Sept 24 trip to Dark Canyon oil rig

[Carls_jeep]

Bob and Christine Westerman, Calvin and Lucille, Carl and Betty Darnell took a trip down the Dark Canyon dugway this time we hope to make it to the oil drill rig. Here we are at the trail head.



A short way after the dugway is a 5 ft diameter Ponderosa pine and here's a photo of Bob and Christine by it.



A little farther down the trail we stopped for lunch. We had to rough it a little as you can see. Subways and drinks.



Here's a photo of an arch on the canyon wall and is the fork in the trail. The left leads to the drill rig and the right leads to a cowboy cabin and other buildings.



This is the oil drill shaft at the end of the trail. The drill rig was a cable operated drop hammer run by a hit/miss engine. That type drill rig had to be a real hard job. I think it turned out to be a dry hole.



Here's a video of Bob W coming through a deep washout that we had to throw a lot of rocks into the deep water filled side of the trail to even be able to get past it. Click on the link to watch it.

http://s82.photobucket.com/user/yeathatshim/media/2013%20Utah/P9240031_zps282f598b.mp4.html

Here's a video of Bob and Calvin coming back through the washout after visiting the drill rig. Click on the link to watch.

http://s82.photobucket.com/user/yeathatshim/media/2013%20Utah/P9240061_zpsb1a90fa3.mp4.html

Here we are back out of the Dark Canyon trail and nearly worn out. We went back to Blanding and ate supper at a steak house. It was a long day, about 11 hours from the time we left Blanding till we got back to Blanding.

[Quebec Jeep]

Wow!

[Bob W]

What a fun day we had visiting with other 3A Page members and wheelin' too! Thanks Calvin and Carl for taking us with you on the adventure to Rig Canyon.

[Carls_jeep]

We were looking forward to your visit and we're glad you and Christine enjoyed yourselves. We thought long about the best trail to take ya'll on and decided Dark Canyon was the best if the weather was good and it was.

It certainly was a great day and great trail with good friends.

I wish I could have posted more of the videos but the internet upload is weak here and it took me a while to get everything uploaded.

[calvinhunt]

I'll add a few photos from my camera of this same trail ride.�

We descended a long dugway to arrive onto the canyon floor.� Here we stopped to get a few pics of the canyon walls.� There was an equally impressive stone wall on the left side of the trail but the sun favored the right side.




Moving on down the trail.� It was fun to have Carl lead with Bob in the middle.� I brought up the rear.




Bob's Jeep in action.




Our ride ended at the old oil drilling rig Carl mentioned above.� We were very intrigued with the technology of the day.�




That left wheel track was a bit deeper than we'd suspected.� You see Carl up ahead taking video (seen on his post above).� Like Bob, I have my rear license plate in the original position and it's always getting bent up like Bob's did here.�




Working our way back home.




As I have shows in pics on other posts, when Carl is Jeepin' he is always smilin'.




Back out of the canyon and on top of the high mesa that leads to home we paused again.� I ask that we line the three Jeeps up that made the trip so I could get a photo of the license plates of the visiting Jeeps from afar next to mine.� Kentucky, Utah, and New York.� It's an honor to have visitors come and ride the trails of my area with me.� All are welcome.� Come and join us.�

[jpet]

That looks like incredible fun!  Got anymore pics/vides?

Thanks for posting!

[Carls_jeep]

Here's a video of me starting up the dugway out of Dark Canyon. It is a lot rougher than it looks. The rocks were large and there was several ledges we had to climb over but with the angle of the sun it is hard to see them.

EDIT: I drove my Jeep 2706 miles on trails in San Juan County this year. I think about 200 or 300 miles may have been on paved roads and the rest on dirt, gravel and rocks.

http://s82.photobucket.com/user/yeathatshim/media/2013%20Utah/P9240070_zps72cea8fd.mp4.html

[athawk11]

As always, it looks like a really fun ride.

Calvin,
I would like to try to come to one of these gatherings at some future point.� A trip from Colorado would be long, but nothing like a trip in from New York.� (See Bob W) Or Kentucky, (See Carl).

I don't know if you like the idea of hosting a specific event, but if you do, I would certainly make the effort to come...as long as I got an airplane ride out of it!

Tim� �� �

[calvinhunt]

[size=12]Hawk,
I have not really intended to host a "specific" event, but wouldn't mind.� Carl was here for two months.� During that time other 3A members came and went. Mac (Macgraham) actually come for a month. Bob (BobW) was just here for a couple of days. Another friend brought his CJ-5 up from New Mexico and joined us for a couple of days.� I'm keeping a CJ-2A in my back yard for a guy from Denver.� He comes every year and was going to come this year while Carl was here, but he flies his personal plane over and the weather across the Rockies was bad each day he tried to make it.� And, as I invited in the close of my last post above, "All are welcome".� It would be great to have anyone come during the time that Carl and Mac are here (they both plan to return next year during the month of September +). Feel free to come during that time (an excellent time to ride the trails in Southern Utah), or come whenever it works for you.� I'm always happy to show visitors around and do some trail riding.� The airplane ride? Probably, but can't promise.� A fantastic Navajo Taco Dinner at my house? That I can promise (ask any who've been here).�
 
I'd love to have you come. Let's start making plans.� �[/size]