After leaving Escalante, Utah, we arrived at Torrey, Utah, some 85 miles distant. Sounds easy, doesn't it? But we had to go through some ruff country that would tax anyone with the fear of heights. With elevations up to 9,500' and drop-offs that rack your nerves, we reached a point where the road narrowed to two car widths with no shoulders and drop-offs on both sides. Having traversed this section the day before while visiting Boulder, Utah, without the trailer, I knew it would be a scary moment hauling the trailer and scarier if I met another large vehicle. What makes this section troublesome is that it is serpentine so if you scan ahead and to the sides you see the drop-off's. As luck would have it, I met a large Truck-RV in the middle of this section. I dared not look ahead but kept my eyes on the yellow lines and prayed that the two of us would pass without one hitting the other or forcing the other to make a wrong move. Since I'm writing to you now, you know I made it!
After settling down in Torrey and drinking a lot of brandy to calm my nerves, I and Helga departed for the Cathdral Valley, part of Capitol Reef National Park, the next day. The road was only 20 or so miles into the interior, but it had rained two days ago and rain was likely in the afterrnoon today, so said the Ranger. Afternoon rains in this part of the country are pushed by the Gulf and Southern California, which means they arrive around 1500 hours. Since we were starting the trip around 1145 I figured we would have enough time to get in and out before the rains came. Driving on and in the desert sands and clays is like driving on black ice...before you know it you've lost traction and you're stuck. The bottom line is that we saw no rains, we didn't get stuck, and we had lunch in the desert. If that's not fun, what is?
Tomorrow we leave for Monticello, Utah where I have a permit to stay over night in the desert for two nights. My younger brother and his friend are meeting us there and accompanying Ed so that their chance of survival is enhanced.
