Oh He’s Slick ... So’s The Trail .... UPDATED

Hello Folks,

I met Ty from Coalport in the Moab Brewery – he sat down, ordered a beer and soon we were chatting.  He works at the uranium mining operation at the north end of town – I think his job is ground water QA – making sure that the operations aren’t adversely affecting the water supply – which for some reason has me segueing to fluoridation – and on to General Jack D. Ripper – check this out,

I think Ripper went  on to major roles in establishing the CIA, in charge of operations in the Korean War, the U2 ‘observation program’, Bay of Pigs, the missile crisis, Viet Nam, Cambodia (shhhh), Nicaugura, Granada, Haiti (6 times), Iraq (twice), Afghanistan, Pakistan ..... you remember the smoking man from the X-Files – yeah that’s Ripper ....

Right ... OK – TY mentioned that the Slick Rock Trail  - was amazing for photography – especially in the evening – even under a full moon.  He had a bunch of friends out there in that fall and the light was eerie and amazing.  So I made a mental note to check it out – and yesterday PM that is exactly what I did.

The trail is at the top of the east canyon wall – and you basically drive up there from the center of Moab. Before driving up there, I went over to chat with Scott at Rim Cyclery – to see if you were allowed to walk the trail – the answer was yes.  I asked if he thought I could bike it – there is a practice loop for those who want to test themselves before launching.  Scott said to walk the slick rock practice loop – try that to see if it’s for you – right ....

There is a huge parking lot at the trail entrance – I guess they need this for high season when everybody is out there. My plan was to walk the practice loop – which would mean a walking distance of about 3 ½ miles plus any side trips that I may take – my friend Larry would refer those side trips as the ‘serious dicking around phase’ of trying to find the trail.

The trail was well marked and snow covered – making it slick - in all of the downhill sections – not much snow – just enough to freak you out – if you are on a bike – and there were bikers in there.

The trail is south of Arches – in other words the pictures that I have taken from Arches that feature the La Sal Mountains in the background with what looks like petrified sand dunes in the foreground – that is shooting directly across the area where the trail is situated.  In fact the trail is on the slick rock – or what we will call the petrified sand dunes – which is – in reality what they really are – just imagine dinosaurs with sunglasses and you’ve got it!

I absolutely loved it in there – the color of the rock – thin lines of snow on the rock – the views of Arches from this side – and the rolling, undulating quality of the landscape.  I stayed in there until after sundown.

As I was working my way back to the trail head, a man on a mountain bike with two dogs was just starting to do the practice loop.  He was a local and was having no difficulty navigating the trails sharp rises and declines – even with the snow.  Bloody amazing!  I said him, ‘you have to be in shape to do that’- he just smiled and said, ‘my dogs are taking me for a run’.  Yeah – a run indeed!!

The sunset was one of the best yet – hopefully some of what I saw up there translates in these pictures – can’t say enough about the vista up there – I will definitely be trying to capture some magic up there again.

Almost forgot – my friend the obsidian, stygian, airborne wench – was out there in full force – but now he is taken to sitting outside the Moab Brewery, while I am there – you know there is limit – and it’s the sky – you know what I mean?

Check him out here in full flight – heading to the La Sal  Mountains across the Slick Rock Trail – not sure where his friend is .... maybe sucking back a few ales at the brewery ..... yeah .... enjoy it dude ... you’ll be marinating in it pretty soon .... the Moab Brewery ain’t no crow bar .... hey ... wait a minute ... crowbar ... shit .... I should have thought of that earlier ....

More later – heading to the hardware store,

Phil