Day 3
By now we are in the full routine. But our late nights are keeping us from venturing out to catch the sunrise. But the morning dew added a little more moisture to the dirt. Meaning it’s barefoot time still.
We all pack up and are ready for the run today. I managed to sort out the electrical issue with my radio so I could actually hear people again. I call out the turn and we point the trucks north to head to Factory Butte and then further into the moonscape.
As the previous days have gone, the trails aren’t crazy rock crawling technical. There are some challenging climbs or drops down that require full attention but the most part it’s unimproved roads with some spicy spots.
We are miles or better off paved roads so going nuts rock crawling is risky when you need to drive the beast home. Our trucks are capable if we run into some things but my plan was to not focus on the crawling as much.
The trail winds through the crazy grey dirt mounds eventually getting out on top and then diving back into a wash for a while. We pull up to a trail intersection at Factory Butte and head left.
The trail climbs again and then comes around a blind corner and opens up to a wide flat landscape that has such a lunar-like look to it. Just stunning and I’ve never seen anyplace like it. So cool.
You end up climbing up and over the mounds as the trail continues. We turn again and find a wide valley with a surprising amount a green in it. That green is hiding Muddy Creek somewhere within it.
A creek we will have to cross to proceed. My previous Gaia track led me right to it and I stop to inspect with the group. It’s a steep entry into the water and the water is moving fairly quickly. You can see a higher waterline from the recent rains too. No recent tracks either. So with the group watching over me I put the trans in low gear and creep into the water.
It’s steep enough and deep enough that my front bumper enters the water. I start applying power and it’s not going anywhere. Crap. I put it in reverse and it’s pretty obvious to those outside my front wheels aren’t driving.
My hubs are well under water and the creek is living up to its name as it looks like a river of chocolate milk. We need to check the hubs but I’m not quite ready to go swimming. So Larry hooked up his which an tugged my Blazer back up to higher ground.
Sure enough the left hub was unlocked. I think I unlocked it on the last air up, but missed doing the other side. But it don’t work unlocked. Ty locked it in and Don checked the other and confirmed it was locked. I dropped back in and had a hump on the creek floor to go over. It took a couple of tries but I packed it down and drove out of the creek. The rest crossed with ease behind me.
More moonlike landscapes.
I found a spot in the crook of one of the dry riverbed where the wall provided some shade to stop for lunch.
We compared fuel levels and all agreed we could make a run back to Hanksville to refuel and resupply.
Now entering Ding and Dang canyons.
So after lunch we exited the canyon and pounded a little pavement to take a dirt shortcut back to highway 24 past Goblin Valley state park.
***Continued…