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They always say you can never go back….. But we tried this Fall as we signed up again to participate in the 10th Annual Red Rock Rallye in southern Utah. We kept remembering those spectacular sunny days and brilliant red rocks and couldn’t resist. We even talked several of our traveling companions to also partake in the adventure.
Now the pressure is really on, because you have talked three other couples into going. Will they like the people? Will they like the drive? Did we overdo it on the description of the tour last year? Did we tell everyone to bring the “right stuff”? (I have to admit last year the daily temperature was in the 60’s and 70’s with a few brisk mornings. My instructions were to layer and bring jackets. This year the temperatures were in the 80’s and 90’s during the day…. need I say more?)
On September 30th we flew to Salt Lake City to meet our cars and the rest of the group. The Rallye had 15 cars/couples…. including Mike and Suzie Ksaizek, Andy and Cherie Simo, and Frank and Pat Troost from our Chicago club… and of course Jim and myself. Other participants were from California, Arizona, Missouri, Georgia, Utah, and England.
That evening we met at Randy and Debbie Aagaard’s home for a barbeque and “get to know” everyone with the typical talk when you get “car people” together and anticipation for the drive to Moab the next morning.
As we assembled the next morning for the drive, the day was sunny and clear. A bonus this year was the aspen were in color, so as we left Salt Lake and headed into the mountains the hillsides were a canvas of green and gold.
In the mountains you have to look out for those “Open Range” signs, meaning cattle have as much right to the road as you do… which we did find out as Mike and Suzie were blocked out by a small group of cows. A good excuse to pick up the speed to catch up with the group later. The drive is a combination of alpine settings as we leave Salt Lake to the red rock and arches country as you near Moab. As we make the final turn down the road to our first night’s lodging we follow the Colorado River through the Red Rock canyon… quite a sight!!
The next day is a free day and with Mike and Suzie we are up to the hike to the Delicate Arch. Just a quick 3 miles….. Mike kept saying “WE ARE GOING TO THE TOP OF THERE?!?!” The view is worth the walk. Even though this was our second time to the Arch you continue to be in awe of nature and the formations developed through the years.
We did encounter our first “mechanical challenge” at Arches National Park. The clutch to Mike and Suzie’s XK150 went out. As the afternoon progressed the park-side repair was completed. During the afternoon and along the way back to the lodge it is our first experience with rain in the area and the chance to use those great XK windshield wipers. We just didn’t know it wouldn’t be our last…..
That evening is the “official” start of the Rallye. Everyone is given our guidebooks for the routes for the next several days, our itineraries, and for the most competitive aspect of our trip the instructions for our “daily quizzes” which query each couple for local lore of the area we are touring. BIG PRIZES are awarded each day and this is a hotly contested challenge among the group. I have to say I am certain we badgered a number of Park Rangers and local tourist agencies for the answers to our questions each day.
The next morning dawns grey and damp. Where did this rain come from??? It doesn’t dampen our spirits as we leave the lodge and head to the top of the LaSal mountain pass. At the top of the pass there is a beautiful panoramic view of the mountains on one side and the red rock valley below.
From there we head south to Navajo land and Monument Valley. That evening we are staying on the reservation at Goulding’s Lodge. As you drive through Monument Valley you can’t help but think of all those westerns you have seen and those car commercials with the vehicles on top of buttes. Here they are…. Of course today it is a little different, because we have the unique opportunity to see the desert in the rain…. The buttes in the valley have an eerie appearance as the mists envelope them and new rivers are being made as the water runs across the terrain. I now know exactly what they mean when they say Red River. That evening we have a barbeque, in the rain, and tour the interior of the reservation lands, in the rain…
The next morning we are ready to head to a new destination. We are considering changing the name of the tour to the “Red Rock Rain Rallye” as again we are setting out with a little moisture in the air. The forecast is for clearing so we are optimistic…. Top down weather.
We are driving first to Lake Powell for our ferry crossing and then through the Canyonlands National Park and heading to our favorite stop from last year, The Lodge at Red River, which we have termed “the Ponderosa”. A log lodge set in a stand of trees along the Red River with the red buttes behind the buildings.
The day was a “little damp” so any chance of a clean car was eliminated early on, but as we pulled into the parking lot for the Lodge we almost didn’t recognize Andy and Cherie’s car. For those of you not familiar with Andy, his cars are always in top shape without a spec of dust. During the day they had taken a “scenic detour” down a dirt (now mud) road…..
The next morning we are off to Grand Staircase of the Escalante, the newest national monument. Instead of the red rocks, which we have become accustomed to, there are white crags and plains. This is the preview to our next stop, which is Bryce Canyon. This is a beautiful site with the brilliant red spires rising from the canyon floor. Of course, it is also another hiking opportunity. After lunch we head to our final destination of the Rallye, Zion National Park.
I continue to be awed by the changes in the country and the variations of the rock formations and red colors. As we drive through the park with the top down we are looking up at all the formations and color. That evening we have a final dinner as a group to officially end the tour, but we are planning an extra day to just explore Zion.
It was a great 4 days…. Great people…. Incredible scenery…. And I guess when I think about my first statement – Can you go back? The answer is YES!
The Red Rock Rallye in 2004 is scheduled to begin September 18th in Springdale, UT near Zion National Park. For information on the Rallye contact Debbie and Randy Aagaard at 801-272-9979.
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