Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Pace Lake (part 2

Pace Lake (part 2)

Along the Happy Trails

May/10/2008

By Jerry Smith

The Pace Lake road was firmly in the crosshairs today. The previous failure needed to be rectified.

In talking with the BLM about the Pace Lake road, it was clear that it had been closed by Mother Nature at least two years before and probably more. This would possibly be the first reopening of a trail I had done in some time.

Southern Sinbad Valley with Lone Cone and the San Juan range near Ouray on the skyline. On a clear day, this is an eye-popper.

Reopening trails is something that brings a wealth of pleasure to me. I have fought road closures from Montana to Utah and Colorado since back in the mid-1970s. It's become a passion.

This trip I knew the Pace Lake road would be traversed further than the first time barring any major changes to the roadway between then and now.

The lower Pace Lake road offered little resistance but as we (Happy Trails and me) began the ascent up the mountainside, there was a repeat of the last trip. (While I do often go alone, I do not recommend it).

Many new rocks had rolled into the road and the V-cuts had been enlarged so the work began early. It was obvious that the spring runoff had been dramatic this year. Water runoff damage to the Pace Lake road was everywhere.

After an hour of rock moving, we were finally up to that pesky tree blocking the road just above the intersection. The Mile Marker HI9000 hydraulic winch made quick work of it. Pace Lake or bust!

On this corner is where the burnt fir blocked the road.

For the next mile or so, we stopped several times for rocks, trees, and brush overgrown into the roadway. This was the easy part. Brush trimming is a common occurrence where I go and we go prepared.

The next major obstacle was a 50-60 yard stretch of the Pace Lake road where the middle and lower side of the road was a three-foot deep gully. As I have made a habit of, I walked well past the bad area to see if working on it would be rewarded or just scoffed at later. I made up my mind that the Pace Lake road could be overcome.

Between the back of the Jeep and to the corner where another Jeep is barely visible is where the road had to be filled before any further progress could be made.

The first attempt at straddling the deep notch ended up with the entire left rear tire hanging well below the road surface. This was really a bad kind of stuck but we crawled out after a little rock and tree limb placement.

There was some damage done to the fender flare and a little scuffing of the corner paint, but it's a Jeep. The bad part was that this was the first real damage done since Happy Trails was new in '06. Pace Lake would be remembered.

OK, this would require some serious fill work to make it passable. After gathering all the downed trees and large rocks nearby, I began shoveling the high bank into the ditch until it looked good enough a little over 3-hours later. You can't believe all the dirt and debris it took to partially fill that ditch.

A couple of turns later we encountered another "challenging" obstacle. Pace Lake wasn't giving in yet.

This one had both erosion and three major boulders in the way. The boulders were nearly hood high, so going over was not a good option. They blocked the road in such a way that going around the low side of the first two would work, but the third one was too close to the lower side of the road to get around.

The corner, just below the 3-large rocks, has caused several problems for many who have driven this trail.

After some technical "calculated eyeball" measuring, I decided if we could get past the first two and go hard left between the second and third rocks and then go high enough on the upper bank, we could make it past.

The first part of the plan went well. Crawling the very steep upper road bank tightened the seat cover to the breaking point. To say we were leaning over was like saying there is sand at the beach.

The rear couldn't climb the bank and the right rear wheel hooked the point on the third rock breaking a chunk of the faux bead lock out and mutilating the center cap. More damage!

Cutting brush back takes place about every two years to keep this trail open. The first trip up, it was all me. Since then, we recruit some help and it goes much faster.

With more rock rolling, tree removal, and a lot of brush trimming, we cruised through the gate into a meadow where Ponderosa Pines grew. To the left of the meadow was a serious barbed wire fence on the Colorado/ Utah border and Pace Lake just across the road on the other side of the fence.

The fence line is patrolled by the JB Ranch and no trespassing is permitted. After a very late lunch with a view of Pace Lake, we proceeded further up the road to the National Forest boundary where the signs say "closed to motorized travel".

Stay on your side of the fence… they mean stay out!

Known locally as the "Little Forest", this small isolated parcel is closed simply because the Manti- La Sal Forest Service doesn't want to manage it.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of things we too often find when out in the Great American BackCountry. Cleaning-up thoughtless people's trash like this is an every trip duty. One day, we hope to catch the jerks leaving this kind of mess… they will answer to the law at a minimum.

Note: I have recommended that the BLM assume responsibility for the area and that they allow us to pioneer a short road to the east where another road ends that comes from the John Brown road. This would create a "Loop Road" that is so popular with land management these days. (we are currently working with the USFS, BLM, and a private land owner to create that connector)

Looking in the rearview mirror shows the kind of rocks you can expect to run over, around, or through. "Through" is not recommended.

Returning to the meadow, I was rewarded with the sight of several elk on the Pace Lake dam. It's always great to see wildlife.

As the day was getting late, we had to go down the Pace Lake road at a much faster pace than the ascent. With most of the bad obstacles passable now, that was not much problem.

Many large critters can be found in Sinbad Valley. This is a large black bear track in case you didn't know. The Sinbad ranch caretaker claims they have bears nearly every day in their yard during the warm months. The first year after reopening this trail, we always saw at least one bear.

The Pace Lake road was open once again. Pace Lake was worth the effort to see and the trail is a dandy class 7 or 7+. If you're going to attempt the Pace Lake road, you better come equipped and capable.
(over the years since then, the road has mellowed. It is now about a 6 or 6+ for difficulty -- but will still challenge you)

The views from the upper Pace Lake road are incredible. Sinbad Valley is beautiful and you can see over the south end clear down to the San Juan Mountains near Ouray.

The Pace Lake road is and will be a challenge for the foreseeable future. I hope you make an opportunity to see Pace Lake.  

The author and one of his favorite companions.

One last thought; When you come to a fork in the road, take it! Adventure is where you find it.

Happy Trails to you.

Note: Most of the pictures in this article are from other trips to Pace Lake.

Pace Lake Trail (part 1)

Pace Lake Trail (part 1)

Along the Happy Trails

Oct / 2007

By: Jerry Smith

The Pace Lake road was one trip we (Happy Trails – [my Jeep] and I) had been looking forward to trying again since last fall.

That first attempt at Pace Lake had ended in failure when some very dark clouds came over the mountain right above Pace Lake when we were about one-quarter of the way up the mountain and we retreated as fast as possible.

Sinbad Valley

Two things you need to know about the lower Pace Lake road are:

• When it rains in Sinbad Valley, the Pace Lake road becomes incredibly slick.

• If it rains enough in Sinbad Valley, Salt Creek canyon... the only way in or out of the valley for water or vehicle, can flash flood making access either extremely dangerous or nonexistent.

Just days before we traveled through Salt Creek Canyon toward Sinbad Valley last fall there had been a gully washer rain in Sinbad Valley.

Another view of Sinbad Valley. Looking over the southeast rim you can see Lone Cone Mountain and some of the San Juan Mountains near Ouray, CO. On a really clear day, this view will draw your eyes so hard, they hang out on your cheeks.

Salt Creek cuts across the road into Sinbad Valley twice and in both crossings, it was clear that the roaring water had been 3 to 4 feet deep. That was warning enough. This day had rain in the forecast too.

Salt Creek shows some of the salty remnants after a storm in Sinbad Valley.

If you Jeep in canyon country or in the desert, you learn to watch the area weather closely... one way or the other!

After entering Sinbad Valley and about halfway to the foot of the mountain toward Pace Lake, the road had signs of what it would be like if real wet.

One track or the center of the road was cut up to 24" deep with nearly vertical walls snaking back and forth across the road from rain and snow runoff.

Narrow and off-camber enough to make the view off the lower roadside a dandy for a passenger.

That day, the clay-like surface was just barely damp and it still built up in the tires limiting traction to near nothing. Being here while it rained would be "really dumb".   

Staying out of the deep channel was a full-time job but soon the elevation changed enough that there was a river rock-like surface that was "slow-going" rough.

This gives you some idea of how deep the washes down the road were. This was taken years after and erosion has filled the channel considerably. The ditches were once 3-times as deep and the sides were nearly vertical as they wandered back and forth across the road.

Sinbad Valley is a bowl with 800 - 1400 foot high, near vertical cliffs surrounding all but the Salt Creek canyon.

Millions of years ago, it was a small salty sea that dried up leaving a salt dome the full width of the valley floor. It is thought that the weight of dust blown in over many years, of Utah's southern region, eventually collapsed the dome.

This helps explain that the water going down Salt Creek is about 2/3 as salty as seawater. The creek bottom turns white with salt as the creek recedes and dries.    

Nearing the bottom of the mountain, the road splits. As the general direction toward Pace Lake was to the right, we took the right fork.

In about 200 yards, we came to the remnants of an old log cabin. The current resident (a lizard) ducked for cover as I rummaged around taking pictures. My original thoughts were that this might be a "rustlers" cabin. A reader of this post called me and told me his rancher grandfather had built the cabin. (my story sounded better)

An old rancher's cabin remnants.

Back on the road, we immediately began a steep climb on a loose, rocky shelf road. Another 100 yards brought us to a bad scene. The lower side of the road no longer existed. It was a deep, wide channel at least 3-4 feet deep and about as wide.

After walking up the steep, rocky road nearly a quarter mile, it was determined that this way was not going to be passable without some very serious excavating. We backed down to the cabin and turned around for a look at the other fork.

The left fork of the road circled the foot of the mountain with another fork along the way. Staying right, we came to a wash that looked intimidating.

The close bank was almost 5 feet straight down and then the climb out began exactly at the foot of the mountain. This was no hill for a climber. 

After some "shovel work", we crossed the wash, we began climbing the fairly steep shelf road.

This shows just a little of the off-camber one can expect on the Pace Lake road.

The road narrows as you go with deep V-cuts in the lower side from runoff and many large rocks scattered from the hillside above littered the roadway.

The first mile or so required nearly two hours of work moving rocks over the side and into the V-cuts to slow the erosion and preserve the road for later trips.

Mother Nature had closed the Pace Lake road for at least two years according to the BLM. I wasn't sure what to expect, but we had a goal in mind that drove us onward.

A little way up the mountainside, an old burn is still evident. Old burnt trees still stand though many have fallen or are about to.

Some people don't appreciate a good obstacle when they come to it. This one once provided a terrific view as you drove to the extreme limits of the lower roadside with the inside of your tires clinging to the very edge of doom. Oh well!

Coming to a fork where the eroded road from the cabin intersects, the road begins a steep, rocky, and deeply ditched climb up a clay-like surface.

There was a large burnt fir tree across the road blocking progress just above the intersection. Even ATVs had not been above this for a very long time.

Getting out to see about removing the tree, I looked up and saw a terribly black storm cloud rolling over the mountain above in the direction of where Pace Lake would be.

It was on this corner where the large fir blocked the road for years.

Having the knowledge of what rain meant to the road and creek below, it seemed like a very good time to get out of there.

By the time we hit the bottom of the mountain it had begun to rain. This was not good!

Long before we got to the clay portion of the Pace Lake road, the rain had thoroughly wet it making it exactly slick. Staying clear of the deep cut washes in the road was very difficult, but we were doing well... until a large rock protruding up from the right side of the road left only inches between the left side tires and the deep ditch. Add to that the off-camber leaning toward the deep ditch tripled the danger.

After 4 unsuccessful attempts to pass by the rock, we finally slid into the ditch and became high centered with the axles firmly on the ground. Bummer! Pace Lake had just become very difficult.

As it was raining hard, I decided to wait for the storm to pass (I hoped). After a half-hour, it let up enough to get out without becoming too wet and cold.

Doing the "twist" is common on the Pace Lake Road.

After a quick assessment of the situation, out came the winch line to a nearby tree and soon the recovery from this predicament was over.

Luckily the creek had not swollen much and we left the Pace Lake road for another day.

Note: To continue this story, read PART-2 here.

  One last thought; When you come to a fork in the road, take it! This is where the adventure begins.  

Happy Trails to you.  

Note: Most of the pictures here are from other trips.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Calamity Mesa Airstrip Trail

By Jerry Smith

September 3, 2011

I had been down on myself for failing to find the road(s) to the airstrip on the top of the mesa on the last trip to Calamity Mesa. The computer maps showed a road to the upper end and another to the lower end of the airstrip.

That's what happens when you live by what Yogi Berra said -- "When you come to a fork in the road, take it!" You get sidetracked.

Blue Creek Gorge from the Calamity Mesa Loop Road

The road from the lower end I had convinced myself that I had found on another trip, but that road had a long piece missing in the middle that would require some serious work to get around or through. The Colorado geology and weather can be very rough on roads in the backcountry.

Most often you just have rocks or trees falling down onto the road from above or places where the runoff has cut a channel either across or along the road surface creating serious obstacles.

But then there are the times when the whole hillside simply sloughs off down the hill. I’ve seen two places where the hillside slipped down and the road surface was literally intact downhill several yards (30 to 40 yards) from where it had been constructed. It’s a strange site to happen on.

When that happens, it’s hard to convince your Jeep to just take the road where it is. That vertical jump down and then back up can be puzzling.

This time the whole hillside had moved, totally destroying what looked to be 100 yards of the road altogether.

That finding had been late in the day so I did not take the time to explore what it was going to take to get around this obstacle.

A few days later, I was dropping off some CDs of pictures I had promised Hugh Phillips of Safari Ltd, a Toyota service shop.

Hugh and I got to talking about our trips during the last Rock Junction event back in early June and Calamity Mesa came up. I mentioned that Mike Click and I had made the attempt to find our way to the airstrip without success and Hugh said; “I was just up there.”

We discussed the roads necessary to get up there for quite a while. He had gone from the top and had followed the road from the bottom of the air strip to a place where there were trees downed across the trail and he turned around.

Harold entering "Twisted Drop" on Calamity Mesa Loop

Thinking I knew approximately where he had turned around… which I thought would have been just up the canyon from where the road had disappeared, I set out to go where he said.

The trip as far as Calamity Camp and the New Verde mine went very smooth. Being alone generally allows things to go that way. Having no other schedules allow you to do whatever, whenever.

Coming to the second road on the right that I knew climbed to the top of the mesa, I took it and followed it to just over the rim. There it forks and I now knew to take the left fork for a little way to another fork going uphill to the left.

Some of the climb was fairly rough going but the road got quite easy going as it hit the top. Soon I could see the airstrip to the right of the road. What a beautiful site. Success often has that look.

After a picture of the strip from the north end, I followed the strip to the other end and then the road down the mesa. The road travels through some intermittent typical Utah Juniper and pine areas and then through some wide meadow like areas.

Looking down the Calamity Mesa Air Strip

Along this stretch of real estate, the road/trail appeared more abandoned than most you find in this world of ATVs and 4x4s. There were zero signs of ATV width tracks in the tall grass growing on the roadway. The ATV crowds don’t seem to heavily use Calamity Mesa. I think some of the trails are too rough for the majority so they seem to go elsewhere.

The 20-mile Calamity Mesa Loop road we reopened about 3-years ago still has very little traffic of any kind. The first wash (the “Gate Keeper Wash”) about a mile below the New Verde Mine across from Calamity Camp would stop anyone not in a very well equipped vehicle. Even the ones who make it through that wash will balk at the next one.

The two mines shown on the map along this mesa top road were not apparent as we passed by. Many of the old Uranium mines left little or no traces when they closed up. Often, they are along the cliff side below your view.

Coming to a tee in the road/ trail, I took the right fork following my nose to where I thought I would find where Hugh had turned around.

This first time out this way, I came to what I thought was the end of the trail where there was slick rock intermingled with low growth, so turned around to take the left fork.

Before turning around, though, I had to get out and admire the great views of Flat Top Mesa, the Little Maverick Creek valley, and across the Delores River to Sewemup Mesa and the Cottonwood Creek area. This country is mighty easy on the eye if you take the time to look. In fact, you could just sit and gaze for hours with a complete sense of contentment.

Flat Top Mesa

The trail on the end of this right fork is on some near slickrock conditions and finding any trail is more by feeling than it is by seeing. You just have to imagine your way along. Have you ever tried tracking an ant across a rock?

Coming to the end of the left fork, I got out and walked along the cliff rim to see what I could see. I recognized some of the surrounding countryside views below from the many previous trips. Coming around the west side of the cliff I got a glimpse of a road below deep in a canyon that ran somewhat northerly up toward the mesa top back in the direction I had just driven from.

So, after some more scouting, I drove back to see if this was the road Hugh had driven down. I often find that following my nose turns out to be the right thing to do. This time was looking like the nose knew again.

Back near where I had turned around the last time, I pointed Happy Trails down to the left and followed a wide spot through the low growth and the trees. Soon, the road coming from the bottom seemed to come out of nowhere and down it we went.

Most of this road looked to have had little to no traffic for quite some time. Zero tracks showed ahead and there was a lot of brush growing into the road.

Finally, I came to the trees Hugh had turned around at. They were some fairly large old dead pines in the bottom of the dry wash. Lying there across the road/wash, they had created something of a dam in the natural watercourse. In a place like this, that is usually a good thing from an erosion-stopping point of view.

They would have taken a lot of winching and cutting to make the road passable. Having a lot of experience with situations like this, I did a little foot recon to see if the work required would be worth the effort.

I’ve been with others who would just set to work with the removal process only to find another closure just yards down the trail negating all the hard work.

I learned a long time ago to take a few minutes and walk the trail for a while past the obstacle making sure the work won’t be in vain. This time, other than a lot of Gambel Oak growing across the road ahead, the work looked like it wouldn’t be wasted.

On the return walk to the downed trees, I looked over a little hump off the roadside and thought it looked like with a very little limb trimming on one tree; I could simply bypass the logjam, and leave the dam intact. Rather than the estimated hour of winching, I had a clear path in about 20 minutes and soon was sweating up a storm cutting oak brush back from the road.

This brush cutting exercise happened several times in the next approximate mile of road. The growth was extreme. One place, the road was only about a yard wide between the oak brush on one side and a Juniper tree on the other. That is why I carry a saw and some heavy shears.

Rather than just turn around when the road is overgrown, we go to work and reopen it. Admittedly, Happy Trails isn’t much help in these situations, but she appreciates the wider trail.

Oak brush growing over and on the road.

I don’t mind a good obstacle, but leaving good paint on the bushes is nothing but being lazy. Happy Trails has some scratches, but the tools come out pretty easily to keep deep scratches to a minimum.

Soon the elevation change began naturally thinning the oak out and the going got better until we came to a large rock in the middle of the road on the crest of a little hill in a fairly narrow place. This was nearly a deal breaker, but after some serious assessment, I decided to chance jumping over it.

Expecting to have to return this way made jumping it seem a little haphazard, but that’s “Jeeping with Jerry”. My theory is; leave a good obstacle whenever possible. Hey, it's a Jeep trail!!

Below the rock was a long off-camber stretch that tightened the seat covers a little. Then it was just the occasional rock or wash to deal with for quite a way down the little valley.

All of the sudden, the road seemed to almost disappear. There was a wide opening ahead, but there were no tracks or even worn trails through the wide spot. It became just a lot of small rocks and rough going. Expecting to come to the end of the trail any time, we came to a tee into another road.

As this was a “tee”, we decided to take a left turn. This road became familiar soon after driving for a few hundred yards. This was 11.5 Rd, the road below the New Verde Mine and Calamity Camp. To mutilate a line from the Smokey and the Bandit song “East Bound and Down”, we had just done what had been said could not be done.

The road off the mesa top intersected in a place that no more looked like an intersection than my hood. We’ve driven by this place several times and never even suspected it was an intersection. After marking it with a serious cairn and GPS waypoint, we headed in the direction of the rest of the Calamity Mesa Loop.

This loop road is always a great day in the Jeep. Several times it has been a lot of work to make it clear around but this time it was just a pleasure trip… if a class 7 trail can be called a pleasure.

Take a look at the picture of Happy Trails on “Articulation Station”, just one of the obstacles on the Calamity Loop trail. If you can’t do this several times in 20-miles, don’t try this trail! It is full of this kind of Jeeping.

Happy Trails on “Articulation Station”

This was a near perfect day in the Great American BackCountry. Why not "perfect", you ask?

There’s the matter of a certain road with a section missing that needs some questions answered… like where does it go? Ahhhh, that will give us another adventure to live at a later date.

Just knowing there is one more trail open in the world is enough to make your heart swell.

Always remember this important point… when you come to a fork in the road, take it! That may be where the adventure is!

Monday, December 23, 2013

Would You Survive This?

By Jerry Smith

December 21, 2013

You are just going out for a “simple” Jeeping afternoon with a friend or wife and 4 young children (two your own and two relatives).

Conditions are 3" to 4” of snow on the ground and cold temperatures and you plan to just follow some easy roads to a well-known destination about 20-odd miles from town and maybe “play” in the snow.

You left word with friends that you were going and would return that afternoon. Just a simple… “done it many times” Sunday drive.

Just a while after leaving the highway, you drive through a small wash and as you’re climbing up the other side of that wash, you spin out and the Jeep goes sideways on the hill and suddenly rolls over on its top.

Now, what are you going to do?

Imagine staying two frigid days and nights in this

This scenario recently became a reality in northwestern Nevada. Sometime Sunday, they rolled their TJ over on its top and spent the rest of Sunday, all of Monday, and till sometime Tuesday afternoon waiting for rescue in sub-zero nighttime temperatures.

Unfortunately, the news sources reporting this tragedy doesn’t get into the details of how they were equipped when they left on this adventure, but miraculously they were all able to survive with relatively little physical harm.

The survival skills of these people must have been very good. Reportedly, they burned their spare tire… presumably for heat and as an educated guess, as a signal by smoke. The report doesn’t say exactly when the tire was burned, but apparently, the fire was one of the first things they did to survive.

They also warmed rocks and other “things” in the fire to take inside the vehicle to keep much warmer than would have otherwise been possible.

The fire was maintained the entire time they were stranded in the upside-down TJ. From the picture of the scene, finding fire-making materials must have been quite difficult.

The other major thing they did properly to survive was that they stayed together with the vehicle. The TJ would have been much easier to find than a frozen body lying in the snow.

For years, I have preached and written; “whenEVER you go out, ESPECIALLY alone… go prepared to spend a night or more”. Food, water, and coats are an absolute minimum you MUST have ANYTIME you go out.

Being equipped to easily build and maintain a fire is another thing that helped. Can you build and maintain a fire under nearly any circumstance?

In this instance, having a 10-year-old, two four-year-olds and a three-year-old, makes me believe that they had snowsuits for at least the three younger children. For the others, it’s anybody’s guess.

Any way you measure it, having that many in a TJ… even on its wheels, was a full vehicle. Dealing with the three youngsters must have been quite a feat for that long in that cold. Add the fact that the vehicle was wheels up… well; just imagine that for one hour, let alone days.

How many of you reading this could have survived this ordeal? Do you take enough to get through something like this when you go out… always? I sincerely ask you to sit and contemplate this for a while. After all, it could happen to you.

For further info on the actual story, go to http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2521545/Family-rescued-2-days-huddled-jeep-Nevada-snow.html#ixzz2oDeDnPs2

Safe Jeeping should include a bag full of survival gear you can grab on a moment's notice. This bag should have coats, hat(s), blankets, gloves, boots, trash bag(s), and a change of clothes (for when you get wet or dirty while trying to work on something).

Even your fire starting materials and a hatchet or other firewood gathering tool(s) could be included.

My gear stays in Happy Trails. I often leave for a drive without ever going home. I want that gear… EVERY TIME! The gear has been used for personal use and to get others through some tough times at wrecks we’ve come upon and made a HUGE difference on MY one unplanned overnighter.

You never know when it will be needed, but if you don’t have it, it can be very hard to improvise.

A checklist for other gear like food, water, cooking gear, tools, and whatever is a good thing to work with.

The point is; GO PREPARED!

Now get prepared and then get out and enjoy.

While you’re out there, always remember; “When you come to a fork in the road… take it!”

Happy Trails.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Chili Run 2013

By Jerry Smith

December 8, 2013

The Grand Mesa Jeep Club Chili Run for 2013 is in the books. For those who attended, it’s highly unlikely you will forget this trip any time soon. For the non-attending… well, even though you don’t know what you missed, come along for an imaginary ride.

Just short of the official 9 AM start from the Orchard Mesa City Market parking lot, we had 12-very cold looking rigs lined up for the obligatory photos. With single digit temps and snow predicted for later in the day, we all looked like Eskimos wrapped in various cold weather gear.

12 rigs waiting for the 9 AM start

At 9, we gladly loaded up into our warm vehicles and followed Cody up Hwy 141 toward the Cactus Park turnoff.

Along the way in Unaweep Canyon, we were treated to seeing several of our resident Desert Big Horn Sheep and some wild turkeys making their living in the snow and cold.

Turning off at the Cactus Park road, we stopped just long enough for those brave enough to air down and then headed directly into the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area.

Cody led us down snow-covered roads that were difficult to see. Between the totally white ground and the light gray skies with a light snow coming down, the visual world was a glaring wonderland with no shadows.

Filling the parking lot of a "pit stop".

The extreme white of the snow hid most of the frozen bumps below making the ride a bit rough. Surprise holes and ruts had a tendency to “sneak up” on you making for a somewhat dangerous trek.

As the tail gunner, I witnessed a couple of rigs slip into the ditch. Luckily, the snow had plenty of traction and there was little hesitation in driving back onto the road.

The traction was such that most of the day, Happy Trails stayed in 2wd as we plowed through the deeper snow on the sides of the road out of the “beaten path” of all ahead.

Traction became an issue as Cody was unable to climb the steep-sided Horse Mesa. Previous driving on the hill had polished the snow under the newer snow to an icy condition and his Grand Cherokee couldn’t find the footing needed to pull its way to the top.

Knowing when to say “when” comes from experience, and Cody has that experience. As a trip leader, he knows that putting others in a precarious place simply to achieve a goal is not smart.

After getting Cody backed down the hill, we all retreated to the highway and headed for the Divide Road to circumnavigate Horse Mesa. Sometimes, knowing the country is very beneficial.

Climbing the Divide Road seemed to be no problem. We turned left onto the Dominguez Road back into the NCA and found the road drifted and drifting. A stiff wind from the southwest was carrying new snow and picking up more from the ground and trees and leaving drifts in every low spot.

CB talk made the decision to see what the road down into the Dominguez Campground looked like. If we could get down it and back up, we could use the campground tables rather than our folding tables and down in the deep canyon be sheltered from most of the wind.

At the turn where the road begins its descent, it was obvious that this idea was not wise unless the rest of the day was to be used winching everyone out.

We set up “camp” not far from that turn among some large Juniper trees that helped slow the winds. Using Travis’ big blue Chevy Suburban as a further windbreak, tables were “set” with several versions of chili, corn bread, cookies, and other edibles.

Hot Chili on a very cold day warmed the inside and the cold hands

Some ate because of hunger whiles others just wanted something warm in their hands. The stiff wind, which was picking up speed, had a nasty bone-chilling bite that numbed exposed skin in just moments.

No bashfulness was exhibited

As the eating subsided, Jeff called his last meeting as club President to order promising a short one because of the biting cold.

Jeff Bates (left) Outgoing GMJC President and Colorado 4-Wheeler of the Year 2013 conducting his last meeting and Jerry Smith, new GMJC VP

Some of the most important announcements had to do with the election of club officers for 2014. Running unopposed, Cody Lange is our new President. In what was described as a tight race, Jerry Smith was elected to Vice President. Board of Directors will be Jeff Bates (as Past President), Cody Houtchens, Roy Joseph, and Dane Murphy.

New President Cody Lange (left) and BoD Dane Murphy (next to Cody)

As a personal note, please allow me to give a major vote of thanks to the 2013 GMJC Officers. They carried a lot of freight to make this club the “Colorado Club of the Year” and deserve a mighty big show of appreciation.

Instigating the massive showing of community disagreement with the BLMs Resource Management Plan (RMP) was nothing short of a miracle. Over 800 written comments were handed in by the club.

The successes of the Rock Junction and Off Road Show events along with the cleanups of everything from a .22 cartridge to entire vehicles were something to be very proud of.

Installation of post and cable in Bangs and Billings Canyons and the reopening of the Coon Hollow Jeep Road were some other significant achievements.

Added to all that are all of the great trips this club provided members and potential members. The amount of country, roads, and trails members of this club are familiar with is nothing short of incredible.

This leaves some very big shoes to fill.

Further announcements were made and the hasty breakdown of our little picnic commenced. In what seemed like seconds we were packed and absorbing the warmth from our vehicle heaters as we headed back toward the Divide Road and town.

As many of the participants of this run had “vehicle decorating” to do for the Grand Junction Parade of Lights, they took off with a destination and time in mind. Having donated my power inverter and lights to a Girl Scout troop wanting to participate in the parade, we had no hurry to get back to town.

Though hard to see, there is drifted snow out there.

Dane and Travis stopped along the way to cut Christmas trees while Cody and Jerry stopped to wait for them at the Divide Rd. intersection. Leaving trip participants behind, especially in that weather, is not something we felt was neither wise nor prudent.

Soon they caught up and we proceeded down the mountain. Along the way, one small car traveling uphill took his half of the road directly out of the middle and Travis ended up in the ditch for a bit.

After watching him struggle for a while, I pulled around and was just getting out to get out my tow strap when he pulled alongside smiling. Guess my hoping he could get out worked.

We split up at Hwy 141 as I like to take my time looking for wild game and other sights.

Nearing the end of the Unaweep Canyon, I caught up as they were sitting in the road watching some beautiful Desert Bighorn Sheep just east of where several wild turkeys were feeding before going to roost for the night. Just the topping needed for another great day in the Great American BackCountry.

One last thought; When you come to a fork in the road… take it!