With the repaired driveshaft back under the CJ-8, the rest of the trip to the top was relatively uneventful. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief upon finally reaching the crest of the cliffs with the last of the vehicles. It had taken us a little over five hours to travel under a half a mile! Not the usual pace for these desert exploration trips, but a segment that will long be remembered by the crew involved.
What a difference in terrain - an abrupt transition from a narrow, rock- and ledge-filled chute to miles and miles of dusty two track through the short grass and scattered trees of this broad bench land. After a few of those dusty miles, we came to a stock watering system that included a huge tank brimming with cool, clear water. We gleefully took the opportunity to shed a few of the layers of sweat and dirt we had gained during our labor to get past the Savanic Mine. When you are carrying your water needs with you in jugs, you take advantages of bathing facilities wherever you find them!
Our route next took us through twisting Pigeon Canyon. The road was well maintained and well signed, a trend that we noticed throughout much of the Parashant National Monument. The serpentine climb would take us up through the Upper Grand Wash Cliffs to the Shivwits Plateau, a major feature of the Arizona Strip and one of the centerpieces of the new monument. What a different world this high plateau of trees and meadows was from the low desert we had just left. We drove down wide, graded dirt roads toward Kelly Point, a purportedly dramatic viewpoint of the Grand Canyon. As we toured farther south, the roads got progressively smaller and rougher. We were soon reduced to a slow crawl negotiating a seemingly endless array of football-sized rocks on the narrow two track through the trees. Further review of our admittedly sketchy trail descriptions confirmed that the remaining 20 miles to Kelly Point would probably be more of the same. A quick conference to discuss potential vistas versus a literal "40 miles of bad road" and we all agreed that a change of destination was in order. As dusk was, again, nearly upon us, we looked for an appropriate place to camp. We found it nearby at the site of an old sawmill operation near Green Spring and settled in for the night.
The next morning, our plans to find an alternative viewpoint with a little less "investment" still seemed prudent. We decided on Twin Point, another high promontory just a few miles to the west. A quick backtrack and we were once again headed south toward the Grand Canyon. Ahhhh...much better. The road, while still two track, was much smoother and the distance to the end of the long peninsula was only half as long. The views of the Canyon were spectacular. We marked this spot as a strong contender for a campsite on any return trip and also encountered the first vehicles that we had seen in over two days. The Strip can be a lonely place.