After several months of a lot of driving I was happy to have someone else take the wheel. Spent the day in Canyonlands National Park with NAVTEC Expeditions on the White Rim 4×4 trail along the Colorado River. It was a small group of us and timed it just right as the weather was going to be moving in that evening.
We entered on the east side of the park along the river on a private road belonging to the potash plant. Stopped along the way to enjoy the petroglyphs and tried to move the balancing rock.
Incredible views along the way including Goose Neck and Dead Horse Point. Our tour guide pointed out the many settings that have been used in movies, from the famous final scene of Thelma and Louise to an opening scene of Mission Impossible.
It was a true 4×4 adventure with most of the road damaged by recent flash flooding. While we were already well shaken it was time for the real adventure. Allegedly there was a road down there in Lathrop Canyon. The road disappeared as we dropped straight down into the canyon and climbed over rocks and made extremely tight turns. Our driver gave it his best go but the ‘road’ was blocked by too many rocks, so we gave up and held on tight as we climbed back up the canyon.
The stress made me hungry, so we enjoyed a picnic lunch. The truck provided the only shade on a very hot and sunny day. Couldn’t beat the view though.
We backtracked to Musselman Arch, natural bridge. And our driver had the perfect spot for photos. He walked us up from a different angle, so I had no idea that I was out on a ledge until I saw the picture.
The clouds and weather began to move in which signaled it was time to call it a day. We climbed up out of the valley on the Shafer Trail Road to enter the Island in the Sky area of the park. Our guide wasn’t ready to call it a day and drove us on to the Green River overlook to get another view of the park.
