37 Miles in 6 hours...

37 miles in 6 hours..

to pound, bully and gyrate two 4X4 vehicles into the guts of the Maze.

When we arrived at sunset at Chimney Rock campground, the Lyle's and I were almost too exhausted for Happy Hour. Somehow I rallied enough to lift a cold IPA to my lips. Not an easy task after wrestling a 1985 Jeep through the tortuous terrain. The Jeep won many rounds.  

For once the National Park Service was spot on. The road into the Maze is long and unforgiving. 

Ahhh...but once the IPA buzz took hold and I looked around, I realized the effort (for now) was worth it. From the rim of the canyons, it's big views and big sky country. I can practically see the Moab Brewery from here. Below the rim, it only took a moment to see how the district got its name. It would be an awful place to get disoriented in. There's no easy way in or out. The trails are like the roads, rough and tumble. 

I ventured down to see the "Harvest Scene" petroglyphs. The Ancient Ones created a panel that looks like a cow. Maybe they were lamenting it's disappearance within this jigsaw puzzle landscape? Who knows? The Ancient Ones aren't spilling the Anasazi beans. 

Live from the Maze!

Can you believe I have Verizon cell phone coverage here?

Cheers from the Land of Standing Rocks.

Jeff

A Thirty Year...

dream will come true. No, not dating Bo Derek, that's a 25 year dream! 

I'm going into the Maze!!!

http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/maze.htm

I finally found someone who doesn't fear dinging up his 4X4 Jeep and truck. We will use these macho mechanical beasts for what they were built for. Beat the poop out of them.

Thank You Greg Lyle and his family for allowing me to join in this adventure. I hear there will be s'mores at the campfires too. 

Do IPAs go well with marshmallows? We will soon find out.

This is a truly pack it in, pack it out sort of place. I mean everything!!! We will leave only footprints and tire tracks. 

So to you 20 or so blog fans, stand by for further photos and comments. Our trip is a week long. There will be plenty of yarns and pix to come.

Cheers from Green River, Utah.

My beer and coffee supply are holding up well.

See you on the other side.

Jeff

PS. Note the pictograph photo of two Ancient Ones baseball players. I'm sure they swung the bat better than A-Rod of the Yankees. They were paid less too. 

The Secret is Out...

about the Needles District in Canyonlands National Park. 

For over a quarter of a century, (that makes me feel old) I've been exploring and loving this isolated segment of grandeur. It's a destination park. There are no through roads. Heck! The pavement ends there 50 miles from the nearest highway. A potential visitor has to make a time and gas money effort to arrive within its boundaries. 

For me, it's a No-Brainer. Where else can I hike to the merger of two rivers, mosey along interconnecting canyons, see the Milky Way in all its intergalactic splendor, or savor the library "Shhh!" silence that abounds here?  Not many places. 

Unfortunately, there are now multitudes of national and international guests willing to venture west off of U.S. Highway 191. 

Yesterday, I counted over 100 hikers along the 11.5 mile Chesler Park circuit. The languages heard were a virtual Tower of Babel. Many years ago, a chance encounter of another human was equivalent to observing Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster. 

In the past, securing a campsite was just a matter of showing up. Now the campground fills quickly after the sun rises. Luckily, there's a private campground nearby that has hot water and showers! (You are right. It doesn't take much to excite me.)

As Yogi Berra (may he RIP) would say, "The Future ain't what it used to be." 

For those 15-20 devout blog fans I have, (OY! Are my pageviews down!) you can see a common thread to my posts. The times they are a changing and not for the better. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/04/0-for-2-on-the.html 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/03/big-bend-epiphany.html

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2014/10/angel-landing-zion-national-park.html

With all that said, being here sure beats a lot of alternatives. Work is definitely one of them.

On my way to the Maze! 

Cheers!

Jeff