Once the road reaches the valley floor, side roads begin branching off. Most all of them lead to cliff dwellings and campsites. The first major intersection is diamond-shaped with a registration box in the center. Whether or not anyone official ever checks that box was debated for a while within the group. The book inside was badly tattered and was mostly used for individual attempts at humor.
There are hundreds or maybe even thousands of cliff dwellings in Beef Basin. The ones accessible by car are only a small fraction of the entire inventory. Lone Writer has a favorite that is always the first one he visits. He calls it "Showcase Ruin" located in Beef Basin Wash. He gets there by turning left at the registration box and then turning left again after the water troughs. A narrow two-track path follows the canyon floor and crosses the wash a couple times. At the end of the path is a campsite located at the base of the steep canyon wall. Judging by the condition of the path, it is mostly used by ATVs.
After parking at the edge of the campsite, Lone Writer started up the canyon wall through a thick forest of trees and brush. There were numerous footpaths created from people trying to find the easiest access. No matter which path is taken, the climb is steep and difficult to follow. The ruin is not visible during most of the climb, and some paths drift off in the wrong direction from those who became disoriented in their search.
One by one, Lone Writer's followers gave up and headed back. The climb was just too strenuous. After about a half-hour which included several stops to rest and get the heart rate slowed, Lone Writer reached the dwelling. It consists of many rooms and probably housed an entire family or families. It can be viewed and photographed from across a deep ravine. Getting into the ruin is risky and involves skimming the side of a rocky wall with nothing to prevent a fall into the ravine. Anyone choosing to attempt entering the ruin should consider the distance to the nearest medical center if a fall should occur.