Day 18: Alaska to Mexico Marathon Rally Adventure
Day 18: Alaska to Mexico Rally 2023 - An Early Morning Adventure in Utah
With a packed schedule ahead, our organizers decided that a pre-dawn start was in order. As the chilly half-light of a high-altitude Utah morning greeted us, we made our way groggily toward breakfast and then to the car park, where our cherished classic cars awaited, ready to be warmed up for the day's adventures.
Some of us faced a bit of a struggle to get our engines going. I remember seeing Steve Verrall, who leads the Classics Category, poking around his engine bay, coaxing the vintage Stuttgart engine to life. It's all part of the charm of these classic rallies – every morning starts with a new adventure, and today was no exception.
The early morning journey began just as daylight was breaking over the picturesque hills. We passed by Strawberry Reservoir on our way to the first of three Regularities planned for today. The road we traveled on had been paved since our reconnaissance, offering a surprisingly smooth surface compared to the gravel roads we'd grown accustomed to. None of us complained, though, as we glided along, savoring the scenic beauty and making our way to the Time Control at the Tie Fork Rest Area.
The second Regularity, named the Skyline Drive, lived up to its name. It challenged us with a route along a narrow dirt track, winding through a birch forest, and then ascending to high, open grassland dotted with thickets of trees.
After covering 130 kilometers along the road, we reached the Ponderosa Grill Time Control in Huntington, where a delightful buffet lunch awaited us. It was also an opportunity for our diligent sweep crews to mend a few punctures. John Pyle had the chance to top up his car's cooling system after the Chevy had overheated during one of the Regularities.
The day unfolded with the Buckhorn Draw Passage Control beckoning us toward the third and final Regularity. This leg of the journey took us along the San Rafael River in Emery County, leading us through awe-inspiring canyons sculpted by water over billions of years. The stratified history of this otherworldly landscape was a stark departure from anything we had encountered on the Rally so far.
Our night halt was set in the beautiful city of Moab, situated on the banks of the Colorado River. To cap off our day, an evening boat ride was on the agenda, featuring a three-piece band called 'The Nanites' who entertained us in fine style as we drifted along, surrounded by the geological wonders of countless millennia.
