Moody
Needs to get out more
Determined to get one more jaunt under my belt for the year, I had planned on going to Beef Basin for Thanksgiving weekend. As per the norm, few people are willing to brave the cold this time of year, had family responsibilities, and some opted out of going at the last minute. Always up for an adventure, Nic (Willman) came along with my dad and I. My dad is retiring in a few months after 30 years with the University of Utah Hospital in Respiratory Care. He is legally blind, and walks with one of those canes with the red end, but is eager and willing to venture on random treks with me into the unknown. I am proud of my pops, he has worked hard, and done well for himself. I am equally proud to have him come along, despite his limitations with his eyesight.
We stopped in Wellington to grab a drink, and to visit the commode. After some jerky and a coke, we gave each other the thumbs up, ready to go. I pulled out onto the road, with Willman quickly on my tail. Turns out it was a Wellington Police Officer behind us, and he stopped Nic for failure to stop at the stop sign. Stopping there is subjective, as the stop sign is placed well before the junction, and requires you to pull way out before you are able to see well enough to make the turn. I stopped, and then rolled forward a few feet to ensure I was clear before proceeding. The officer told Nic, "I was going to get your friends too, they didn't stop either." Thankfully, Nic talked him out of it, as we pulled over just up the road, sitting ducks for the officer if he chose to cite us. Both Nic and I agreed to be more careful when driving through Wellington, a 4 horse town just beyond Price, Utah.
On the drive down, we encountered a San Rafael desert with little to no snow, so we thought we were in the clear for Beef Basin. We stopped in Moab, and my pops suggested we grab a bite to eat at the Moab Diner. After a quick meal, we stopped at Gearheads to snag a few bundles of firewood for the much needed fire that night. I went over to the sleeping bag section, and oogled over a few Western Mountaineering bags, and one I had my eye on for quite some time, the Puma GWS (-25) happened to be on sale for 40% off. After being harassed thoroughly by my pops and Nic, I caved and bought it...along with 4 bundles of dry wood. We made our trek south to the turnoff to the Needles District of Canyonlands where we quickly aired down and started our way over to Beef Basin. It was smooth for the first 10 miles or so, and quickly turned into a snowy, slick, and outright boogery mess. We stopped to listen to the weather report, which stated a storm was going to hit SE Utah Sunday morning. We all decided we had better make the tough choice to turn around and head out-further south to Comb Ridge.
We stopped in Wellington to grab a drink, and to visit the commode. After some jerky and a coke, we gave each other the thumbs up, ready to go. I pulled out onto the road, with Willman quickly on my tail. Turns out it was a Wellington Police Officer behind us, and he stopped Nic for failure to stop at the stop sign. Stopping there is subjective, as the stop sign is placed well before the junction, and requires you to pull way out before you are able to see well enough to make the turn. I stopped, and then rolled forward a few feet to ensure I was clear before proceeding. The officer told Nic, "I was going to get your friends too, they didn't stop either." Thankfully, Nic talked him out of it, as we pulled over just up the road, sitting ducks for the officer if he chose to cite us. Both Nic and I agreed to be more careful when driving through Wellington, a 4 horse town just beyond Price, Utah.
On the drive down, we encountered a San Rafael desert with little to no snow, so we thought we were in the clear for Beef Basin. We stopped in Moab, and my pops suggested we grab a bite to eat at the Moab Diner. After a quick meal, we stopped at Gearheads to snag a few bundles of firewood for the much needed fire that night. I went over to the sleeping bag section, and oogled over a few Western Mountaineering bags, and one I had my eye on for quite some time, the Puma GWS (-25) happened to be on sale for 40% off. After being harassed thoroughly by my pops and Nic, I caved and bought it...along with 4 bundles of dry wood. We made our trek south to the turnoff to the Needles District of Canyonlands where we quickly aired down and started our way over to Beef Basin. It was smooth for the first 10 miles or so, and quickly turned into a snowy, slick, and outright boogery mess. We stopped to listen to the weather report, which stated a storm was going to hit SE Utah Sunday morning. We all decided we had better make the tough choice to turn around and head out-further south to Comb Ridge.
