Moab to Gateway Co...Part 4

We all (not Tom) got up the next morning, started a fire, had coffee and waited for word from Tom. He had been a sore puppy the night before, and we didn't really expect any miracles to happen overnight.

Eventally, he moaned his way out of the tent, and announced that he would just hang around camp today. He limped his way into the van for a ride to breakfast, though.

we usually used breakfast in town as a reason to let the sun warm things up to rideable temperatures, and then around 10am we would start out for a daily exploration. Today we were going to ride out Onion Creek road, which would skirt the east side of the La Sal Mountains, and travel into Western Co. We hoped to end up at Gateway Co.

When we saw the above scene, we began to suspect that we were in for something special. OC Road wound along a wet wash for about 10 miles. The canyon was narrow, and there was a small water crossing every 1/4 mile or so.



The road was not challenging, which was fine. We were happy just drinking in the ever different canyon walls. We eventually popped out in a high valley. Walker Ranch was up ahead, one of the many working ranches of the west.



When we arrived at a cross roads near the ranch, as we debated where to go, an old rancher and his wife came by in a pickup. When I say old, I mean old. Late Seventies, I'd suspect. We waved them down, and asked directions. They said the road we were on only went to the ranch, but the fork to the left would take us to Gateway.

They were a bit tentative when they said 'take us to Gateway'. I wondered why. Turns out there were many other turns required to get us to Gateway. We didn't really care. We had time and gas, and the country was inspiring.


One wrong turn took us in the direction that we wanted to go, but dead ended us at about 7000ft at an old defunct mine. We wandered around there for nearly an hour, trying to put some sense to the situation.




We left the mine wondering about the men that worked their hearts out up on that Mountain. I postulated that a bored rich easterner met a prospecter in a bar in Grand Junction somewhere around the '30s. Over a few drinks the westerner convince the easterner that he had found gold in some mountains near there, but didn't have the financial where-with-all to go and get it.

A few more drinks and some handshakes, and a parternship was born. I don't imagine anyone made a profit, but I thank them both for the roads that were made way back then that allowed us to spend a little time on the top of the world up there.

We left the mine with a plan. We had seen a sign 10 miles back that said 'Gateway Road' with an arrow indicating the way that we didn't go. We would take that after we got down off this hill.


Soon we were on Gateway road, which took us down John Brown Canyon. JBC is a 15% to 20% down hill dirt road for about 5 miles as you ride into Gateway, spectaclar all by itself. Gateway has a new tourist Mall that has nearly put old Gateway out of business. No more cafe and gas station in the old town. Progress, I suppose. We looked for the old stuff, but had to settle for clerks in the new mall who didn't add much flavor to the day.

We gassed up and had a sandwich. It was now 3:30, and we had to hustle to get back before dark. We found the direct route to be only 55 miles long with 30 miles of pavement through Castle Valley. We passed a few vistas.



I surely enjoyed having my home built electric shirt on for the trip home. When the sun went behind a canyon wall, the chill started it's work immediately.

Soon we were in camp with an evening fire already started by Tom who had worked all day gluing his bike back together. Fine job he did too.


But real men............don't mess with no stinking tent. :)


Tom said that he was feeling better than last night, and anticipated being able to ride tomorrow. We had planned to ride the 'White Rim Trail' tomorrow. That turned out to be 80 miles of trail, and 70 miles of pavement. It would turn out to be a hard day.