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Show A Jeep Safari Trail ... ' iTV' . 1 : v i f ' r . - i '-. - 1 'j vv-V' ' ' :' : V - ' ?" ' r, . . 'r.v - V . 3- - , ""V J.jj -i"-' - '. .. u '4'"'", ., ' - -.j-'' -.- v. r v.' j t-. y... .... -a.'.-.w .. . .y - .1 4 View from Porcupine Rim by Fran Barnes ... ; Porcupine Rim is a Great Nev Safari Trail ; Porcupine Rim is the southwestern rim of picturesque pic-turesque Castle Valley. This new trail stretches from the foothills of the USal Mountains to the Colorado River gorge, a total distance of almost twelve miles. The Porcupine Rim trail to be led this year by Urban Linehan leaves Moab via the Sand Flats Road. Several miles up thi s highly scenic dirt road, a spur trail heads toward the rim of Negro Bill Canyon. This appallingly appall-ingly deep and narrow ;sandstone gorge comes ;in sight very soon. The trail approaches its rim ;after descending a long , sand hill. ' The trail closely fol- Knss the rim of .Negro Bill Canyon for almost three miles, offering a series of breathtaking views into and beyond the sheer gorges. 'After crossing the canyon's upper up-per drainage line just above ab-ove where it first cuts deeply, the trail climbs steeply toward distant Porcupine Rim. Because of the nature of the sloping terrain, Porcupine Rim is not at first visible, even though the trail is closely parallel par-allel to it. Farther on. the trail travels within a few feet of the rim in several places, offering spectacular panoramic panor-amic view s of Castle Valley, Val-ley, the LaSal Mountains, Round Mountain, Castle Tower and the Priest and Nuns. The Colorado River gorge is visible in the distance. The trail next leaves Porcupine Rim to travel a w inding route along high rimlands that lie between Castle Valley and Negro Bill Canyon. After skirting skirt-ing around Coffee Pot Rock, a huge oddly shaped sandstone monolith, the trail angles northerly around ar-ound the head of Jackass Canyon. The trail then travels an ever-narrowing hogback hog-back between Jackass Canyon and Drinks Canyon Can-yon until it reaches the Colorado River gorge at the mouth of Drinks Canyon. Can-yon. Here, a short hike along the slickrock rim leads to a sweeping panoramic pan-oramic view of a huge bend in the Colorado River, Ri-ver, the bend that contains con-tains a picnic site by the rive r called Moose Park, some 7-1, 2 miles from Moab Valley. The noon stop will be at this overlook, which is 11!U0 feet aboe the river. ri-ver. Rockhounds will find some curious mineral specimens along this rim. The return trip retraces the outgoing route back around the head of Negro Bill Can.von. then cuts steeply back to the S;iikI Flats Road just above beautiful Rill Canyon. The route travels the rim of this gorge back toward Moab. The Porcupine Rim trail offers moderate to very rough driving over a variety var-iety of terrain. It offers no difficulties to competent compe-tent driv ers. but is slow because of the extreme roughness in places. The trail is outstandingly scenic. |