Offroad Old Narrows Trail
Offroad Old Narrows Trail
Back in the day before the National Park Service (NPS) got a burr in their blanket and decided to close off the well used trail, one could navigate up a high-walled, carriage-wide, multi-colored, serpentiginous, slick-rock canyon to everyones amazement and absolute delight.
Today, pretty much NO-one uses it at all � except those who ignore signs.
Hikers dont � because it is really, really, really far off road from the nearest staging area, across huge amounts of uniforn, non-colorful, boring, hot and flat desert and would require them to ride an offroad vehicle to get there to hike it. And, because it was never really important to them anyway.
ATV riders dont � because, well� the sign says not to! We just pass by where you used to turn off and shake our heads; or, sometimes someone will stop and reminisce about what you could have seen in the good old days before the NPS land-grab turned it into coffee-table-book fodder.
Post A Closed Trail?
This post with accompanying GPS trail is for a couple of purposes: first, to bring attention, in a more-or-less permanent venue, to this great and beauteous area. For after all, now its on the web; and,
Offroading Home: The "Old" Narrows Trail.] Why was it closed? Who knows why the bureaucrats in the government do what they do? For most of us, it completely defies all reason why such an entity would close off A WASH! On occasion, natures rain closes it off by completely scouring the twists and basins down to bare, unpassable slick-rock full of bike swallowing cravasses. Most of the time, however, the trail is filled in with navigable sand deposits.
The BLM, on the other hand, has closed off the Mud Wash ABOVE the narrows ostensibly to protect some spring, from what the ranger told me. The problem is that in the 30 or so rides Ive been across the area, Ive never even seen a spring.
The USGS marks the Red Bluff Spring down by where we now cross the wash and we can see that there isnt any spring at their marking. And the only other area it could be isnt even close to where ATVs rode – only hikers… and cows. So, who knows? Well probably never know!
Middle Gold Butte Yearly Checkout
Todays trail ride stems from when I was reading another "save the butte" site which stated that the BLM had closed off the Devils Fire area and gave instructions that you should now park back in Mud Wash by the corral and hike over the hill. I knew that the BLM contractor had erroneously closed off the trail two years ago; but public outcry had made them take down the barriers last year. This article made it sound like theyd done it again.
I decided to combine the two experiences, and this is what we ended up with. The recent track is in yellow and the… lets call them – "historical," trails are in red. You can see, even from the map, that THEY used to be the most picturesque way by far.
Weve posted about riding into the Middle Area before, and you most likely already know to stage at Whitney Junction and run down Gold Butte Road into the Mud Wash. The post and chain barrier at what is known as the Lollipops Trailhead is still there. We didnt expect it wouldnt be.
The Mud Wash Petroglyphs were also the same as last year (a welcome relief from the "tagging" theyve been through recently). Another good thing is that there is much less of that chalky, alkaline seepage on the rocks this year. Probably because its been a bit dryer.
And, as weve already said, the trail into Devils Fire hasnt been re-blocked like wed feared. The palm trees are still doing well, as are the rest of the formations.
The BLM fence still blocks the narrows at the point where there is another side trail running up the cliff-side to the mesa; although, its a LOT more traveled and worn now.
The corral at Kurts Grotto is still doing its job blocking the trail; although, with all the anger that I hear around town its a wonder. It was the "fiends of Gold Butte" and their paid lobbyist who were taking credit for "protecting" the area from us riff-raff seniors in the newspaper three years ago.
We knew then that their blustering rhetoric in their press release about grand plans to "make a nice trail so that it will be accessible and safe for everyone" was just a blatant smoke screen; and time has showed them for the liars they are. It is now more dangerous than it ever has been without offroad vehicles to firm down the trail, and absolutely no work on a "path" has even been attempted.
None of Gordons party had brought their climbing gear so they couldnt go in and check the petroglyphs – I hope they are still safe.
Finally, after back-tracking most of Mud Wash, they split off over to Devils Throat. That is one of the most visited sites on the butte due solely to the fact that you can nearly drive to its edge in a vehicle. And possibly the fact that it must be fun to throw things in to; as nearly every time Ive seen someone else at the site when I got there, thats what they have been doing.
If any of you have memories of riding "the Narrows" wed appreciate hearing from you in the comments.
Learn A Little More
This time Im a bit sad about this section. It marks the final segment of the George Burns-John Denver special weve been posting called: Two of a Kind. And, in many ways they were.
John became an icon for his generation. A songwriter, performer and an actor as well. He starred opposite George in "Oh God," which began a deep and lasting friendship. Knowing George added to his career and made him a better man. He died in an airplane crash much, much before his time and his artistry is still today making people happy.
George was also an icon for his generation: a comedian, an actor and a singer as well. He starred opposite John in a host of television specials and even music concerts, which began a lasting friendship with "the kid." Knowing John may have added a few years to his life, you see Georges career spanned to the end of his one hundredth year in 1969; and he, also, died long, long before his time… and he will always make people smile!
