The Longest Mile

I thought up guys were messing with me when you said that you heard something. Then I woke up to Will's headlights blinding me. Also all of my shiny metal valve covers were missing in the morning but not the back one.

 

Day 8 –The Longest Mile

Early morning. The world is quiet, especially here. The small sounds of individual morning routines softly spread through the air, like light smoke from a dying fire.

Everything is fluid. Open the rear passenger door to tuck the lantern away. Grab the toiletries bag, brush those teeth. Swing around to the tailgate and adjust the burner. Into the cooler for a hunk of butter, toss it into the pan. Back up into the tent to grab yesterday’s clothes and tuck them away in the laundry bag.

It was the eighth day of continuous adventuring. I haven’t felt this good in a long, long time.

This trip will, or already has, jaded me in some ways. While still enjoyable (and I will continue to partake in them), 2- or 3-day trips of the future won’t quite hold the allure and soul moving piece that many consecutive days on the trail creates.

It was a relaxing and reflective morning. Slow and methodical.

We had chorizo and rice for breakfast. I made plenty, so everyone came by and took a plate/bowl for themselves. Usually mixed with eggs, I was glad that everyone enjoyed the rice substitution I provided.

Today would ultimately end up being the final day for all of us, though when we were packing up camp to continue heading south, we only thought that Danny @Sapnjack would be departing our company.

Danny ended up leaving at 10:30 as the four remaining trucks left the paved road and took a right onto a dirt trail. This was the bypass for the still washed-out chunk of road from day one of our tale.

Danny frequently joins our trips, and leads some himself, so it was definitely a ‘See you later’ kind of vibe as we shook hands and wished him safe travels back to his home.

With that, we set off, a gorgeous drive on a pleasant dirt road keeping us entertained for the next 45 minutes or so.

Will @Sixthelement, Brent @PcBuilder14, Chris @chrslefty, and I were headed to a small National Monument, Natural Bridges.

This place is way out of the way here in Cedar Mesa, but we were in the area and wanted to check it out.

After exiting the dirt road, we rejoined the paved highway and quickly traveled the final 20 or so miles to the entrance of the monument.

It was not busy, and due to Covid, there was no entrance fee. The Ranger, a friendly older gentlemen named Steve, provided us with an information sheet and a monument map, as well as his own personal tidbits before we set off to check out the three beautiful bridges.

There is a paved loop road that takes you to 5 individual parking lots. Each of the bridges has a hike that can take you down to the bottom of the bridge, and a hike that will take you to a scenic viewpoint for the bridge. One of the bridges is so close to the road that the single parking area gets you to both hikes.

Brent took the lead, and we lackadaisically drove our way around a portion of the 9-mile winding smooth road towards the first overlook parking lot.

_MG_3005 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

Here, we looked out of place. Dirty houses on wheels unlike the typical vehicle in one of these parking lots, a night at a nearby hotel or a long day’s driving getting them to this place.

But no matter. There are myriad ways for each and every one of us to appreciate and experience places like these as we best see fit. As long as we respect them, of course. We must have that.

The first overlook took us to Sipapu Bridge, the second largest natural bridge in the entire world. It is only dwarfed by the Rainbow Bridge in Glen Canyon, another bridge I have personally seen with my own two eyes.

The hike dropped us in elevation, the stairways and ladders assisting us in our descent towards the viewpoint.

Straight Cheesin’

IMG_1017 by chrslefty, on Flickr

Chris got to taking pictures, and his impressive selfie skills even converted a fellow viewer to give his own selfie with the bridge a try, something he admitted he had never done before. Chris out here spreading the joy!

IMG_1021 by chrslefty, on Flickr

IMG_1023 by chrslefty, on Flickr

IMG_1028 by chrslefty, on Flickr

Satiated, we pressed on, retracing our rather steep steps back to the parking area.

Onto bridge number two!

Kachina Bridge is considered the youngest of the three bridges, due to its thickness. It is also the most difficult to experience from the overlook, as the opening is ‘small’, and the viewpoint is some distance away.

We still enjoyed looking at it.

IMG_1034 by chrslefty, on Flickr

There was water, and hikers, below. There is a long trail that Brent highly recommended that takes you through all three bridges down in the valley. We didn’t have time for it today, but it’s on my bucket list for sure.

IMG_1036 by chrslefty, on Flickr

It was around this time that I started to get curious about what differentiated a bridge from an arch. The best I could come up with was that bridges connect two land masses, whereas arches connect one side to a landmass and the other ‘side’ is basically out in the open, so to speak.

Content that that reasoning made crystal clear sense, we continued making our way around the monument.

The final bridge was the only bridge that we made the complete hike down to, its proximity to the road making this an easy decision for the four of us.

And we were glad we did. The Owachomo bridge is a thing of beauty, its slender span very impressive. Being up close and personal to it was very rewarding.

IMG_1042 by chrslefty, on Flickr

Chat chitting about something important, I am sure

IMG_1049 by chrslefty, on Flickr

IMG_1055 by chrslefty, on Flickr

Those clouds would follow us closely for the remainder of the day. They even sprinkled us with a bit of rain as we were making our way back to our trucks.

IMG_1060 by chrslefty, on Flickr

Back at the visitor’s center parking lot, we had a quick lunch out of the back of our Tacomas. It was around 1:30 at this point in time. We had a brief discussion about our plans for the rest of the day, and it was determined that we would head towards camp on Snow Flat Road at one of the campsites Will and I had scouted previously.

Chris informed us that he needed to go back to our first campsite to look for a rather expensive knife he had lost while hiking. We explained, or he had it marked in his Gaia (I can’t quite remember), how to get back to that area as it wasn’t that far away.

We gave him the general location of where we planned on spending the night in case, he found his knife and wanted to join. That didn’t end up happening, which was all the better for him as he had a several hour head start on his way back home!

After Chris left, my curiosity got the best of me, and I walked over to the ranger out front of the center and asked her my pressing question, ‘What is the difference between a bridge and an arch?’

She gave me an answer, but as I asked more questions, she told me they actually had a geologist named Kayla inside and that she would be more than happy to answer all of my questions.

Awesome. I’ve always wanted to talk to a geologist about rocks, and here was the opportunity.

Kayla went on to explain that bridges are formed by exposed rock that is eroded by water, primarily, with wind erosion playing a much smaller role in their formations.

Ok, so they aren’t called a bridge because they connect two landmasses. Roger that.

She then went on to explain how arches are made, and I was way off base on this one.

We sometimes saw depressions in the face of rock walls and would say things like ‘That’ll be an arch someday!’

Yeah, nah. That isn’t it boss.

Arches are formed entirely underground, by salt plumes pushing up on the layer of sediment and creating a mound in the layer. This cracks the forming rocks into tendrils or spines, each finger (she demonstrated this phenomena with her hands) completely separate from its neighbor. When that layer of earth is exposed over time, the surrounding rocks fall away and the salt that created the bump in the sediment layer is quickly removed by natural forces, leaving a lone ‘finger’ with an opening at the bottom.

Very interesting.

I asked as many other questions as I could come up with, though I will admit I was not prepared enough to have all of my questions answered. Next time I’ll be ready.

Thanking them both, we hopped in our trucks and set off towards Snow Flat Road.

We made our turnoff onto dirt and were driving along when Will came over the radio and asked which of the two detours we would like to take: the ruins or the cave?

We ultimately left that decision to Brent, as Will and I had been to both on a previous journey.

Brent chose the ruins, and that was that. It would turn out to be a very good choice.

We took another left onto a small, sandy, two track and made our way to the parking area of the hike that led to the ruins.

We pulled in and parked on the large flat-ish rock and disembarked. Brent grabbed his camera, and we donned our hiking backpacks. It wasn’t too far of a hike, but it’s best to be prepared in my opinion.

Before long we found the cairns and I led the three of us to what I thought was the best viewpoint of the ruins, which I had named the Elusive Ruins because I couldn’t find a way to get to them the last time I was here.

_MG_3013 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

And that was the assumption we based this visit off of. Take a peek from a distance, but that’s as good as it gets.

Well, that was until Brent pulled out his eagle eyes and noticed people at the ruins!

The excitement began to build. There was most certainly a way down there. We watched a younger couple head around the rock and out of view.

Ah, crap. Maybe the way down is somewhere else, accessed by a different parking area that we did not know about.

But then we saw an older couple making their way in our direction.

Bingo. Time to search our side of the canyon and find our way down.

Brent ultimately found it, a large pile of stacked rocks that let you slide down one sloped rock sheet and land on the lower level. Not the sturdiest of descent aids, but a way down, nonetheless.

With zeal, we made our way towards the ruins, clearly within reach now.

It was at this point that I vocalized something I had been feeling inside for the past few days. I was happy beyond belief. Like all the way happy, not just on the surface, but deep into my core. I couldn’t really put it into words, but I was simply overwhelmingly happy. Content. Just happy to be alive. It was fantastic.

To the bottom of the canyon we went before we began climbing the other side. Just a couple dozen feet or so and we would be there.

Remember those rain clouds I mentioned earlier? They were still here, and literally within the same 5 seconds that Brent and I made it to the cover of the overhanging rocks did the rain come crashing down.

We told Will to hurry up as rain wetted his shirt rather quickly.

And then we realized what was going on.

We were at the most beautiful ruins any of us had ever seen, an architectural masterpiece from the ancients, arriving and occupying this space during a sudden rainstorm.

Whoa.

We all just sat down, enthralled by what we were experiencing.

And then the waterfalls came.

First one, and then another, and then another. Water rushing down smooth rock before falling through space and continuing its journey towards the bottom of the canyon.

_MG_3030 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_3039 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_3041 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

What was happening? Was this magnificent experience really happening?

Yes, yes it was. Taking it all in, we made our way around the ruins. We carefully peered into rooms upon rooms, this establishment massive in its size.

And why wouldn’t it be, it was gorgeous here. Stunning. Surreal.

We found an old ammo can inside of which was an informational packet and a notebook to log your presence.

It was here that a decision was made, Will and Brent discussing what to put next to their names in the notebook.

The Longest Mile, a testament to that chunk of Lockhart Basin Road that did its best to beat us, but in the end it failed. We had prevailed, out the other side better than we were when we first encountered it.

Simple as that, it was recorded, added to the long history of this place. I no longer had to come up with a befitting title for this adventure. It had been chosen for me.

We continued to simply be. To just exist in such a magical place, the mixture of man and nature in such beautiful combination. It was previously unimaginable to me that situations like this could even exist.

Perfection.

I mean, the odds of this happening were astronomical, our arrival at precisely the right moment, our exploration, and our desired departure directly coinciding with the ceasing of the rain.

We are highly unlikely to ever experience this place in the same way that we did back on that day in September 2021.

Perhaps that is how it is supposed to be. Once in a lifetime opportunities may be once in a lifetime for a very specific reason.

Content beyond imagining, we made our way back into the canyon towards the other side. It was getting late, and we needed to find camp.

On the way back, we didn’t rush. I pulled out my LifeStraw and stuck it in a puddle of water, drinking in delicious hydration.

On we walked, water flowing over the edge of an overhanging rock, each of us tipping our heads to drink directly from the free-falling water.

Delicious.

I kept saying, astonished, ‘Whoa. Is this real? What in the world? How?’

My brain just couldn’t comprehend how absolutely magnificent the entire experience had been. It straight up had my brain doing a reboot, confirming that this was indeed reality, that I was here in this moment living and breathing.

I am now on a constant search for this feeling. I must experience it again. Addicted. Completely.

That high lasted the entire rest of the trip and beyond, to this day even. Though the remainder of our trip would not be long at all. The rain cloud still overhead at our campsite, the wind blowing through camp even with our trucks tucked against large rock formations.

Brent investigated the upcoming weather and it said rain for the next 1.75 hours.

Drats. That was bedtime basically. Not an ideal way to spend the last night in camp.

So, the conversation came up about simply ending the trip right then and there.

We all agreed, Will and I willing to stop somewhere near Mexican Hat if we got too tired to drive.

We finished Snow Flat Road as a group of three. At the intersection with pavement Brent had to go left, southeast back to his home, and Will and I had to head right, southwest back to our homes.

A complete stranger just 8 days prior, Brent is now a well-respected friend, our adventures solidifying a friendship in a short period of time. I look forward to the next time he and I meet on a trail.

Handshakes and goodbyes, we went our separate ways.

Mexican Hat was still covered in clouds as we drove through, so Will and I pressed on. On and on, all the way home, our final conversation of the trip occurring through GMRS, Channel 22, as we passed Will’s turnoff towards his home.

And just like that, it was over, retold days later using 30,547 words.

I hope you enjoyed.

 

Word, I did not know this!

 

Outstanding trip report!

While I'm not nearly as eloquent a storyteller as @MR E30, suffice it to say that the experiences and friendships forged are something that I will not forget...

 

Awesome Awesome write up.
The last day ended in something special. As said, once in a lifetime.

 

Thanks for writing about the trip in such detail . It was a pleasure have been a part of it. I didn't find my knife. I did drive through the valley of the gods on my way back. It was hard to get good pictures with the storm blowing through.

 

Awesome. I know exactly where you were for House Rock, but have never been to the rock myself, nor on the road up and out of Comb Ridge there (though I've wondered where it leads when I was visiting other spots in the area). Will certainly need to avail myself of both!

Fabulous. I love the Needles, and remember travelling much the same path. For us, it was mostly 1st gens, and one 3rd. Fun to see Brett @PcBuilder14 now in the majority (an with a bit more capable version of his rig ) and a single 1st gen breezing through the squeeze.

I've run many of these trails and reading through brings back great memories. I haven't run Lockhart before, and have always wanted to. It is surely on the list for next year, after seeing this. Gonna want to do that with a group though; seem like having a spotter through parts is going to be mandatory.

Immensely! Thanks for the story. Loved it.


And to everyone - @Sixthelement, @PcBuilder14, @TailHook, @chrslefty, @Sapnjack, and @MR E30 - whether you were in front of or behind the lens, great photography!

 

@turbodb
Thanks!
We’re already planning another trip for next year. Starting at Needles make our way to The Maze and touring that.

 

Well at the risk of rejection (which would be totally fine), I'd love to be in the loop. I have no idea if I could make it, but seems like it would be much fun.

 

You're on the list.

Here is the link to the planning thread: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ze-planning-stage.740049/page-2#post-26375351