When thinking about the Anasazi, Lone Writer rarely visits the national parks where everything is so structured and crowded. He prefers remote locations such as Beef Basin far away from modern civilization. The roads into the area are not frequently maintained, but the county occasionally runs a grader over them. Primitive campsites are plentiful, and the environment is paradise for anyone in search of isolation and star-filled clear skies.
During a recent visit to Blanding, Utah, Lone Writer ran into some friends who belong to an Internet group. They spend the long winter months sharing a lot of e-mails discussing places they would like to visit in the spring. The last several days had been spent exploring trails near Lake Powell. When Lone Writer informed them he was headed for Beef Basin, they decided to tag along. The drivers of the vehicles were Happy Jack, Sundance, Boss, and Dragline. Of course those are nicknames used on the Internet and as CB radio handles.
There are two ways to go in or come out of Beef Basin in a 4x4. Actually, one of those ways could be done in a high-clearance 4x2 if Mother Nature was in a good mood. On the other hand, if she was having a bad day and started throwing rain or snow at everyone in sight, the roads could become impassable for anything on rubber tires. Any form of moisture turns the clay surface into gumbo mud. For those who are not familiar with gumbo, it's like driving in freezing rain. Gravity becomes the controlling factor taking everything in whatever direction is downhill.
The 4x4 road in or out of Beef Basin enters through the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. It follows a path of low elevations and is open most of the year. Lone Writer prefers to use that route to exit Beef Basin. The other route climbs through the Manti-La Sal Mountains along narrow-ledge roads that are covered in snow during the winter months. When the snow melts, moisture accumulates, and gumbo takes over. In most years, the hot Utah sun has dried everything out by the time Memorial Day weekend arrives.