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Show . ' I , : ; . . ' ' , iv'- ''""' ' ,w .c , ; ; -; ' ' . ''-,. , , a a ; J - . : V'- :' -'.'.- ' - ' ' t ' ' J "' - . . ..' -A.. . ' "" ' '' - ' JW --.-v...--' It - ' "" .. V ..vr. . ,v ., . .. . .. ,. . s , ' . - ' .; w--.; :v t 'VvT1 - ' .t - . , tw- .a , j&mm$m&- iygy Spectacular Musselman Arch on the White Rim is one of the main stops for visitors taking the White Rim-Lathrop Canyon trip this year. This is the first year for this trip which is fairly easy. The trip is, how- New Trail Takes Visitor to Fabled White Rim The newest trip offered to participants in MoatTs annua! Jeep Safari is the White-Rim -Lathrop Canyon trip a spectacular, though long, trip into the heart of Canyonlands National Park. The trip to Lathrop Canyon follows the Colorado down stream from Moab for many miles, eventually climbing out onto the White (or middle) mid-dle) Rim of the Canyon before be-fore dropping again into La- ever, one of the longer ones, and goes into some of the most spectacular canyon country in the vicinity of Moab. thep Canyon and the river itself. it-self. Total mileage, befor? participants are back in Mu-ab, Mu-ab, will amount to a little over ov-er a hundred miles, so b prepared with a full tank of gas. The first twenty or so mile.i of the trip will be along paved pav-ed State Highway No the read to Texas Gulf Sulphur's Sul-phur's potash plant. This highway was awarded a natural nat-ural prize the year it was built as the most scenic highway high-way constructed that year in the' nation. . First stop will be cn the graveled Country road beyond TGS, where Safari participants partici-pants will be. given a look at solar evaporation ponds constructed, con-structed, by Texas Gulf Sulphur Sul-phur during the past two years. Saturated potash brine js pumped from nearly a mile underground, and placed in these ponds. where the water evaporates, leaving potash salts wjiich are then pumped several miles to the mill for processing. The solar evaporation evap-oration -system replaces conventional con-ventional mining, which was due to high costs. Although the ponds have been criticized by some as being unsightly in an otherwise other-wise unblemished canyon terrain, ter-rain, many feel that the 'design, 'de-sign, color, etc., are actually complimentary to the contrasting con-trasting red sandstone country. coun-try. At any rate, they are there, and are providing employment em-ployment for numerous Utah residents, as well as tax dollars dol-lars for the various government govern-ment agencies which seem to need them badly. White Rim From the TGS ponds, the road winds up onto the White Rim, where spectacular scenes sce-nes of the Colorado River Canyon can be enjoyed from numerous vantage points. At one of these, directly under Dead Horse Point, the caravan cara-van will stop for a look into, the canyon. But be careful. . two deaths have occured at this point in the past few years when viewers got to close to the edge and slipped on loose rocks there,. Jeepers keep them well in hand at this point along the trail. After a number of miles along the White Rim, the caravan will stop at scenic Musselman Arch a slender span of sandstone left when other portions of the White Rim eroded away. Photographers Photo-graphers will enjoy the beauty beau-ty of this feature. Lathrop Canyon itself is the next stop a number of miles on downstream from Mussel-man Mussel-man Arch. This is the only point on the lower Colorado River Canyon below Moa'o where vehicles can get down to the stream itself. Before dropping down into Lathrop, we suggest going into at least four-wheel drive, if not info low range. The drop into Lathrop La-throp includes two switchback switch-back curves that require tight turning radius, and from the bottom of the curves on down to the river, some-four some-four miles, the trail follows the sandy bottom of the wasi:. The dry spring season and the depth of the sand make four wheel drive necessary along this canyon. Lunch will occur at the Pi'.rk Service- campground at Lathrop. Please note that pt this point we are in Canyon-lands Canyon-lands National Park, and care must be given to leaving th? area just as we find it. Continued on Page B2 p, I,.., p.. .... - - I ' ' r K W T f.-f !' ' . '. -t f b ' - ' i . '.'.::.v ' ? t ' ' ' ', l ; V ' .? i Jf'rki- ' 5 ' A. ' J-V j .:. - J ' - . . If ;.--. : . ' .a . " . r . . : . , ' ' y-v,---- i.-W .'' ' Vth- ' "-- . ' i.;-y - ';,- -i . Tlic road up out of Lnthrop Canyon is steep and crook- ' cd, lint not too much challenge for a four-wheel drive vehicle. White Rim Trip--- (Continued from Page Bl) After lunch we will head back but except for a' few miles of backtracking, we will be on new road. Sharf er Trail We leave the White Rim, and travel to the top of tho cliff via the famous (or in famous) Shafer Trail a road carved into the solid rock cliffs during Southeastern Southeast-ern Utah's uranium boom to give access to Shinarump formations for-mations on tlie lower levels of the canyon which contained contain-ed uranium ore. The Shafer Trail is not nearly as bad as it looks. However,! drivers should make certain they have their vehicles fully under control con-trol at all times on the climb. At the top of Shafer Trail, we pause again for a look at the vista spread below. From that point you can see for hundreds of miles in all directions, di-rections, and can see the long route you have followed tc that point. For a few miles we follow improved County and Park Service roads north and again duck into a side road for jeep-ing jeep-ing across the Art's Pasture country. This big chunk of canyon country is crosesd by a number of unmarked jeep trail so those in the caravan should keep sight of the vehicles ve-hicles ahead. This trail due "to' soft sand along the way again requires four wheel drive. The trip down the White Rim to Lathrop Canyon will take the better part of the day. It is however one of the most scenic and most enjoy-, able routes around Moab. We are pleased to add it to the growing number of routes officially covered by the annual Moab Jeep Safari. We hope you like it. |