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Maze
4 Wheel Drive Wilderness Immersion (MD3)
Special
departure June 12 2008
varied
itinerary. Call us. |
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 Trip OverviewDetailed Itinerary
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The Big Picture
A trek into the Maze
leads to the very heart of the pristine wilderness for which Canyonlands
National Park is so well
known. On this trip you are
the adventurer, walking in the footsteps of the ancient Anasazi or in the boots of Butch Cassidy.
Distant 4 wheel drive trails
beget one of the least visited parks in the United States.
Enter and feel blessed by your ability to experience it for yourself.
The adventure will include visits to some of the world’s finest, undisturbed rock art panels left by ancient American Indian cultures.
The Great Gallery rock art panel, famous for its "Holy Ghost" image
and other points of
interests - the advantages
of an outfitter 4x4
expedition - are on the
agenda. From the Doll House visit another world-famous archeological site, the Harvest Scene.
Ponder the mystery of their disappearance as your guide helps you unravel their story.
Hikers in the labyrinth of
canyons leave feeling strong and confident and maybe a little unwilling to return to civilization. While the hikes are designed for people in relatively good condition, there are no technical climbs or skills required.
The Details
This itinerary may vary due to conditions of the
4 wheel drive roads and campsite availability.
Day 1 – Lunch & Dinner
Your
4x4 tour begins in Moab at Tag-A-Long’s office at 7:00 a.m.
with your friendly, competent guide,
board a 4wd vehicle and travel across the high desert to Green River, Utah, to the Horseshoe Canyon trailhead. Today is one of the highlights of the trek: a hike deep into the canyon to see The Great Gallery, the mysterious, world renown rock art panel left by ancient American Indian cultures in the Southwest
near Moab. The guide will explain the difference between petroglyphs and pictographs and will discuss various rock art styles including the ghostly Barrier Canyon style, displayed at the Great Gallery.
There is time to sit quietly with the powerful images that tower above you. The hike to the panel descends about 600 feet.
Bring a day pack for lunch
and water. Upon return to
the rim, we will drive over
trails to our first camp
nestled in the pinion and
juniper trees. The campsite
overlooks the true cowboy
country in the Maze.
Twisting, colorful canyons
stretch for miles into the
horizon. As evening
approaches, your guide turns
into a chef as he or she
prepares a delicious dinner
following the traditional
cowboy style using a set of
cast iron Dutch ovens. When
night falls, the number of stars in the sky
is awesome, tempting one to sleep outside of
the tent instead of in it!
Day 2 – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast we’ll hit
Utah 4 wheel drive roads of
Canyonlands for the Doll House. The route takes us over the perilous Flint Trail switchbacks to the Golden Staircase. While your guide drives around it, we recommend you take the delightful, three mile hike over the Golden Staircase Trail. You
are meet at the bottom. Only a limited number of people can visit this pristine area overnight. Plan to spend this day in the solitude of an uninhabited land while walking with others who value it as much as you do. At the Doll House, enjoy wonderful privacy in our enchanting campsite where you can wander away to nearby overlooks. We settle here for two nights. More great food
fills us happy and satisfied before you fall asleep among the silent rocks.
Day 3 – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Eat that hearty breakfast this morning because we’re off to explore the trails near the Doll House. From Standing Rock to the Harvest Scene, we’ll wind our way through a maze of canyons. The Harvest Scene – viewed only by the privileged few - represents another famous Barrier Canyon style rock art panel showing human figures harvesting crops. As we continue through the canyons,
be prepared to be mesmerized by the geologic formations. Stone columns, balanced rocks and the Chocolate Drops will have you using all the film in your camera, so bring plenty. This is a full day of hiking, and while it is long (8 Miles), it is not a strenuous or difficult hike. There are heights 800 ft. Your day pack will come in handy again, but at dinner time, kick back and let your guides do the cooking while you rest around the campfire. Later, listen for the yowl of coyotes!
Day 4 – Breakfast & Lunch
After
a last breakfast in the wilderness, you take one more hike on the Old Spanish Trail to Spanish Bottom to meet your ride back to Moab.
Your 4-wheeling ends today. By the time we hit the banks of the Colorado River, you’ll be ready to eat lunch while you await the arrival of
a Tag-A-Long jet boat, the Colorado Explorer. While you settle into comfortable seats, your boat driver brings you up the 53-mile canyon of the Colorado River to Moab. On both sides of the river, colorful red rock canyon walls tower as much as 2,000 feet above. The interplay of canyon colors, the deep blue of the sky above, and the speedy ride on the Colorado
River provide a wonderful impression never
to be forgotten. Arrive in Moab by 6:00 p.m.
You may want to consider extending your
wilderness trip and get wet in the
whitewater rapids of Cataract Canyon. You have the option to meet rafts instead of a jet boat at Spanish Bottom and head downriver into the whitewater, spend
an additional night on the Colorado River before ending up
on Lake Powell. This option must be pre-arranged. It is our MC4.
Or check out our new
Outlaws and Native Americans.
Contact Michele
with your trip
interests.
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Whitewater Rafting
S.E. Utah Detail
