Sunday, September 13, 2009

Flatlander in the Mountains




I am a flatlander through and through. We've done a lot of mountain driving in the past three days. Of course some might say that we had not really been in the mountains yet, as we were in the Flaming Gorge area. I say, if there are switchbacks they are mountains.

We drove down to Vernal, Utah yesterday and the road had 10 switchbacks and 5-8% grades. All of the switchbacks had signs displaying the recommended speed, some as slow as 15 mph. Other signs indicated how many switchbacks remained.

Oddly enough I feel more comfortable driving through the mountains. Upon returning to the campground as we approached Manila, UT. I looked in my rear view mirror to see the grille of a semi. Even if there was a turnout, there was no way I could get on to the turnout with out slowing down and slowing down was not an option with that grille bearing down on us. There was not much left but to careen down the mountain until there was a place he could pass us.

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