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Show I if Safari Trail... l Dry Mesa Offers Spectacular Viev of Cany0n y Dry Mesa is being offered for the second time in Safari history and is rated as the fourth roughest trail in 1976. Dry Mesa is a triangular shaped plateau to the southeast south-east of Arches National Park that is bound on one side by Cache Valley, on another by Salt Wash and on the third side by the mighty Colorado River gorge. Jeepers choosing this trail will be following Chuck McMurray. The route to the Mesa heads north out of Moab on U.S. 163 to the entrance of Arches National Park, then enters the Arches and stays on paved park road to the Delicate Arch turnoff. Soon the dirt road forks toward a Delicate Arch viewpoint. view-point. Just before this viewing stand, a jeep trail angles off to enter Cache Valle. Within a half mile this trail leaves the park to continue up the colorful valley, often traveling in the winding dry wash bottom. As the trail leaves the wash toward the eastern end of Cache Valley, it climbs steeply among giant sandstone monoliths. mono-liths. Just beyond another dry wash crossing, the trail heads up t? & ! Hill, a very rough and challenging grade that takes the trail to the top of Dry Mesa. After paralleling the rim of Cache Valley for a mile or so, the trail angles across rolling slickrock and sandflats country toward the distant Colorado River gorge. The Windows section of Arches National Park is clearly visible to the west and the gigantic "cat's, eyes" of the North and South Windows can be seen for miles on the skyline. Not far down-river from the mouth of picturesque Castle Valley is a lofty vantage point overlooking the Colorado River. Ri-ver. The trail continues roughly parallel to the river gorge. A short spur goes to another magnificent overlook. A short hike on the slickrock will lead to a spectacular view up the length of Castle Valley and up the Colorado River gorge for several miles, from a vantage point 1300 feet above the river level. After a few more rough miles through broken, colorful mesa-top country, the trail closes the loop at the top of t? &! Hill. The return route retraces the out-bound route from this point. Those who choose to follow Chuck on the Dry Mesa trail will experience a variety of off-road driving, from fairly easy wash-bottom and sand- flats terrain, to moder rough sand and slickrock"? fi one short very rough, Pft) r traction section of trail.' fh ' with limited off-road driv N ? experience should avoid th'S trail because of that one k I : hill. 6ad |