one mile in length. These trails are typically very hard on tires. One spare probably required, two spares recommended. Plug kit and/or tubes recommended. Tires with sufficient sidewall protection (Boggers, Swampers, etc.) recommended. 50% or greater chance of body damage. 50% or greater chance of major mechanical failure. Breakage is usually due to excessive torque or torque spikes on axles or steering components. Only world class, experienced (5 years +) drivers with extra money, parts & energy to repair broken vehicles need apply.	5+	A really good driver/spotter combination required to avoid excessive body damage.  Lockers front and rear, hydraulic assist steering, 38+" tires needed.  Narrow is better.  Great approach and departure angles needed.	Coyote, Upper Helldorado, Britney Spears, most of Area BFE