Owyhee Mountains
near Murphy, Idaho
By Mary Stewart
Caldwell, Idaho
Classified as high desert terrain, the Owyhee Mountains in southwestern Idaho hide a lot more than rattlesnakes and ticks. According to the Roadside Guide to Idaho, "Owyhee" is the garbled phonetic spelling for "Hawaii," named for three Hawaiian explorers who separated from their expedition in 1818 and were later found murdered.
A friend and her father had taken me to Hemingway Butte Trailhead in the Owyhees in the mid-'90s to do some downhill mountain biking. Years later, a co-worker and I were talking about legal places to go 'wheeling since much of the surrounding lands were being closed to OHV activity. He gave me directions to find this place you "can see from the highway." So my husband and I took his '94 Toyota pickup and my '98 TJ and we went exploring.
There is a large hillclimb at the entrance on Highway 78, and a paved road winds around through the sagebrush and rock formations for 13 miles, from which are innumerable trails. Simply marked by a dirt turn-off, some have markings and names, others do not. There are so many great things about this gift from the BLM, it's hard to know where to start. The trails range in severity from the stock-friendly Soldier Cap, to a little lift and bigger tires for Lost Trail, to the big and beefy Meat Grinder and Carnage Canyon. This allows beginners to get started and veterans to test their skills, all on the same trip.
Scenery ranges from dry sandy creekbeds to the most pristine canyon lands and gorges. During the winter, "easy" trails become much more challenging with the help of a little snow. The Owyhees are also home to herds of wild horses, which we've had the pleasure of seeing up close. Some members of our 4x4 club have even spotted some bighorn sheep while out on the trails. The best part of this area is that it's used and cared for by many. On any day you'll see ATVs, dirt bikes, horseback riders, skeet shooters, and Jeeps and SUVs of all sizes and shapes. Last year, a number of local organizations held a cooperative cleanup of as many trails as possible. We filled two enormous dumpsters full of things that others had left behind.
The Roan Plateau
near Rifle, Colorado
By Justin Robinson
Rifle, Colorado
Rising nearly 3,000 feet from the Colorado River valley, just west of Rifle, Colorado, and north of Interstate 70, the 73,000-acre Roan Plateau has often been described as a beautiful island in the sky. This beautifully preserved tract of land is often overlooked, even by locals. Home to the native cutthroat trout, three different endangered flower species, and an amazing biological diversity, the plateau is a critical habitat for Colorado wildlife. The area boasts one of the tallest waterfalls in the state, dense forests of spruce and fir, immense aspen groves, beautiful streams, and dramatic canyons. Deer and elk are found in abundance, and shy and timid black bears may be spotted by the luckiest. The plateau draws mountain bikers, anglers, biologists, and four-wheelers.
The road up the face of the cliffs, with its switchbacks, will make owning a 4WD rig well worth it. You'll travel from near desertlike conditions to the lush mountain meadows and dense forests in less than 10 miles. Most of the trails are not high in difficulty, but the scenic drives along the cliffs will make you pay attention to the road like your life depended on it.
Trails occur often and exploration is always rewarded. For those who like a challenging trail, along with beautiful views, there are always obstacles to find and trails worthy of being called "trails." A little rain can make even the cleanest road a slippery, greasy mess, and the slightest sideways slope in the road can turn into an off-road stuck calling for a winch extraction.
Late May and early June are time when wildflowers dominate the landscape, so bring your cameras. On the other hand, snow can occur as late as July, so be prepared. July and August promise cooler temperatures than the triple-digits found in the valley below. In winter, the plateau is a wonderland with consistent snowfall on its 8,000- to 9,000-foot elevations.
The area once belonged to the Department of Energy and the Department of the Navy as the Naval Oil Shale Reserve until it was turned over to the BLM in 1998. The area around the plateau has been a hotbed of natural gas drilling in recent years, and now the BLM is trying to lease the top of the plateau to drilling companies. New roads, acres of land denuded of vegetation, and air and groundwater pollution have been standard operating procedures in the surrounding areas. The Roan Cliffs Citizens' Wilderness Proposal is asking that 38,000 acres be reserved as wilderness area. If you want to learn more, visit www.saveroanplateau.org.
To get to the plateau, take I-70 to Rifle. Proceed north through the city; Highway 13 will take you out of town. At approximately the 4-mile mark, you'll see a bowling alley to your right. The next dirt road to your left is JQS Road. Follow the road and it will take you to the top of the plateau. At the top is posted a topographical map with numbered roads marked on it. Follow the number markers on the trail to wherever you want to go on top.
Easter Jeep Safari
Moab, Utah
By Keith Cramer
Hesperus,Colorado
Every spring, four-wheelers by the thousands push, pull, trailer, flat-tow, or drive their 4x4s toward the holy land of our sport ... Moab. It is this annual pilgrimage (called the Easter Jeep Safari) that cleanses our souls and renews our love of all things mechanical, the great outdoors, and all things traction. Friends are made, new trails are explored, and favorite trails are revisited. Vehicles run the gamut from stock rental Jeeps to unrecognizable buggies. First-timers are awestruck by the Mardi Gras atmosphere, the sheer number of fellow pilgrims, and the awesome number of fantastic examples of four-wheel drives present at the Easter Jeep Safari.
Last year marked the 39th year of the Jeep Safari sponsored by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers club of Moab. The Red Rockers have been organizing and leading the trail runs that have been bringing people from all over the world to celebrate what are arguably the best trails in the world. Running trails with the Red Rockers is a great way to get the entire Easter Jeep Safari experience, especially if you aren't with a club or group of people. There is plenty of chatter on the CB, and you meet great people along the way. The Red Rockers spend untold weekends prior to the Safari repainting the symbols that mark each trail-no easy feat when trails average over 10 miles long and there is a symbol about every 100 feet. The Red Rockers have a Web site or you can call them to be put on their mailing list for next year's Safari newspaper.
Moab offers numerous trails that the Red Rockers do not venture on as well, most being the tougher runs. Upper Helldorado and The Proving Grounds are for the seriously built (or the seriously stupid), as are such obstacles as "Hell's Gate" or the "Escalator" on the Hell's Revenge trail. In addition to the thousands of participants running the trails all week, last year saw two different Rock Crawling Races with the W.E. Rock (Cal Rocks) and the UROC running events on opposite weekends. So that adds to the number of competition buggies seen around town and on the trails. All of the 4x4 magazines attend, with most bringing their latest project vehicles. It isn't uncommon to see writers and editors from your favorite magazines like Four Wheeler wearing their logos like gang members (keep talking like this, we may offer you a job, homie.-Ed.), hanging out in a coffee shop at the table next to you. Many parts shops and repair places are open 24 hours throughout the Safari due in part to the sheer number of breakages that occur.
There are many unofficial hangouts where people gather to watch those who are brave (or stupid) enough to attempt to conquer. Lion's Back doesn't have the draw it used to primarily due to the private owner charging for a vehicle to attempt it. The Dump Bump has gotten so much wear from usage that only serious vehicles attempt to conquer it, but the same private owner charges per try, so not as many people try it anymore. Potato Salad Hill is still the perennial favorite, with hundreds of people hanging out to watch the next attempt. The hill claims at least one rollover a day, and is a lot tougher than it appears. We watched in amazement as a few Cherokees climbed it with no problem, followed by a Yamaha cart one day, but missed a rollover by another Cherokee the next day by about 30 minutes. Some make a whole sport out of just spectating at Potato Salad by setting up awnings, grilles, lawn chairs, and coolers. Truly a Spring Break atmosphere!