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Show A Safari Trip Trip "Behind Ihe Rocks" South of Moab Features Beautiful Scenery, Glimpse of Prichett Arch i ' , . ' f i . ' ' v- .'.' : ' - i ... i Massive Pritchett Arch is one of the ob- popular route for the Jeep Safari for the jectives of the trail Behind the Rocks, a past two years of the event. Like the Great Wall of China, Ihe massive cliff lying ly-ing southwest of Moal) presents pre-sents an almost impassible barrier. Large knobs of sandstone sand-stone predominate on top of this ridge which is seldom traveled even by hikers. This ridge and the maze-like maze-like region to the west is known as the Land Behind the Rocks. It is accessible by one major jeep route, that which has continued receiving receiv-ing popularily since Moab's first Jeep Safari three years ago. The direction chosen by the leaders of tin: Jeep Safari Sa-fari is the one recommended. Traveling from the northwest on this trail is many times impossible to 4- wheel drive units duo to a slick shale slope over v. Inch access to Pritchett Canyon is gained. The trail begins at a point 13 miles south of Moab on U. S. 1G0 at the crest of Blue Hill. Jeep Safari gnosis will delight in the views of the Continued on Page A-3 Behind the Rocks Continued from Page A-l LaSal Mountains from this vicinity. The pyramd-shaped peak to the east is Mt. Tukuhnikivatz. Hehind it and also crowned with winter's snowcap is Mt. Peale, Utah's second highest peak. At eighteen and a half miles mil-es from Moab a sway-backed rock is noticed. This is Lone, Rock which has two interesting interest-ing arches on it, the northernmost north-ernmost one being known as Picture Frame Arch due to its ssuare shape. The top of the rock (rope access only) is riddled with pot holes. 25 miles from Moab the trail swings further west to the edge of Cane Springs Canyon. Far below can be see ribbon of water which at this time is is probably flowing puite vigorously in flood due to the melting snows on the flank, of the LaSals. During this writing the water had futoff'the route to Hurrah Pass1 which is the saddle seen above the buldging strata str-ata below the viewpoint. Hunters Canyon is intercepted inter-cepted at mile 28 on the Behind Be-hind the Rocks Trail. Too many people pass up one of the most delightful scenes of the whole trip by omitting a 150-yard walk downstream in this wash. Perched on the brink is a lavender-colored arch, small but praiseworthy. Through the arch can be seen the huge spring-fed pool some 100 feet below, a perfect per-fect swimming pool in later summer months except for its near inaccessibility. Side trips west along the north rim of Hunters Canyon reveal re-veal other arches in the gorge. A half-mile north of Hunters Hunt-ers Canyon on the main trail is the famous Pritchett Arch. This is a great hulk of an arch and provides excellent photographic opportunities. A short walk beyond Pritchett Prit-chett Arch, on the ledge to the north, gives a view of Broken Arch, down in the gorge below which the jeep caravan will pass. East of Pritchett Arch is another huge arch-in-the-making, possibly pos-sibly having the greatest bulk of any arch in Southeastern Southeas-tern Utah. The jeep trail passes the Totem Pole, then mounts the gray clay hill that separates one part of the trip from another. an-other. Over this hill the Jeep Safari guests will make their way, descending into the gorge known as Pritchett Canyon. It is in the next four miles that perhaps the greatest great-est challenges will be met for four-wheel drive units. The trail emerges on ths Cane Creek Road just a few miles west of Moab. |