Poison Spider Mesa
We started this trail early with plans of running the Trifecta. We stopped to check out the petroglyphs on Potash Road, but it wasn't long before we were airing down and getting ready at the Poison Spider Mesa parking area along with lots of ATVs.
We enjoyed the hill climb through the switchbacks, and everyone chose their own line through the rocky sections. It was already a great start, and it looked like the weather was going to be really nice once it warmed up.
We had fun in the Chutes and no one had any issues. Everyone went up the Big Ledge without any problems, too.
We expected the same mellow trip up Prelaunch Pad, too, but that wasn't going to happen. Don went first, and it was his first time driving a standard transmission up a slickrock hill (he totalled his last Jeep the last time we were in Moab, and it had an automatic transmission). He wasn't used to it yet, apparently, because he launched both of his front tires quite a few feet in the air at the top of the hill. He came back down and tried it again, and this time he didn't have any problems. Everyone had their heart rates elevated as they followed him over the optional hill, but it all went well after that.
The ATVs soon passed us, and there were quite a few of them. We were behind them at one of the many rock hills when the last ATV driver took his ATV up a very steep part. He hovered with his front tires in the air, and then he came down hard, his ATV landing upside down on top of him.
Everyone ran to get the ATV off of the driver, and he was okay. He only broke a side mirror, but he scared himself and the other ATV drivers. We would see them off and on for the rest of the day, and the incident was the topic of many of our conversations.
We followed the ATVs up the Waterfall, and no one had any problems with the obstacle. Even the big hill at the top wasn't a problem. Everyone had a great time.
When we got to the Wedgy, everyone but Bob decided to go sideways and tippy through it. It always seems like someone is going to hit something, but no one did. There were no wheelstands, either, and soon we were all through it.
We stopped at the gravesite and found lots of assorted junk all over it this year. In the past, it has only been covered in coins. We all left quarters and other coins on the site and then we were off.
The Sand Bowl is always a blast, and almost everyone took a turn or two through it. After all of our racing in Lavender Canyon the day before, though, no one needed to get some speed out of their system. We were soon off and past the Golden Spike trailhead, planning on finishing all of Poison Spider Mesa.
The Tippy Dome is always a little nervewracking, but everyone did it just fine. It was worth it, because the views at Little Arch were incredible. There was a long line of 4x4 vehicles on the Moab Rim trail that we could see across the river, and it was interesting to watch them. Bob and Don walked across the arch, too, which looked scary. It was way too early for lunch, so we kept going.
The rest of the trail around the loop was a good time, with lots of sand and slickrock. We saw the ATVs a few more times, too. We decided to not take the time to go out to the Overlook, so we skipped that intersection. It wasn't long before we were at the Golden Spike trailhead.
We were really making good time as we started the Golden Spike trail. We were all glad that we took the time to do the top part of Poison Spider Mesa.
Reports from Other Days: 11
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