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Show t Safari Special . . . Behind-the-Rocks still the most popular Moab Community Development De-velopment Director Dixie Barker will be leading this year's Safari trip into an area of towering stone pinnacles, known as Behind-the-Rocks. It is a favorite scenic ran, and has been a regular since the Moab Jeep Safari started, many years ago. The area lies southwest of Moab. The Behind-the-Rocks trail offers a variety of driving challenges past spectacular views of seven large arches, the large "Totem Pole" rock and a sizeable spring-fed pool. Deep canyons, sandstone fins, rounded monolithic domes and slant-topped mesas offer a variety of terrain. This run is always a delight, and can be handled by about any type of four-wheel drive equipment equip-ment with a moderately seasoned driver. Beginning near the Blue Hill summit on south U.S. 163, the trail enters the sparse juniper-pinyon forest and continues into the southern end of a spectacular sandstone maze. After it drops down a long winding hill of sand dunes and wanders along through deep gullies and .short sandhills, it finally enters open country which approaches a huge monolith. mono-lith. The rock tower contains the famed Picture Pic-ture Frame Arch and another larger, unnamed span. As the trail winds for the next several miles, the terrain becomes increasingly increas-ingly more difficult. It crosses the Hunter Canyon Can-yon water course just upstream from a big dry waterfall above a giant spring fed pool. A small natural bridge spans the brink of this fall. At this point a spur leads up a sandy wash to the head of a Hiking trail to the large Pritchett Arch. A leisurely lunch is normally taken here and time is provided for the energetic to hike up to the arch. From the arch, the run then begins to drop abruptly down into Pritchett Prit-chett Canyon. After this quick descent, the run ends and merges with Kane Creek Road about three miles down river from Moab. Those following Dixie up the river road may see Indian petroglyphs along the way, as well as "Little Arch" located high on the rim of the Colorado on their way back to Moab. . & . f . I . . f 5r - . .A-'-!. J.- N r " ' ..37, "A J ' J r '"L - I ' . .. ... J . - ""V .-! i - ..j-"" ' ' !''' :i I Pritchett Arch is the lunch stop for the popular Behmd-the-Rocks Safari trip which the oldest Safari trip on the books. Behind-the-Rocks will be led this year by Mc Community Development Director, Dixie Barker. |