En route to Utah, well… not fast ;-)

1. In the previous update, I left you with this image of Black Rock that I leave it here again, you’re gonna understand why… πŸ˜‰
 
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2. The Wake up was quite unexpected with a rainbow in the mist that lasted only a moment.
 
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3. Here is Black Rock again, all crowned with a hairs of rising sun. So you have it in the evening and in the morning! πŸ˜€
 
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After a walk the day before to see the state of the trail, I decided to cross the high desert of Black Rock which seemed to have dried well four days after rain and snow. At first all went well, about ten miles without a hitch. Then suddenly, without I could notice any change on the track, VivaLaVida lost all grip, as if he was driving on ice! Even at leass than 5 mph, difficult to maintain it on the fine line of the track. Too late to stop, I drove about 3 miles till a simple tilt of 1 Β° or so “draged” VLV on the left without the steering wheel reacts. Obviously, out of the trace, the two left wheels were driven into the mud and despite the four-wheel drive and differential locks, VLV has stopped, stucked right..!
 
Well, I am alone more than 35 miles away from the first living soul, he’ll have to take out the nearly 5 tons of VLV by myself. So I pulled out the shovel and made a small fitness session to arrange “ramps” to all four wheels, not only to allow VLV out of its gangue but also to guide him back on the track, only trace capable of supporting its weight. I didn’t succeded at the first attempt,you can imagine. But after a few hours of fitness, “muddy” from head to foot, VivaLaVida had regained a semblance of presence with the wheels out of the ruts. πŸ˜€
 
All for nothing as two miles away, a river still flooded prohibited any crossing. So we turned backd and return to the Black Rock Hot Spring with the same trail – to wash Pschitt, shoes and shovel at almost nightfall… πŸ˜€
 
 
4. Here are the tracks that VLV was doing just before to get stucked, despite largely deflated tires.
 
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5. Gloups, it’s called bogged!
 
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6. Mud is good for the skin, isn’t it? πŸ˜€
 
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7. We’re out!
 
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8. No, these are not new wide tires mounted for a better look of VLV… πŸ˜‰
 
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9. After all that, I had to make a detour of more than 150 miles to find the road that would lead me in Utah. However, with stunning scenery.
 
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10. In the high Black Rock Desert, mineral colors are impressive…
 
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11. … sometimes incredibly saturated.
 
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12. It almost sounds like some molten lava, isn’t it?
 
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13. Sometimes softer and pastel…
 
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14. Last sunrays over Pahute Peak.
 
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15. The sunset gratified me with very soft pink colors.
 
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16. The next day, when I joined Utah, it was full moon on the plain…
 
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17. The shadows lengthen over the southern Great Salt Lake.
 
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Upcoming episode in a few days…
 
 

2 Commentsto En route to Utah, well… not fast ;-)

  1. canyon haverfield says:

    excellent description even without the aid of video the ‘stuck’ story ran well in my in visionary.. Geez your adept at telling the adventure tale !
    Bet that mud was a task to remove.. and I imagining you’ve on-board pressurized (grey water) .. and knowing you as ‘we’ do.. bet you’ve a cool fire department style cool spray head !
    Hey.. do you run an active blog at another address.. sharing more in perspective to your mechanical issues along the way… everything regarding how your gear works… from A-Z.. be interesting.. Along those lines your comment got me to acquire a TrashARoo bag.. super addition right off the bat
    You joining friends for Thanksgiving ? If not.. know your not the only one ‘out there’ in the mud,under the moon, and in a hot spring pool ! – Canyon

    • Claude-Alain says:

      No other blog than this one. And no pressurized water, so the hot spring on the way back was welcome. πŸ˜‰
      About Thanksgiving, we’re not used to in Europe, so it will likely be a day like all the others for me, no worries… πŸ˜€