I found my thrill on Elephant Hill

As I asked "Yes could I," I felt my stomach tighten. What was I thinking? I’m 58 years old, I don’t need to prove anything to myself (or anyone else) at this point in my life! But, being me, once I said that "yes", there was no changing my mind. Lose face? Never!

It had all started as a fleeting thought about two-thirds of the way through the Beef Basin Trail. What if I drove over Elephant Hill when we get there? Elephant Hill is one of our favorite places in fact, just having gone over it the day before from the opposite direction. Today’s trip being about our fifth time over, so I’m pretty familiar with it.

No, the thought was gone, replaced by the awe of the beauty of Needles area. Wait, there it was again what if could I? Was that the third or fourth time it had flitted through my mind? OK, a bargain with myself, I’ll make the final decision when the base of Elephant hill comes in view, plenty of time to decide.

The Canyonlands is one of God’s most beautiful spots on earth. I pity the poor motorists who fly by on Highway 191, maybe driving through Arches National Monument and say "Been there, done it."

(NOTE: this photo is NOT from Elephant hill)

Oh my gosh, there it is … Elephant Hill! This is it, now or never. Now! No … Yes! "Honey, want me to drive over the Hill and give you a rest?" Did I really say that out loud? I must have. My husband, Bob, is looking at me like, "Did she really say that?" He says "Do you want to drive over it?" No backing out now. "Yes, could I?" "Sure," said my husband, who could have given me an out by saying, "I don’t think you’re ready for this." Climbing out of our 1980 vintage CJ7, I felt an odd sensation in my knees. "Probably the altitude," I told myself. But they managed to hold me up as we exchanged places in the Jeep, Bob now becoming (in my opinion) a brave passenger/husband.

Now, this was far from my first jeeping experience. We are semi-veterans of most of the trails in the Canyonlands and have been on probably three-fourths of the trails in the Moab area. We trek over from our home in Parker, Colorado, at least twice a year for our favorite fun thing, "rocking" in our dependable old Jeep. We have done the Golden Spike, Steel Bender, and Behind the Rocks (including White Knuckle Hill), just to name three. I have driven over a few of the "gnarly" spots, but this was to be my first long, continuously "gnarly" spot. Could I handle it? Oh sure I’m fine on short obstacles, but this was going to take… minutes!

Our CJ, which I fondly like to call "Timex", for obvious reasons, is well-equipped, and I have ridden in it up and over things that no vehicle should be able to do. It never ceases to amaze me! So, needless to say, I have unending confidence in this four-wheeled wonder, but confidence in myself? Is Bob actually going to ride with me? He is; that says something.

OK, here goes; put Timex in "granny gear", no pun intended, and let out the clutch, and we’re already up and over the first ledge! Small turn coming up; it’s hard to see over a hood that seems to pointing straight up, but made it and over the next shelf.

Bob is telling me that I’m doing great; what a husband! Does he have white knuckles? No time to look; here’s the place where we have to pull in forward and then back up a section about fifty feet long. Can I do this without backing off the hill? Yes, I’m a good "backer." Is my confidence building? I think so. Into reverse and up that fifty feet; no problem. Now, forward again. Wait, I don’t remember this next section being so steep and rough. Bob is still telling me how good I’m doing. Are his teeth clenched? I find the easiest thing to do is to just point Timex in the right (?) direction; give him a little gas; and he does all the work, seemingly effortlessly. Ah, up over that, and here’s the next (last?) really steep obstacle. Halfway up, I’m almost there! Oh, no! I stalled the engine! I’ve got to start the engine and get us going again without rolling back down the hill! But Lady Luck has intervened and our back wheel is on the good side of a rock. So, we’re moving again. Last leg; pull over the ledge in front of us; too tight to make a turn, so back up and forward over; what seems by now, a baby difficulty. We’re on top! I did it! What a rush! I am Woman! I am Invincible! Well, let’s not get too carried away, but I am immodestly proud of myself!

Both sides of Elephant Hill are sort of "hairy," being rated a 3+ (Moab rating). This is, by no means, a tough trail for veteran "rockers," but for me, for my "virgin voyage," it was great! I highly recommend it to "get your feet wet" and, hopefully, you’ll have the encouragement of a husband-wife team like mine.