Whats the craziest thing you might have done? Am sure as we got older, our notion of Crazy might have changed and all of us have become more sensible. I have done quite a few crazy things, so far in life and each and every one of those deserve a separate post. From diving in a Bio Luminiscent Bay in the middle of the night in Puerto Rico, to Shark Encounters in Hawaii and even Slick Rock driving across Canyons in Utah.
Since I have been sharing stories from my traveler's book from a visit to Colorado and Utah, I thought of sharing yet another part of that long adventure. Check out my posts on MESA VERDE and ARCHES NATIONAL PARK. We did pack in a lot on this trip.
If the cars are called Cliff Hangers, then they are called so for a reason. The Man and his friends decided it would be thrilling to drive across Canyons, in CanyonLands National Park, in Utah, over slick rock. No, there are no roads there. The car itself balances itself at every moves,and literally hangs on to the cliffs at other moments. Its just slick rock all round. There's a sharp difference in gradient at every corner. Did I mention crazy turns?! Canyonlands National Park is divided in two two districts: The Needles District and the Islands in the Sky District
Elephant Hill(canyon) is located in the Needles District of the National Park. Colorful spires of Cedar Mesa Sandstone dominate the area, giving it its name. Its a 10 mile loop road across slick rock plateaus, high cliffs and extreme narrow sections. Not to forget loose rocks and step slopes which make driving very dangerous. This is the part designated for adventure driving. Smart phones don't have much of a network in this part of the park,and the GPS is also useless. You have to be able to read Maps the old fashioned away and follow trails.
What do you drive across these canyons? You have specially modified vehicles,with high ground clearance, which can climb up and down these slick rock canyons. 4 WD all the way, and manual gear. So it should only be attempted by experienced drivers. The slightest mistake on the part of the driver can send the entire vehicle toppling down the gorges below. Motorcycles or fancy ATVs are a strict No No. We rented a RUBICON JEEP in bright canary yellow from a local adventure sports rental in Moab. Then set off for the Needles District.
I was clearly not driving. In a party of 4, I was the only one, who was not driving,but I had no intention of being left behind. Its a straight uphill ride,which almost feels like a roller coaster at the head of the trail.
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| My Man enjoyed every bit of the driving he did |
The shift in gradient is just crazy. There were some parts of the drive, where people had to get off the car, and navigate the driver.
It was the month of July and the sun was bearing on our heads like no body's business. You drive to see the Needles at Chester Park. You park your car and take a short hike. And then turn around in the Loop Road. Which means, you are on the same road again, experiencing the same sort of dizziness in the passenger seat.
From a driving enthusiast's point of view, its surely something off the Bucket List. I surely have the coolest parents,everyone knows that. The way they reacted to this trip of ours was even cooler. If you expected my parents to have shrieked in fear and panic, then you are wrong. My Dad was super happy and excited that we had done it. Mom added in saying that this is also in Dad's bucket list for a long time.
If you plan to vacation here,then make your bookings well in advance,as there are only limited number of permits which are issued every Spring, Summer and fall. These are clearly one of the most dangerous back country driving you can indulge in, if this is what gets your adrenaline rushing.
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS POST:
HIKING THE DELICATE ARCH: ARCHES NATIONAL PARK: http://journotalk.blogspot.com/2015/03/hiking-delicate-archarches-national.html
MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK: http://journotalk.blogspot.com/2015/03/mesa-verde-national-park-travel.html
DIVING IN BIO LUMINESCENT BAY IN PUERTO RICO: http://journotalk.blogspot.com/2011/05/puerto-rico-in-6-days.html
ELEPHANT HILL,CANYON LANDS NATIONAL PARK: http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/needlesroads.htm
this is Adventure...
ReplyDeleteAdventure indeed
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