Jeeping in the San Rafael Swell in Southern Utah

[Bonish Photo]

Over the past weekend, my wife and I were invited to go camping/exploring with a group of people who are really into custom Jeeps. It was actually the President of NAXJA, a Jeep XJ group and few of the higher up's in the group.

We had a blast and were introduced to an area of Utah we probably would have never been able to go into due to the ruggedness of the terrain.

If you have the ability, 4x4, ATV, or Sport-ute, this is a must see area of the country. It has abandon mines, secluded arches and scenery to rival any National Park we've seen in our 3 years on the road fulltime!




My wife Cindy snapped this shot with her 30D and a Sigma Fish-eye Lens of the narrow route we were on with a sheer drop off on the left!






Looking down at the Jeeps from the abandon Uranium Mine we were exploring. In the upper Right corner of the image you can see the Hondo Arch. Think how far away it is and you realize how big it is!!!

Too many photos to post here from a long weekend of 100's of miles of off-road heaven. If you're into this, check out the rest of the gallery here

[MeMe]

JEALOUS....that's right I'm sooooooooooooooooooo jealous what a cool trip .....now that had to be some fun!!! Nice to see others cook food via the heat off a motor, I have seen snowmobilers up in the Michigan UP do that. All of the pictures were awesome!!!!

[jmthompson]

Great photos and looks like an awesome time! Love Cindy's fisheye of the trail!

(Told you, Cindy...we aren't the only snowmobilers who cook our food like that! That's only when there isn't time to stand around waiting for elk steaks on the fire!!)

[noreturnphotos]

Pat, Cindy,
As usual real quality work!!!
#1 Looks like a cover to me....grin

[oTTer]

Photo #2.
Two words.
Holy, and Crap.

[peytoncyras]

The incentive for re-visiting this area was to highlight several 4-wheel drive roads that are legitimate routes, have historical attributes, provide a truly enjoyable primitive motorized experience and are threatened with closure. Current 7 1/2 minute U.S.G.S. maps show these routes. The BLM recognizes their existence as they are shown on it’s very own OHV Travel Plan map! Many other similar routes in the San Rafael Resource Area are likewise threatened. Devils’ Racetrack and Little Wild Horse Canyon are highlighted in the September ‘98 issue of 4WD & SU. Such routes should remain open for motorized and mechanized users that by choice, or necessity, use them to access primitive areas. Only a select few may be able to enjoy such primitive areas in the future.