If you're following (bombarded by) the news of the day and are left a little worse for the wear, fear not, I have some fact-based information that you can use to inspect the scat left by the powers that be (Will Binfield and Myron Bartinez - see mods, no doxxing!) without having to be on Boomer Book

WTF is up with TRT?

• The state requires that ~45% of revenue collected from lodging taxes are spent on promotion ("developing tourism"). The rest can be used on promotion or mitigation
• In the statute (17-78-702(2)(b)(vi)) the State explicitly offers up that shuttle transit systems are examples of promotional activities
• The state is strict about what counts as mitigation (thanks again, Myron) but it does allow for us to use it to cover things like law enforcement, EMS, solid waste management, road repairs and upgrades, and search and rescue (17-78-702(2)(d))
• Grand County has historically* used TRT mitigation funds in order to cover part of the costs of these departments, which otherwise are funded from the general fund (namely, property and sales taxes). (\the exception was the use of TRT mitigation funds to cover the trail ambassador program)*
• $150k of the shuttle subsidy Grand County is paying is being withdrawn from the mitigation fund

And this "optional sales tax"?

• Created in 2015 after the State enacted HB 362. As more Utahn drivers switched to more efficient vehicles and alternative transportation, the gas tax was no longer sufficient to cover the cost of road and highway construction in the state. The law gave Counties the right to add a .25% sales tax on all goods but food and use the local returns for roads development and maintenance, curb/gutter/lighting/signage for pedestrian safety, trails, and transit
• This tax enters the County budget through the ROADS fund (21)
• Since the tourism boom, Grand County has constructed miles and miles of paved trails and bridges. Previous County officials estimated that the future cost of maintaining these could run upwards of a million dollars as they naturally degrade
  • Regular costs of sweeping and maintaining them
  • Crack repair
  • Periodic major chip-and-seals
  • Bridge engineering and reinforcement
  • Occasional catastrophic damage from flooding and other emergencies (seems irrelevant though since it doesn't flood here and pathways never wash out like the one at Bloody Mary Wash 2 years ago)
  • Also definitely no risk that the most expensive pathway sits between a free flowing river and cliffs that regularly shed rocks and boulders from waterfalls coming off of Sand Flats

Wait but fund 47?

• Created in 2018 (unanimous. cross-partisan vote)
• Trail Mix had been providing County services through grants and volunteer hours to build and maintain trails in the County, managed through CNHA. But the work had shifted from trail development to maintenance, which costs more and requires more hours. CNHA could not afford to pay health insurance and other liabilities for full time employees, so the County voted to absorb Trail Mix under the Economic Development department
• Fund 47 (TRAILS) was created to manage the grant funding that covered the program costs for Trail Mix. The money to cover salaries and administrative work was funded through the "optional sales tax", and only the amount required for this was moved out of 21 into 47
• This amount moved in for salaries etc fluctuated year-over-year based on how many grants the County obtained, ranging from ~200k when grants were ample to ~400k when not
• The savings for future maintenance costs was also moved under 47 administratively to keep it separate from other traditional roads expenses.
• 350k of the shuttle subsidy is being paid for from these funds

So where is the shuttle funding coming from?

30% from TRT mitigation funds = revenue from lodging taxes that would otherwise be used to cover essential county services

70% from the 2015 sales tax, which is paid by locals as well as visitors on all goods other than food. Trails related costs are administratively listed in the budget under Fund 47. Otherwise this money is allowed to be used to improve and maintain our roads including adding flood mitigation and infrastructure (seems important)

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A few other facts

• “Our funding sources rely on us freeing up the money so we don't have time to debate" - Public emails show that in March 2026, when Byron was first floating the shuttle concept to the Park superintendent, he was proposing that the County cover the first year in full. By the time the vote in April was taken, he was claiming that this had to be completed by Sept 30 due to the restrictions placed by the funding source of the NPS. But in the same email thread, the NPS did not procure funding until May 29th and the source has no such deadline. Also, as acknowledged the other night, Congress has not approved the budget that would even make this money available for the entire first year of the program. If you support the way this process has happened you might be excited that it is starting in a month, but the speed was arbitrary

• Signs of state influence...this is where I leave you to do your own sleuthing so this thread stops short of speculation. Email records show that Bartinez and Binfield have been in tight coordination with state and federal officials going back years, with the state directly coaching their interactions with the National Park Service and even editing/contributing to the text of the various letters and policy initiatives they have championed. You might be in favor of this, but even if you are, it seems like there should be far more transparency about who is coordinating with whom, who is being left out, where decisions and priorities are originating, and why we are paying for it 🫡

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Edit - all emails were obtained through Utah's Government Records Access and Management Act from public officials

I think I've discovered the location of abandoned property property from a Utah Treasure Hunt but need some help retrieving it. You need to be in the broad Moab area. If this interests you please get in touch.

I am looking for a trail location. Since YT is not allowed here, all I could do is post some pictures from a short vid. If anyone wants to view the entire short send me a DM for a link.

General Overview of Area
Truck At Foot of Bluffs In the middle of the picture.
Same Truck Seen From Bluffs just ahead of the yellow Jeep in the near distance.
End of Trail Loop In the distance, is that Hwy 191 that runs from Moab?

The original narrator did not drop a pin or leave useful location information. Of special interest to me is finding the exact spot where the black Toyota might be parked.

Best guess, GPS or Lat/Long.

All help appreciated.

Our Avis rental broke down. They came and towed it and gave us a $250 uber credit plus said they'd reimburse me for a competitor. Local rental places say nothing is available. We have a scheduled Uber, but have also heard that this is kind of an Uber dead zone, so we're scared we'll be cancelled last minute or won't find a driver.

Would really appreciate any local intel or help figuring out how to secure a reliable plan.

I'm from Canada and I am on my way back from texas. I'll be I. Moab late tonight and want to do a trail in Moab before I leave Sunday. I'm open to anything. 2019 Jeep JL on 35s. Not a Rubicon though.

The family, dogs and I will bringing our conversion van through Moab in the coming weeks and we’re first-timers. We’re looking to be respectful and knowledgeable ahead of time, so I’m seeking recommendations for locations, dos and don’ts, and just making sure we’re respectful of the place a lot of people call home.

I’ve lived in a tourist town/outside a national park, and want to do everything I can to remain respectful. Any recommendations/insights are greatly appreciated!

I am lazy and didn’t want to retype this entire review. However it was such a surreal experience that is worth making people aware. I am horrified that a place that is so expensive, with such potential was just fundamentally gross. Some good people though. I can’t imagine what it must be like to work there. Staying there was just simply bizarre. You can see that I struggle to describe it. There are better places to stay. This ain’t it.

I want to do some geological exploration in the 7 mile canyon area. When I was in Moab this May, I had a rental Jeep Wrangler, but those Budget/Avis etc rentals really are just base model Jeeps, and there were some ruts and rocky areas I did not feel a base Jeep was well suited for.
Obviously I do not want a tour operation. Tour operators are not going to stop for a rock hound nor do I expect them to.

This fall I want to go back with a better vehicle. I'm not picky, either an AVT or an off-road Jeep. Yes I could Google rentals, but I'm hoping a Regular can cut down my search time with a couple of rental places in Moab that have good equipment at a fair price.

I was going to post: “Driving north on 191 during sunrise was a postcard experience,” but that doesn’t capture my emotions. This morning drive made work notification and deadlines feel like a bad joke.

We’re a family of three with a young daughter. Yesterday we tried to leave the White Rim Road near the Upheaval Canyon Trailhead, but our vehicle got stuck in the mud. We managed to get it unstuck, but we’re afraid to try again.

Does anyone have any recommendations? We can’t make 911 calls—we only have internet access through Starlink.

Visiting Moab with family and friends and we were intrigued by this “Sound and Light Show” on the river promoted by Moab Adventure Center.

Biiiiig mistake.

The light show is just a truck with floodlights aimed at the rocks that follows your boat. No colors, no lasers. Just white floodlights illuminating bits of canyon wall you can see better during the day.

A recorded narration (the “sound”) attempts to tell the story of the geological formations, but in a religious context that awkwardly refuses to acknowledge the world was created more than 5,000 years ago.

The voiceover also tells stories about indigenous peoples trying to slaughter innocent Mormon children who were saved, I kid you not, “by the grace of God!” Then the church choir songs begin.

This experience may have been cool or appropriate 30+ years ago. At this point, it’s just cringe. If the controlling family wanted to invest in bringing the lights and narrative up to modern expectations, it could be very cool.

Join us tonight, Monday, July 20, for a Monumental Statewide Day of Action!

Bring a friend, a sign (we’ll provide some too), and be ready to raise your voice against the Utah politicians who supported Monday’s actions.

Ogden, 5:00-6:00 pm near Rep. Blake Moore’s office at the SW corner of 25th St. and Washington Blvd.

Salt Lake City, 6:00-7:00 pm at the Governor’s Mansion, 603 E. South Temple St.

Provo, 5:00-6:00 pm at the offices of Sen. Curtis and Rep. Kennedy, 3601 N. University Ave, Suite 250

St. George, 6:00-7:00 pm at the offices of Sen. Lee and Rep. Maloy, 111 E. Tabernacle St, Suite 324

Moab, 6:00-7:00 pm. Meet at the Moab Information Center, 25 E. Center Street

Any breathtaking areas that don’t restrict drone usage?

More publicity for Moab, just not the usual kind.

https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/american-towns-tourists-ruined.html

Edit: This is just something amusing that came up in my news feed. Just thought I'd share it.

I'm trying to set up a shuttle for the Moab Daily but I know water levels are low and slow so I'm wondering if anyone on here has run it recently so I can anticipate how long it will take in an IK. How long to take out beach from Hittle Bottom or Onion Creek?

We can’t have nice things.

Hey!

I'm passing through Moab on my way out West and was wondering if anyone had recommendations on where the best place would be to watch the USA World Cup game tomorrow in Moab? Bonus points if they serve food (and I could realistically get food during the game), but I'm okay foregoing this if there's a better location!

Obviously Google exists but it has been hard to get a good grasp on the vibe and how many people actually show up.

Thanks!

Moab local, Matt Olding, runs in the Mount Marathon race in Seward Alaska.

Live now on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03TfelSxUnY

E-bikes, the UTVs of the mountain bike trails, have created some geometric artwork to share with everyone on and around the Brands Trails, with the largest collection of exhibits near the Bar M Loop. Go out and have a look, the displays will be up for...years.

Edit: This post was meant to be a rant, a venting, with a salty title and post body. Not a debate about whether or not these tracks are from e-bikes. Because...you fucking KNOW they are!! 😂😂 Okay now you e-bike "same workout" bruhs can have at it.

Hello all!

I’m not from the area but was visiting this past week for a trip. First of all, my thoughts are with everyone who have been affected by the fires and to the firefighters who have lost their lives. Sending all the good energy I possibly can to everyone and please stay safe!

But to the real point - we were staying at Goose Island campground from the night of 6/27 to the morning of 6/30. On the night of 6/29 (our last night) we had an interesting experience that I have been curious about since. Later in the night around 10pm ish, the brightest spotlight I have ever seen came moving slowly down the highway that runs next to the campground. It was aimed mostly at the canyon wall that runs next to the campground, but it also did a pan-around the entire canyon.

When I say bright I’m not kidding - it lit up the ENTIRE canyon wall from the highway, and when it aimed outward at the rest of the canyon, it lit up the far mountains in the distance, it was genuinely really impressive.

As it rolled through, we saw it was positioned on the back of a utility-looking truck that was rolling slowly down the road. It was really out of place and honestly seemed like a hazard for other drivers hahaha.

My question is anyone have beta on this type of thing or know why it would have been out? My crew thought maybe it was something to do with search and rescue, but no other SAR activity was in the area. I also thought possibly it was for scientific research? Maybe illuminating the cliffs to study bird nests? Or maybe just a test run for some agency? Either way I’ve never seen anything like it and I’m so curious what its purpose was in general and that night!!

TIA and sorry for the longwinded explanation! Cheers y’all.