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!
