OCR Text |
Show Safari Trail ... . Behind-The-Rochs Still Popular Since the Beginning of Safari An area of towering stone pinnacles, known as Behind-the-Rocks, is a favorite scenic run of many Safari jeepers. This area lies southwest of Moab. Dick Peterson will be leading this group. 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. Beginning near the Blue Hill summit on south U.S. 163, the trail enters the sparce juniper-pinyon 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 through deep gullies and short sandhills, it finally enters open country which approaches a huge monolith. The rock tower contains the famed Picture Frame Arch and another larger, unnamed span. As the trail winds for the next several miles, the terrain becomes increasingly more difficult. It crosses the Hunter Canyon water-course just upstream up-stream from a big dry waterfall above a giant spring fed pool. A small 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 passes a tall chimney of rock near an even taller cliff, and then begins to drop abruptly down into Prichet Canyon. After this quick descent, the run ends and merges with Kane Creek Road about three miles down river from Moab. Those following Dick 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. |