IntrepidXJ
06-13-2009, 07:37 PM
Another 12 hour day in the books. This time with Amanda. I figured that since I have now driven the Kokopelli and the Tabeguache, I would just finish off the Grand Loop and find a 4x4 route of the Paradox Trail.
We got an early start this morning and headed towards Gateway, CO where I topped off my tank before heading up John Brown Canyon and the Gateway-Castleton Road to the start of the Paradox Trail. I won't get into the details of the trail in this post, but I will say that the first half of the trail (50ish miles) went very smoothly. However, the second half of the trail did not, as I ran into some washed out sections of trail that I could not drive and then had to backtrack quite a ways. I am going to have to try to find some different routes for the second half of the trail in the future.
Here's some photos from the day.
The start
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147886-2/IMG_6831.JPG
Taylor Flat
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147901-2/IMG_6836.JPG
Keep an eye out for the trail markers
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147910-2/IMG_6839.JPG
La Sals
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147913-2/IMG_6840.JPG
The wildlife was abundant near the La Sals
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147931-2/IMG_6846.JPG
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147940-2/IMG_6849.JPG
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147976-2/IMG_6861.JPG
View down into Paradox Valley from Carpenter Ridge
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147985-2/IMG_6864.JPG
We got an early start this morning and headed towards Gateway, CO where I topped off my tank before heading up John Brown Canyon and the Gateway-Castleton Road to the start of the Paradox Trail. I won't get into the details of the trail in this post, but I will say that the first half of the trail (50ish miles) went very smoothly. However, the second half of the trail did not, as I ran into some washed out sections of trail that I could not drive and then had to backtrack quite a ways. I am going to have to try to find some different routes for the second half of the trail in the future.
Here's some photos from the day.
The start
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147886-2/IMG_6831.JPG
Taylor Flat
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147901-2/IMG_6836.JPG
Keep an eye out for the trail markers
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147910-2/IMG_6839.JPG
La Sals
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147913-2/IMG_6840.JPG
The wildlife was abundant near the La Sals
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147931-2/IMG_6846.JPG
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147940-2/IMG_6849.JPG
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147976-2/IMG_6861.JPG
View down into Paradox Valley from Carpenter Ridge
http://myxj.net/g2/d/147985-2/IMG_6864.JPG