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| Explore Your World! | Short Cuts | ||||
39th TDS... There and Back: Part One, Part Two
Report by: Mark M. DeNittis Editor: Berkeley Johnston
| Rosebud hits the road |
It all started one dark and stormy night, literally. I had prepared for this trip thoroughly (not thoroughly enough... read on), pulling out the just-in-case stuff from all the nooks and crannies in every closet at least a week in advance, not meaning to create a pile that the wife would stub her toe on and have to hurdle over... a pile causing general grief.
It was a snowy February 27th at 3:00am by the time I finally got the Jeep loaded and on the road. It took some extra finagling to get my gas cans strapped down with the Hi-Lift Jack re-mounted on my trail rack. The original front bumper mount had taken a beating in Carnage Canyon in Boulder, Colorado last October. Notice the bent front bumper in the photos.
Rosebud, my Hound-dog jeepin' buddy, and I were on the road now, heading out of snowy Denver with visions of Moab red rock and warm Southern California sun dancing in our heads. Once up into Colorado's Front Range, the fog rolled in. Driving was going to be slow, but I had the determination to get to Moab by noon the latest. I hope the fellow in the jack-knifed semi on Interstate 70 was OK; the rig completely blocked the eastbound lane. Once past Idaho Springs, the fog cleared, as did the snow. Easy drive from there. The anticipation mounted as the sun began to rise and we rolled into Grand Junction, Colorado. This was the final stretch... at least for the first leg of this adventure.
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| Yeehah! Welcome to Utah! | Moab... exit stage right, then left... 30 miles to go! |
| In the dirt at Moab |
We pulled into Moab at 10:00am, ahead of planned schedule, and stopped at my favorite gas station, the Campground Texaco/General Store north of town on the east side of Highway 191. As usual for this time of year, I missed out on the great selection of 4x4 stickers they usually have. Oh well, I guess that means another trip to Moab. What a bummer... NOT! I filled up the tank and the coffee cup and headed up into Canyonlands entrance. It was time to test out my newly-installed JKS Sway-bar disconnects. I drove to the Gemini Bridge turnoff and headed eastward. It's a fairly simple road with easy articulation and nothing exciting for the first few miles. Then gradually the slick rock began to show itself. I began to creep and crawl over things with the greatest of ease, testing my newly found level of articulation.
It was noon by now and time to set up the first trial of my new cooking equipment. (See future Trail Bites article "Mother Nature’s Kitchen... by trail and tire lets crank up the fire! Propane vs. butane and other necessities!" for an in-depth coverage of cooking equipment.)
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| Moab BBQ. Lime Chicken with Potatoes and Onion. | Four-Low Rose Getting ready to articulate a rock challenge. Notice how well the marking color blends in with the red. She’s on the scent of the chicken... no stopping her now. | Look Ma, no sway-bar! |
| Those beautiful slick-rock cliffs |
After a nice hearty lunch, we got back on the trail. The rock started to show itself much more and before I knew it, I was riding on the rim of a cliff, overlooking Highway 191.
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| Top o' the world Ma, top o' the world! | ||
As I ventured onward, I suddenly came to a stop. Surrounded on three sides by slick-rock cliffs, I could go no further. The views were magnificent to say the least. If you ever get the chance to venture into Moab or any of the surrounding areas, please do. I can’t express enough how beautiful and awe inspiring it is. Sitting on top of a cliff gazing off into the distance really puts things into perspective. I had to turn around, backtrack a half mile, and take a "road" that cut to the west. As I came around the first tight turn, I noticed a young gentleman and two dogs. I maneuvered the first of four (not knowing at the time) semi-difficult obstacles. First thing, I asked if the man was stuck. His reply was, "No, but do you know what is ahead of you?" Of course I did not, but my sense of adventure urged me to push onward. Luckily I followed that urge. The man was kind enough to take the following photos for me as I crawled down the last three waterfalls. Now, I usually have a collection of maps I bring along of the region or regions into which I will be venturing. It was at this point I realized that those were the items I had forgotten. That was OK, because I had been through this region enough times--at least on the main roads--to know where I had to go. Plus being a Gemini, I generally have a good sense of direction and make the best of any situation.
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| Gee, I love these new disconnects! | Hold on Rosebud! | |
| It's not just a Jeep Thing |
The gentleman had stopped at the bottom of these falls. He could have ventured up the falls with his buggy but didn’t think he would be able to maneuver back down them. Nor was he sure where the trail went ahead of him, although thank goodness he did know the way back to Moab. I followed him out across the slick-rock with water-filled potholes, following the minuscule traces of green paint directing the way out to the main trail.
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| I think I do understand! |
If you happen to see this "Bug" out on the trail, be friendly. They were very helpful, and, as with not only Jeep tradition or off-road tradition, we should be helpful to others when the chance arises. Thanks to Shanon and his family. I guess it's a Bug thing, although I am a Jeeper.
The main trail traversed the middle of the cliffs I had just recently been on the rim of. The trail ended where it had started, the intersection of Highway 191 and the north road into Canyon lands. What a great trail to run, I wish I knew the exact name of it. I didn’t ask, though it is fairly easy to find.
That was the day in Moab. Stay tuned for Part Two: Moab to Southern California and Tierra del Sol!
*All photos from Moab, Utah, February 27th, 2001
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