As the wagons approached Comb...
As the wagons approached Comb Ridge ahead, they had to be wondering how it was possible to get to the other side.
The trail through Grand Gulch is only open to hikers so we passed by and picked the trail up again on Snow Flats. One land formation is especially rocky and has been named “The Twist.” The higher clearance of the Nissan Pro-4X was tested in some places but most of the trail was crossed without devoting a lot of attention to it.
The lead wagons reached Comb Ridge near the end of March 1880. They were looking at a 1,000-foot high rock wall with no visible route where a wagon road could be built. They turned south and followed the base of Comb Ridge to the point where the San Juan River passes through a huge opening. They used that opening to get around the end to the east side but found that side was against the banks of the river. The only choice they had was to build a road to the top of the wall that formed Comb Ridge.
By following the base of Comb...
By following the base of Comb Ridge, the wagons reached the San Juan River that passed through a huge opening in the wall. They were able to get to the other side of Comb Ridge but found the river flowed against a wall on that side.
Once again, the pioneers were faced with carving a road out of solid rock. When the carving was finished, animals had to be selected carefully to get the strongest ones to pull the wagons to the top. As many as eight animals were hitched together for each wagon so if one animal fell to its knees, the others could hold the load. The best teams were used repeatedly, pulling the wagons to the top one at a time. After reaching the top, they ran north along its ridge until they reached a slope where they could descend away from the river.
Our group used the road to get around the wall, but there is no accessible path that follows the original wagon road, except on foot. A really nice cliff dwelling on the east side of Comb Ridge is well worth a visit. The river still flows against the wall in places so the only way out is the way we came in.
The pioneers had to carve...
The pioneers had to carve a path up the side of Comb Ridge so they could travel across its top. They named the ascent San Juan Hill.
Once the wagons were over Comb Ridge, the caravan was unwilling to proceed. The animals were in seriously bad condition and the pioneers were exhausted. The original plan had been to settle near Fort Montezuma but they huddled together in a wide-open area and declared it to be their new home. Bluff was the name of the settlement they built. A visitor park in town has several log cabins that are used to depict what life was like for the settlers who built there in April 1880.
Join us next month for part one of the Neemepoo (Nez Perce) Trail. Their flight for survival took them from Joseph, Oregon, across Idaho, through Yellowstone Park and into Montana.
| Navigation: GPS Positions |
| Latitude |
Longitude |
Landmarks, Intersections, and Other Locations |
| 37 24.5289 |
110 34.9763 |
Wagon wheel at crossroads for Halls Crossing. |
| 37 22.5401 |
110 32.3525 |
Remains of an abandoned halftrack vehicle. |
| On the east side of Clay Hills Pass, the Cow Tank road can be taken on the northwest side of milepost 84. Turn right on the two-track trail going east. |
In their diaries, the pioneers...
In their diaries, the pioneers mentioned using cliff dwellings like this one for shelter.
| Trip |
Latitude |
Longitude |
Landmarks, Intersections, and Other Locations |
| 1.6 |
37 30.2309 |
110 4.6925 |
Take the right fork. There are no signs. |
| 2.2 |
37 30.2917 |
110 4.0039 |
Take the right fork on Route 1. |
2.7 |
37 30.3753 |
110 3.5069 |
Left fork is the old trail. Right is a bypass. |
| 5.2 |
37 30.9745 |
110 1.3195 |
Take the right fork. |
| 9.6 |
37 32.4283 |
109 57.9100 |
At this point, the road connects to Highway 95 between mileposts 87 and 88. To continue, turn right. |
| At the intersection for Highway 95 and Highway 261, go south on 261. It will pass a ranger station for Grand Gulch. A short distance past that intersection is a two-track road going east. That is the original route taken by the pioneers. The trail is very abusive to a vehicle’s paint and is recommended for ATVs only. |
| 0.0 |
37 29.7465 |
109 53.7485 |
South on Highway 261 past milepost 32. |
| At the intersection for Hightway 95 and Hightway 261, go south on 261. It will pass a ranger station for Grand Gulch. Snow Flat Road is a left turn between mileposts 23 and 22. |
| 0.3 |
37 26.3591 |
109 55.0061 |
Follow the left fork. |
| 4.8 |
37 26.0885 |
109 50.7796 |
The original trail comes in from the left. It is recommended for ATVs onlydue to heavy brush that is abusive to paint. |
| 19.3 |
37 19.8543 |
109 39.8468 |
Take the right fork. Left follows Comb Wash back to Highway 95. |
| 21.9 |
37 17.8216 |
109 39.7496 |
Take the right fork. Left follows Comb Wash back to Highway 95. |
| 24.2 |
37 16.4177 |
109 40.6709 |
Turn left on Highway 163. Cross the bridge and turn on th e dirt road. Follow it around the ridge staying left at all intersections. |
| |
37 13.3071 |
109 41.8529 |
San Jaun Hill where the wagons climbed the wall. |
An outdoor park in Bluff has...
An outdoor park in Bluff has wagons and log cabins on display to introduce the visitor to the way of life the pioneers built. The visitor center has a variety of information and souvenirs.
Much of the information used in this story was obtained from the book Hole in the Rock, by David E Miller. Other sources were found on the Internet. The Xterra Pro-4X driven by Lone Writer is provided by Nissan. Tires are provided by BFGoodrich. GPS and Mapping software is provided by DeLorme. For more information, check out
www.lone-writer.com.