But thangs picked up mightily at the hun’erd and 16 mile mark. That’s how far it is from Big Willie’s shop in Grand Junction to Woody’s Tavern in Moab. Big-ass sign sayin’ coldest beer in town. Don’t know ‘bout all that … but it was damned cold.
Ahhh yessss … Moab. The cool place where all the cool people hang out. The Mecca for the outdoor adventurer. And on this particular weekend, home to ‘bout 6 hun’erd custom cars. HUGE car show goin’ on. As I set out front of Woody’s, I watched ‘em all cruisin’ by on Main Street. Cruisin’ Main Street is as American as absolutely anythang we got. And since it’s basicly outlawed ‘cept for special events, it was really cool to watch. No problems, no troubles ... just cool cars cruisin’ back and forth. Trucks and cars. Classic restorations and wild customs. Old and new. Rat rods and rice burners. Lots of muscle cars. Even a few RZR’s and Harleys. All present and accounted for. ‘Cept maybe for a highly custom Super Duty with a camper on it that is! After 10 or 20 beers, I just couldn’t stand it no more. I fired my junk up and jumped right in with ‘em By Gawd. What a large time. Folks lined up on both sides of the street in their lawn chairs and were givin’ me just as much attention as anyone. Wavin’. Takin’ pics. And before I even got to the end of my first pass … guess who jumps up outta his chair and cheers me on … it’s Big Willie! His shop had a coupla rigs there for the show.
Reckon I made 5 or 6 passes and then headed north outta town to find me a campsite. Turned onto Gemini Bridges Road and headed up the mesa. Once on the other side there’s a campin’ area pretty close. 6 nice spots and well separated but all 6 were jammed up. So I just kept easin’ on down the road. Bit later was a side road that said dead end and didn’t say no campin’ So I turned on in and found me a nice big flat rock to park on right as it was getting’ dark.
When it comes right down to it, all I’m doin’ is campin’. Sometimes in pretty spots, sometimes not. But just campin’. Sure am glad I got me a camper to do it in tho. Woke up this mornin’ to a very brisk wind and the smell of rain in the air. Stumbled out to greet the day and spied me some neighbors off the way a piece. They was tryin’ to cook up some grub outside their Ty-ota truck while fightin’ off the wind and obviously worser weather on the way. I’ll be 49 here directly and I’m just too old for that. I served my time and paid my dues. So I snapped a coupla pics and got back in my home. And cut on the furnace to take the chill outta the air.
After half a box of Frosted Flakes and a pot of coffee, the day seemed ready to begin. Got the house all situated and climbed into the cab just as the rains hit. Weather would definit’ly be the theme for the day. As I was pullin’ out of our lil’ dead-end road, my poor neighbors were clammerin’ up in the fiberglass shell on that lil’ truck to get outta the rain. Gawd luv ‘em.
So I just kept easin’ on down Gemini Bridges Rd. Certainly not a difficult path but pretty none-the-less. Nice to be back in some trees. Weren’t many in southern Nevada. When the rain would let up just a bit, I tried to snap a few pics.
When I’m on these roads, I’m always checkin’ my mirrors. Cuz I drive slow. Real slow. A) … ain’t no use shakin’ up the beer in the fridge, and B) … I’m in no hurry to get nowheres. Seems ev’ryone else is in a hurry. So I always politely pull aside and allow them folks to pass. No biggie. The rig of choice ‘round here is surely the new Jeep JK. A Fella will see a few of these and a few of those … but he’s gonna see a whole messa JK’s. And one was behind me. So I pulled over. But instead of passin’ me, he eased up alongside and the passenger lady rolled down her window. Strange. So I rolled mine down as well and said Howdy. The driver man asked if’n I was Kowboy. Whoa now. Said he recognized my junk from the world-wide web. That’s friggin’ cool. They were from Portland and had flown into Denver to fetch the JK and was hangin’ out in Moab a few days ‘fore easin’ back to the left coast in it. I bid them well and they went on. Good stuff right there.
And the rains just kept on keepin’ on. I know the weather can be dif’rent in town than up here on the mesas but it sure didn’t look too good for all them custom cars at the car show today down in the town park. And it didn’t look good for seein’ them Gemini Bridges neither. Got to the top of the road and seen a sign sayin they was there but I couldn’t see nuthin’. Maybe ya had to hike somewheres. I ain’t hikin’ in the rain so I turned my junk around and eased on back. Got back to a turn-off for the Metal Masher trail. I know I done that trail before at Cruise Moab with TLCA but I sure don’t recall none of it. It’s rated a 4 outta 5 so I got no doubt my big ol’ girl ain’t gonna do it. But mize well drive far as I can. Maybe get in some wheelin’. Rocks and Rain. Ledges and Lightnin’. Off I go. Prob’ly covered a few miles ‘fore I came to this squeeze play with the trees. I was havin’ some kinda fun crawlin’ that trail so far but didn’t see no future in scrapin’ the house right off the back of my truck. And didn’t seem right to fire up the chain saw and cut ‘em down. No way. So I made a billion-point turn and headed back.
Rains petered out for a bit so I was able to snap a few pics on the way back. Never have got ‘round to fixin’ my e-brake so photo ops gotta be with the truck level in parkin’ gear or headed up a ledge so I can just leave ‘er in drive without ‘er goin’ nowheres.
Jeepers came and went. Most just ease on by with a friendly wave but some stop to chat. The ones that stopped expressed surprise to see a camper on the trail. The two most common questions were if I had a bed in there and how do I stand up in it. I just told ‘em it gets bigger when it gets excited. A group of three had to wait and watch as I was clawin’ my way up one of the bigger ledges I encountered. Geared down and locked up. Never spun a tire. I watched them and they didn’t have near the finesse. Cool stuff. My junk’ll climb like a billy goat. ‘Cept she’s like a pregnant billy goat and just needs some extra room.
So enuf of that silliness and back out to Gemini Bridges Rd. Sorta figurin’ on hittin’ a few bars in town this evenin’ with all them car folks. Maybe try to shame Big Willie into buyin’ me a beer for that diesel shop rate I had to pay. But on my way back I came across a turn for Bull Canyon Road. Wonder where that goes? Here we go ... game on.
What started out as a very narrow canyon opened up into a massive one. It was really pretty. And a pretty decent 4wd road too.
Reckon I went in 3 miles or so and the road just kept getting’ less and less. Came to this big rock and there was a big turn around.
I ain’t real bright but I figured somethin’ was up so I set out on foot. And didn’t get far at all. Right around the bend the road stops head-on into another big rock. For no apparent reason the road just ends. It goes nowheres. But it was a right pretty drive.
So head on back down. Gettin’ late in the day tho so gave up on the idea of goin’ to town. Had done spied me a sweet lil’ campin’ spot on the way up so I headed to ‘er. Sure pretty country.
Only one thang could possibly make it better. That’s right … a campfire. Reckon this is the first campfire I’ve ever had in Utah. That cedar is sure some good firewood. Real good. Never fired up the chainsaw or broke out the ax. Just picked up some s*** layin’ ‘round. Nice.
Although the rain gave me a break in the afternoon, it was settin’ back in now. You could see it comin’ down the canyon. Throw an extra log on the fire and get in the camper to wait it out. Most of them were short-lived and I was back alongside my fire in no time ‘till the next one. One time I heard kind of a dull roar. Couldn’t figure it out but it was getting’ louder. Holy s***! It’s sleet bouncin’ off the cliffs and headed my way. Rode that one out in the camper for damned sure. Here’s a pic of the ground ‘round my dead soldiers. It was still early.
Been readin’ lot on Expo ‘bout Folks havin’ their pop-up campers leakin’ in the rain. This was really the first significant storm I’ve encountered and I was pleasantly warm and dry. After one of the many showers, I snapped a pic of the cliffs next to me as they turned into waterfalls. Mighty fine.
When ya got nowheres to go and you’re in no hurry to get there … then doin’ absolutely nuthin’ becomes an acceptable endeavor. And I’m practicin’ that as much as I can. I didn’t leave camp till friggin’ noonday today. And didn’t do a damned thang. And I’m OK with that. After a few stragglin’ rain showers, the skies cleared and beckoned me to move on. So I did. And I took some pictures of trees on my way out. Trees growin’ right outta the rock.
And trees growin’ way too close to the trail. The truck AND the camper got lots of new pinstripin’ in this canyon.
And trees growin’ out of a rock slide. That rock slide musta been long, long time ago.
Best I can reckon, this is a box canyon. It opens up into a massive amount of land. But at the entrance here it’s quite skinny. A Fella could string up ‘bout 30 foot of fencin’ at this spot and have the place all to hisself.
So back we go down Gemini Bridges Rd over the mesa and back down to the blacktop and on into town. Town was real quiet with all the car folks gone. Tried a coupla bars but they was dead. Went to the info center and bought a whole mess of maps so I can figure out where I’m at and where I’m goin’. Surprised to see that Bull Canyon is listed as one of the more difficult moderate trails. Problem with these guide books is that they ain’t geared towards a truck with a camper so I’m gonna have to be careful. Went to the City Market for beer and bananas. Hit the Maverick for diesel. Then headed up Kane Creek Road outta town. Heard there was some campgrounds up that away. Past the turnoffs for Pritchett Canyon and Cliff Hanger from my old days. Pavement turned to gravel. And there were campgrounds. Brand new in fact. And they sucked. Bulldozed level ground with a picnic table for 15 bucks. I could prob’ly scrape up the 15 bucks. But not for such a pathetic campin’ spot. So I kept goin’. Figured I could always backtrack and stay in some hotel parkin’ lot in town. Eventu’ly the road turned into Hurrah Pass Road. Which my new guide book says is rated an easy. And I came around a corner and seen a neat lil’ parkin’ spot right off the side of the road. Home sweet home.
Here’s lookin’ up the canyon behind my camper and then lookin’ towards it from the end. Wouldn’t of wanted to be here yesterday with all them heavy rains but clear skies for tonight.
It’s quite late now and I just stepped outta the camper for a beer piss. Hit the super-bright LED porch lite on my way out as normal. As I’m standin’ there drainin’ the hose, I look up that canyon behind me and see two sets of eyes lookin’ back at me. Reckon gonna piss in the s***ter in the camper rest of the night.
Guidebook says this here road keeps right on goin’ for quite a ways and then dead ends at a scenic overlook. Hate to not get to the end of the road. So off I go. And fairly early at that. Lookin’ like the road up and over the pass is a one-lane so I wanna get up and over ‘fore the crowds hit. So I’m off like a herd of turtles. Even after the extensive modifications to this truck, my speedometer is deadly accurate thanks to the talents of Vince. But it’s real hard to read when ya goin’ ‘tween 0 and 5. Seemed like a good pace and I pressed on. Right to the summit.
Depending on what guidebook or map you’re lookin’ at, the summit might be the beginnin’ of Chicken Corners Road or just a continuation of Hurrah Pass Road. But since there’s only one road … reckon it don’t really matter the name of it. Kinda hugged the ledge as we went on down but plenty of room.
Once down in the valley, the road sure reminded me of the one at Great Sand Dunes over in Colorado. Some pretty soft sections but the Toyos just floated along. Never have aired them down from the 55 I run ‘em at. Some really good tires.
As per my guidebooks recommendation, I took the short lil’ side trail to visit Catacomb Rock. When I got there it looked like just another big-ass rock. But wait … this rock has secrets. She’s eaten up like if by cancer. Caves ev’ry which-a-way. Way cool. Fella could easily spend an hour or so INSIDE this here rock. Which is exactly what I did By Gawd. Amateur spelunkin’ if you will. And a chance to play with the low-light settin’s on my new cam’ra without usin' no flash.
Back out on Chicken Corners Road and just easin’ along. Nice road and pretty scenery. The springtime rains have the high desert in bloom. Mighty fine. So yesterday it was pics of trees … today it’s flowers.
