We leave our perch in Fruita and head west to Marysvale, Utah. Here we ride the Paiute Trail and visit with Jim Brown, Punkin and Keith. We win two sturdy camp chairs with stools at the Memorial Day party at the South Forty RV Park – hurray! After a few Paiute rides, I sense that Storm has been spoiled by the challenging trails in Moab. I think he is a little disappointed by the tame, 2WD forest roads that compose the Jeep accessible parts of nearby Paiute Trail routes. This trail has much more challenging offshoots, but those are restricted to 60″ wide (or sometimes less) side by sides and ATVs.
In spite of the dearth of obstacles, we still manage to find ourselves searching for the “quintessential mountain lake” – Barney Lake, on the wrong funnel-like forest road. We barely find room to reverse course before we have to break out machetes to advance further. Unfortunately a few pointed branches draw some Utah pinstripes down the sides of the Jeep before we escape their grasping reach- yikes!
I struggle to photo Barney’s Lake. By the time we find the right road to it and pull into the parking area, rain is chilling the already brisk air. Clouds darken and raindrops mar any reflections on the water. When I get out of the Jeep, the seat rips out of my shorts adding a new dimension of cold to my already too summery ensemble. While frigid drafts drift up my backside, anyone or thing behind me risks being mooned. We decide to abandon our pursuit of a pristine aquatic photo and head back home before our situation further deteriorates. Heaven forbid that I traumatize some innocent, lonely fisherman or peaceful, grazing deer with an unexpected afternoon full moon!
Riding the Paiute Trail
You paint a very real picture!
Thank you! I know Storm wishes we had stayed an extra week or two in Moab and done Elephant Hill with you. We are looking forward to that! Both of us… really 🙂
Bet there would be some great fishing in that lake. :>)) Thanks for the journey and hope you got extra shorts in the RV.:>)))) GOD BLESS
JD
Jim
I think you are right! Yes, extra shorts have replaced that pathetic pair.