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!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Glade Park to Gateway, CO

By Jerry Smith

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Keri Hawthorne had announced this trip nearly a week prior to this Saturday morning. She had been told it would be a fairly mild run. Under reasonably normal circumstances, that would have been correct.

Under the conditions we encountered, Gilligan and the Skipper might have written the script for what was ahead. Read on…

Several times in the past, we (Happy Trails & I) had made this trip in as little as 3 to 4 hours. Alone, you can set your own pace, stop if and when you need to, and find little to talk about on the roadside.

Airing down on the CO/UT border.

Add another rig or two and all of that changes… we had 10 vehicles in our entourage making for several extended stops for varying reasons.

One thing is very true about the Grand Mesa Jeep Club;

“The Grand Mesa Jeep Club is the Colorado “Club of the Year” for 2013 for good reasons. This club “ROCKS”!

Our membership can relate to everyone and anywhere from very mild to extreme in relationship to vehicle capability and/or personal experience.

Not long into the trip, we had this white stuff falling.

We have club-sponsored trips any given weekend that may be from strictly scenic, easy going to more intense mid-range difficulty. Then there are some who seek the extreme “trails” that can make a lizard cringe. (Lizards have been known to hang upside down).

The really great thing is… we all find this “sport” to be as addictive and fun at all levels of difficulty. Adventure comes in all sizes, shapes, colors, and levels of experience. Yet the club membership seems to have “gelled” into a common love for the Great American BackCountry, no matter what it has to offer.

No joy could be found in this pretty face.

This trip was to be no exception. When we arrived at about 08:30, Adam was already waiting for some adventure. We found out that he was somewhat of a novice to Jeeping, but was eager to find new trails and others to experience them with.

His relatively “new to him” LJ appeared to have some “experience” on it, but he admitted to little of that being personal.

Within just a few minutes, others began arriving until we had 10-rigs fueled up and ready to go. At the assigned 09:15 time, we pulled out.

This day was one of those where shadows were non-existent. A totally gray sky lurked above with the threat of rain or snow.

The drive to the end of DS road and the CO/UT border was mostly uneventful except for the chatter on the CB radios.

For those who have not yet invested in a CB and enjoyed a trip with friends who have them… you miss so much fun and information that gets passed on by those of us who have practically lived in this American BackCountry for years.

This rock was once in the middle of the road. When I stopped to point it out, we had some difficulty getting everyone moving on the uphill slope.

Passing by arches and other scenic things can go unnoticed without communications. The friendly banter about nearly anything always adds “flavor” to the day as well.

At the border, we paused to air-down and Happy Trails was designated “Trip Leader”. We related that we would likely be leaving the trip at the top of the Sheep Cr. Road to turn back for some “assessment” of the Granite Cr. Road that has had varying reports as to its condition. We wanted some first-hand knowledge so plans to re-open the road next spring could be planned for.

With this many rigs and shorter daylight to work with, we knew this was going to be asking for a lot, but should have been doable.

At times, visibility was a little suspect.

This is a second view of Luke climbing in the snow.

Crossing Spring Cr. and climbing up to Red Gap we made good time. The stop on Red Gap was short as the stiff breeze had an uncomfortable “chill” on the exposed point. Sometimes the grand views just don’t require a lot of scrutinies.

As we were nearing Ryan Park, I remember predicting that we were on the apparent leading edge of a winter storm. I have learned to be a strict weather watcher traveling the canyon country of western Colorado and eastern Utah.

Dodging large rocks and holes in
these conditions slides you into
some interesting places.

Storms in this part of the world don’t have to be very close to interrupt your day. Many times we have altered our direction of travel because of what the skies tell us.

Not too long after, a light snow began falling. As our elevation increased, the snow got considerably more intense. By the time we came to the upper Granite Creek crossing, the snow was making the trail much more difficult than usual.

There was some talk on the CB of turning back, but we encouraged everyone to “stick with us” and that the trail would get easier soon.

Having some turn around would have meant that the entire group, or at least the majority, should follow suit. My experience is that you don’t leave the least experienced to fend for themselves… especially in these conditions.

Adam sloshing along.

Having people wandering around in a snowstorm in an unfamiliar country is a great way to lose a friendship at best or a friend at worst. I value both too much for either.

The prediction of trail conditions proved to have some “flaws” as the snow continued and the trail became more difficult from the recent rains that had left run-off damage that slowed progress even more.

By the time we had stopped for lunch, we were about 2/3rds of the way to Gateway. With the trail in its normal condition, another 1 to 2 hours should have us in Gateway with no problem.

The “normal condition” description did not apply well. Mom Nature will lure you into some “higher adventures” if given enough opportunity. This was one of those times.

Snowflakes got large for a while

Some of the long uphill grades were scouted ahead before allowing the main contingent to follow. On too many of them fairly deep channels had been carved by either water or people spinning tires deep into the muddy road surface.

Luckily, with only one real exception, we were able to keep the line moving without much difficulty on these slick grades.

At a couple of the more challenging obstacles, there were already bypasses around the obstacle and some chose to take the “less challenging” way.

This is perfectly okay with me and I often encourage the “easy way” for those who have issues with tearing up their equipment or just feeling uncomfortable about following the rest. There is nothing “chicken” about keeping within your “comfort zone”.

Tail gunner Cody had to deal with whatever we left behind.

There will be ample opportunities to “stretch your limitations” if you follow the likes of Happy Trails. We have “pushed” more than our fair share of folks to their limits many times. They have all survived and none have complained after doing the surviving.

The Sheep Creek road can be a pussy cat or a full grown lion. Today it was at least a large bobcat. Note the road below the Jeeps as it winds back and forth down the mountain. Some switchbacks come so fast, you just get straightened out only to begin the next turn.

With over 40-years of trails behind us, if there is a safe way to get a Jeep through an obstacle, we will find it. Being sympathetic to those with less experience and/or more “stock” vehicles is never taken for granted.

Encouragement to “take it to another level” will always be tempered with knowing when to say “when”. Ask club member Sandra Park.

On a trip to Coon Hollow, I was directing Tim around an obstacle that his Detroit lockers were presenting a problem with. Sandra was riding passenger.

Note how "Newbies" hug the upper side of a shelf road. This is very common. Some people just don't enjoy a good view from their windshield or out the side.

As they were exiting a severe off-camber turn, the lockers were pushing them toward the outside of the road and a long cliff-like place. With the glare of the sun off the windshield, while spotting, I could not see them inside and my total attention to their position probably wouldn’t have allowed me to look anyway.

I did not know she was panicking to the point of tears, or I would have asked her to get out and either watch from my perspective or to walk down the trail a short way.

As it turned out, they made it around the scary stuff with zero problems, and after talking; I think her confidence in my directions increased to a good level of trust.

When we showed her how much farther from the danger she really was than her mind was telling her she was in, she realized that her fear was unwarranted. Often, another perspective is all that it takes.

For a "Newbie", Adam didn't hug the uphill side quite as much.

Whenever you or your passengers are feeling “uncomfortable”, I encourage you to stop, get out, and really look at what is making you or them uncomfortable. Most of the time, it won’t look as bad as you think.

If the discomfort isn’t solved, walk ahead until you can feel comfortable. Then get back in and assess whether the discomfort was truly warranted.

If the vehicle came through with no major problems, were you really in jeopardy, or was your mind just telling you there was a danger? The more you experience these feelings and find there was no real reason for overwhelming fear, just respect for the situation, the easier you will find these situations to be worked through without the full-on panic.

We love the "Thumbs-up" and smiles from both inside and out.

This trip was a prime example of this. Yes, we all expected minor discomfort from having to drive through a snowstorm. That is always normal. Respect the obstacles presented out on the trails… but don’t fear them.

Experience will temper the level of fear you have eventually. Even the buggy drivers learn their limitations by overcoming their fears. Often they learn by turning a buggy over… sometimes multiple times.

When you build a rig to do what they do, it will normally survive such “Learning”. You, on the other hand, don’t have to go to that extreme to learn.

Driving in a winter storm deserves respect… always. But that doesn’t mean you don’t go to the grocery store all winter. Just learn when to say “enough” and turn around before you are truly in over your head on the trail. Being far off the pavement has “rules” you must learn to adhere to.

Cody shows where the more experienced drivers take a trail. Better views yet safe.

Trips like this demand you go prepared… maybe for an overnight stay. Your well-being and/or others with you might depend on that. A little extra food, water, and a heavy coat for all in your vehicle should ALWAYS be a minimum you carry.

Can YOU build a fire? That, you must be prepared to do in all conditions you may encounter. Your very survival may depend on that seemingly small task.

Seemingly silly things like this will help build your personal confidence. Learning these things while on the trail is a poor time to do so. You want to learn this under ideal conditions… not under stress of a life or death situation.

Luke comes through a deep hole we encountered.

Building a fire, changing a flat tire, using a Hi-Lift jack, or any of these skills you may be called on to perform should be learned with no time restraints and no actual “need” present.

Ask for help from someone experienced. Learn the “right” way and then practice it until you feel confident you can do it under “less than good” circumstances.

By the time we reached the top of the Sheep Creek road, it was getting late in the day as far as sunlight was concerned. The cloudy conditions only served to hasten darkness.

Because of this, Happy Trails stayed on lead. There was no time to return to Granite Cr.

This is how to wind-up a YJ.

What we did not know was that the normally moderately difficult Sheep Cr. road was suffering from late summer storm runoff in a fairly major way.

The Sheep Cr. road is one of the steepest and winding roads you will ever encounter. Lengths of this road above and below the vertical cliff area in the mid-range have switchbacks that have you barely straightening out from one before you must turn for the next. Your steering wheel will go from lock to lock as quick as you can turn the wheel.

At more than a few of the switchbacks, you will be required to back up in order to make the turn. Yes, it is everything its reputation leads you to expect. For myself, this is the ultimate Jeeping experience. For others, the fear of heights alone will scare the wits out of you.

The views down off the roadside will keep your adrenaline flowing and a nap will not be possible… unless you would rather sleep through the whole experience. Heavy drugs will be necessary, though.

In approximately 3.2 miles traveled from the top, you will have dropped 2100 ft. at the last wash crossing… that’s about 632 ft./mile.

Even Roger's LJ did the twist.

This day, we found copious numbers of loose rocks of varying sizes littering the roadbed.

At every small stream coming down off the mountain, a deeply cut channel, often located on the other side of a hump of debris left behind as the running water receded, became necessary to chart a safe way across.

Some of these channels crossed the road straight across. Other places, the deep cuts wound their way down the road before finally dumping through a “V” cut on the lower side. Either way, each presented a new and different obstacle to negotiate.

One such obstacle had me out of Happy Trails to walk it. Here again, experience will tell you when to walk an obstacle before getting into it only to push the “automatic reject feature” button.

Often, walking past an obstacle is warranted. Getting through an obstacle only to find a worse, or maybe impassible object just around the corner may require you to back through the first one. Not something you want to do!

JKUs found they could articulate

As I walked this obstacle, most of the others had gathered to “look it over”. “Seeing” the line, I asked them to watch how we were about to go for their own reference. I would be back to “spot” the others.

Happy Trails about to go down the long wash in the middle of the road.

Luke making the turn in the middle of the long washout.

Happy Trails did what she was built to do and was soon through and parked where the others could pass and park further down.

Spotting the others left me with no chances for taking pictures to share so we will need to depend on others who did take a few to “show” the difficulty.

Even the by-pass had some
off-camber moments.

This turned out to be the most difficult place, but add several small “slow downs” together and you have one big one. By the time we hit the bottom of the trail near the Delores River, we barely time had time to air-up before it was fully dark.

Keri had offered to provide dinner for the crew at their home in Clifton. It sounded VERY inviting and the majority apparently took her up on her very generous offer.

Having spent Friday taking care of my grandkids, I was already way behind on some work that absolutely needed doing, so I reluctantly begged off.

Harley's Zuk "leaned" a little.

The drive down Hwy 141 was a snowy one to somewhere past the divide.

This day had proven to be one to be remembered… especially when you consider the trip was supposed to be more of a scenic, easy drive.

I will repeat it: “The Grand Mesa Jeep Club is the Colorado “Club of the Year” for 2013 for good reasons. This club “ROCKS”!

The Sheep Creek road is full of places you can practically have a
head-on collision with yourself.

This is where you are entering a serious rockfall danger. Every year, this cliff drops tons of rocks onto the road. You don't want to participate in that operation.

Keri showing that the ladies of the Grand Mesa Jeep Club can get the job done.

If you can't do this, scratch Colorado off your list. This
is an "Easy" trail.

Happy Trails and always remember; When you come to the fork in the road, take it!