“The Swell” is a one million acre treasure chest of distinctive geologic features, archaeological sites and truly wild wilderness. The significance of its jewels has resulted in at least a dozen attempts to designate “The Swell” as a national park, national wilderness and/or national natural landmark over the last 68 years. Most recent the Bush administration has set the wheels in motion to declare The Swell a National Monument.

In October, the process of moving toward that designation was hiccupped by questions of the integrity of the BLM Utah office’s land swap deals to secure land for the Monument. The San Rafael proposal calls for the BLM to deed to the state 135,000 acres of federal land in exchange for 108,000 acres of state lands managed by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. Negotiators on both sides say the proposed lands are of "approximately equal value," but BLM appraisal and minerals specialists later complained publicly that the deal amounted to a windfall to the state of up to $117 million. A BLM appraiser and several environmental groups called for a review of the BLM’s dealings. So, while the BLM’s closets get cleaned out in Washington, it seemed to us like the perfect time to get back in (or out, depending how you look at it) and enjoy this desert diamond in the rough, before it’s polished up with a new visitor center, paved scenic routes and promoted to thousands of tourists! So out we went a riding . . .

Delving into desert history
A daunting fortress of giant red rock fins jutting 800 to 1,500 feet up toward brilliant blue skies, known as the San Rafael Reef, deterred Spanish explorers from heading west through the area and cursed mountain men and pioneers from entering the area to explore its nearly two dozen major canyons, and seemingly infinite side and box canyons. Yet, The Swell is also filled with the history of outlaws and ancient peoples who embraced the sandstone beauty and maze-like refuge. As we wound through our route and passed trail spurs and junctions, it was obvious our guides have also embraced the knowledge of the area so we stayed on track and didn’t get lost.

As with most sacred wildernesses, humans weren’t the first inhabitants to The Swell. Wild horses and burros, living legends of Wild West history, roam the crevices, canyons and buttes. Some sources say The Swell is home to Utah’s largest desert bighorn sheep herd. The Utah Department of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) has established a population of more than 70 bighorn sheep in the Swell, and identified more than 11,000 acres of critical peregrine falcon habitat in the cliffs near Mexican Mountain – an area we passed along our ride. Three hundred pronghorn antelope are eastern neighbors to the Swell and occasionally stop in for a visit, according to the BLM.

As we rode through canyons we also saw several of the three dozen or so discovered rock arch formations in the area. The arches left our souls soaring, but also stirring. The landscape is so stunning, but so harsh I know there is some tragic history to all this beauty.

Hondoo arch led us to Swasey’s Cabin, a small log structure built in the early 1920s by miner Swasey, and Tomsich Butte, where a man named Tomsick roamed into the slot canyons of the area with his dog. Both drank poisoned water from the creek. Tomsick walked out, but the dog perished.

Other signs of perilous history are obvious along the way. While at camp next to Muddy Creek views down its slot canyons ominously revealed log jams from flash floods 30-feet overhead!

Rock Hounds Delight
As we rode on, the rock formations become younger, but signs of human presence are older. Sure there are abandoned mines from early 1900s mining prospects, but there is also a bounty of rock art panels dating back 2,000 to 8,000 years. At Buckhorn Wash we find beautiful panels that boast their own sense of place and time with mystical shaman and serpentine images from the Barrier Canyon era and later the Fremont cultures.

Throughout our ride the rock formations take us from several million years ago to more recent times – that is if you consider 80 million years ago more recent. Knobs and buttes of Navajo Sandstone line our route. We’re inspired to challenge the names given by pioneer stockherders with more modern (and corny!) versions like “Make My Day Mesa” and “Table for Two.” The mesas drop off into deep canyons with sheer Wingate Sandstone cliffs.

On our last day, we ride out to the Wedge Overlook – “overlook” being an understatement. It was a rewarding and overwhelming way to close our trip as we peered down thousand foot cliff walls that drew us into what is known as the “Little Grand Canyon”. Here, instead of the Colorado River, the San Rafael River (also being considered for Wild and Scenic River designation – see Fall 2002 newsletter) has bored deeply into the rising land, revealing one of the oldest rock layers exposed in the region -- the 250 million-year-old Coconino Sandstone. Above the slice of Coconino lies Kaibab limestone, a resistant layer that forms the broad floor of Mexican Bend, the hidden valley where the outlaw Butch Cassidy once left two posses eating his dust.

From the Overlook we headed back to Green River, leaving behind the monolithic buttes, slithering canyons and desert ethers. As we turned south on Highway 6 we had one last long drink of the San Rafael Reef giving us a jagged, haunting, magical and majestic salute. From this wide-angle perspective, I imagined the day when the reef will be showcased on postcards that tout “Greetings from Beautiful San Rafael Swell National Monument!”

For more information about mountain biking in the San Rafael Swell go to: www.HolidayBikeExpeditions.com
Holiday began running mountain bike trips through Utah’s San Rafael Swell back in 1996 as a way to get people out to one of the most remote and distinct desert areas in the state.

For more information about National Monument designation: http://www.ut.blm.gov/sanrafaelswell/