Moab, UT
June 8, 2014
A cliff is a vertical or near vertical rock exposure. There are lots of cliffs surrounding Moab. In fact this small resort town is at the center of some of the most stunning red rock landscapes on Earth.
A cliff-hanger is a story, contest, or situation that is very exciting because what is going to happen next is not known.
So...cliffs and a cliff-hanger is exactly what Joe and I had in store last Saturday. Dee invited us to ride along with her in Blanche on the Cliff Hanger 4X4 Trail. This is a difficult trail that compares to Moab Rim ( posted on June 6 ) and Pearl had to stay home!
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| Blanche leads the way! |
Dale also joined us in his buggy for this hair raising ride with steep ledges and narrow shelf roads along the cliff edge.
Our Guide to Moab, Backroads and 4-Wheel Drive Trails book states...Make no mistake, this trail is strictly hardcore with many big ledges and challenging obstacles.
And this was just the beginning!
I kept busy taking pictures...my what beautiful and expansive views right from the get-go.
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| Can you see the La Sal Mountains? |
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| Dee's perch... |
Our first stop was for lunch at an overlook of the Colorado River. And what a great spot for lunch it was!
The Colorado River is full and in spots it is over the banks due to melting snowpack and rains. The road in the photo below is Potash Road (Hwy 279), a scenic byway.
In the picture below, bottom right hand side is Kane Creek Road. This is the road we used to access Cliff Hanger trail.
The trail is 4.3 miles one way plus 1.4 miles for the side trip to the Colorado River overlook. When we returned to the main trail after lunch, little did we know what a thrill was in store...a real cliff-hanger.
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| Yes, that's how close we were to the edge... |
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| Yes, we stayed close to the rocks... |
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| Yes, we climbed down ledges on this very narrow shelf...and we climbed back up too! |
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| Yep, that's the edge and its a long way down! |
But what we saw at the end of this trail was worth every minute we spent hanging on and pinching seats!
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| A close up of the Colorado River... |
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| We were high enough to reach out and touch the birds... |
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| Nothing but beauty for miles and miles... |
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| I even managed to take a peek looking down! |
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| Joe and Dale |
Every time Joe and I go out on a trail, it is a learning experience whether we take Pearl or not. There is a lot to learn!
This is our second year to visit Moab. Its really hard to find the right words to describe the excitement, full of life experience you get from visiting here. Even the pictures don't do it justice. Its one of those places you have to see and feel for yourself.
Happy trails!
Oh, my, crazy!!! So glad you rode along with someone else on this crazy trail. But your views were amazing!! I miss this area so much. We have decided to go ahead and make a reservation for next April now so we can get into Portal Resort. We still have so much to see and do in that area.
ReplyDeleteThanks for getting all those cliff hanging photos:)
We love it too Pam! Actually we have been hiking too, but I posted so many of the hikes last year, I have focused more on the Jeep trails this year. We are planning to return again next year too, but probably not till May. It gets a little crazy around here between Easter Jeep Safari and FMCA.
DeleteOH MY! I was sitting on the edge with my heart beating fast. What a ride, I think those ledges and edges gave you so much to appreciate in life. Im chicken when it comes to those crazy rides like that, I will just contend myself reading your real cliffhangers and the breathtaking sceneries.
ReplyDeleteIt was a thrill ride for sure MonaLiza. Lots of different emotions all at the same time!
DeleteWe plan on buying a Jeep next month, but I don't think I want to do roads like that anytime.
ReplyDeleteHello Merikay...oh you will love having a jeep. There are lots of easier roads to take. Our jeep, Pearl, will never do this trail either!
DeleteWho'd have thought you could climb that high up on that red rock, in a jeep no less. I swear a few of those shots had to have been taken from an airplane. Keeping sure looks like fun.
ReplyDeleteIt is fun Gayle. You can sure see things you would not see otherwise. All trails are not this difficult and they have wonderful views too!
DeleteAbsolutely no way would we be interested in doing thing. The view is nice but certainly would be concerned about damage to the Jeep and to US!
ReplyDeleteThe Jeeps are really safe and made to do a lot of fun things...even stock jeeps. You literally crawl along Jeri...I would not be doing it if I didn't feel safe!
DeleteWhat a wild and crazy ride! Heart stoppingly beautiful and scary!
ReplyDeleteYes it was Lisa....like a roller coaster in slow motion!
DeleteYou are a lot braver than I !! I will enjoy your pictures and stick to the low adrenalin rides. Sue
ReplyDeleteI really like those rides too Sue! Hope you and Paul are getting settled in to your little piece of heaven!
DeleteAwesome views, but sure not my kind of fun, no heights anymore for this guy!
ReplyDeleteThanks George and Suzie...it's really lots of fun!
DeleteMoab through your lens is so beautiful! Look forward to going back one day.
ReplyDeleteThank you Joan.....we love it here!
DeleteHow exciting! We can't wait to get back to. Moab...Great pics Gay!
ReplyDeleteHey guys! We can't wait till September!
DeleteNow that was the kind of Four-Wheeling day that I would like to try but when I showed Vic the photos, he said he would pass. I know you felt quite confident with Dee's expertise on this kind of challenging trail. The views alone make it worthwhile. Glad to see you having such a thrilling time.
ReplyDeleteHi Pam... yes it was thrilling. Those hardcore trails are a real challenge. I am very relieved Pearl is not quite up to it! Maybe one day if we invest in a buggy...who knows?
DeleteTalk about a Cliff Hanger, I was sitting on the edge of my chair as I read and looked at the pictures. Oh the beauty of our Country.
ReplyDeleteKeep have your wonderful adventures and sharing them with us. Thank You
You're welcome JO...and yes I so agree, we do have a beautiful country!
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