Day 7: It was friday and I decided to head for town. Beef Basin was the same as I had remembered the last time I was there. Outlaw had a plenty of back up with Gadgit, Sundance, and Caveman. Folks had shot the shootin irons. And Sissy was complaining a bit louder. Not to mention folks calling dibs on my stuff and buzzards circling and Kill Bill babes, and....... Oh and it was Memorial Day weekend and if I had trouble I needed to get out early enough before everyone left town for the weekend. The plan for the main group was to leave the next day almost due east over the Causeway to Monticello, UT. I broke camp and headed that way when folks headed back into Beef Basin for another day. That sure was a pretty drive. I had wanted to do a loop close to that last fall but a leeking axle seal on Jr. took it's place. There were a ton of deer and one wanted to go back to KS with me. Lot's of locals out hunting bear with dogs. One dog was trying to get a ride with me. I thhe said to heck with the bears I wanta go to KS. Just west of the Causeway the back trail was awsome. Just east of the Causeway I had cell service and called and left a message for Outlaw to tell him to look out for deer and the great view of the back trail west of the Causeway. Next I started to see a bit of snow. First in the ditch along the side of the road, then little bits out in the road. Next I came upon a small drift with just 2 ATV tracks going through it. Now that was a bad sign. It ment that the road below was closed as no full size tracks were made in the drift that crossed the road. It was getting close to noon and it was hours back the way I came and hours back out south to Blanding. I could have gone back a short distance then south but no way to know if there was snow down that way or not. I had asked for and received a new shovel for Christmas so down through the drift I went. After a short distance I found another drift about the same size. Not much thought went into this one and on downI went. I was just a few miles out of Monticello and so close I could smell it when I came up on the big drift. The left side was the down hill side and had rocks and dead fall down off the road. It was wet and soft. The plan was to do through the middle. But the deeper snow on the right up hill side and maybe me shading it that way a bit pulled me hard to the right and held me to the uphill side and stuck me. Wooo hooo! I got to use my new shovel fer more en just diggin cat holes. I had dug fer bout 45 minutes and tried it again with no luck. I had been diggin again fer about 15 minuted when a feller on a ATV witha long shovel came up behind me. He dug out the back frome behind and the front from the front while i was underneath. Dang Sissy was dirty under there. I was wet, and muddy, and had over a dozen nicks on my hands and arms. I washed up in the snow a bit and was able to drive out. I had opened the road. I stoped and ate a late lunch then there were 2 more drifts. But they were the smallest of any of them. Down in to Monticello for the last available room on Memorial Day weekend. Sissy was doing fine. I called Outlaw and left a message about the snow. I cleaned up and treated the nicks on my hands and arms. Then I called Silverton. CO to check on Ophir and Engineer Passes. Ophir was open but Engineer Pass would not be open Memorial Day weekend. Cinnamon was open though. A third message was left for Outlaw and I settled in for a bit of R&R. My thinker worked fer a bit and I decided to make back up plans fer the next day. Plan was to wait for a late check out to see if Outlaw called and what his plan was. If no word had come I was headed for Durango. US 160 would have services if Sissy acted up onn the way home and I had reserved a $30 room in Walsenberg. Outlaw called and said Sundance and Caveman were through and headed for the barn. Outlaw was not going to do the snow canal he was going to go up to Webster/Redcone trail head and look for his neice.So I kept on for my second night in a roomin house.
