So far, I've seen two other 4wd trucks and a motorcycle in over five hours of driving, so I'm a bit surprised when I see two hikers hitching a ride up ahead. With their white shorts and straw hats, they don't look threatening, so I stop to see if they need help. They had hiked 3 miles down the steep (1,400 foot elevation drop) Gooseberry Trail and didn't think they could make it back up in the afternoon heat. They were looking for a ride to the Murphy Trail which they thought would be an easier climb back up to the plateau where the had their car and all of their gear. They each were sunburned and carried empty half-liter water bottles - which was about the extent of their preparation for desert hiking. I guess they didn't read the backcountry safety tips on the park map that says to carry at least one gallon of water per person per day.

Sure looked like another case of young male immortality syndrome. YMIS is a term used to describe young urban-dwelling men who spend too much time watching the Discovery Channel. They know nothing about preparing for a trip into the backcountry. Underestimating the risks, and overestimating their abilities, they frequently and unnecessarily get into serious trouble. The brothers looked to be in their late twenties, and were on their way to California where the older brother was getting married. The older brother was a lawyer from New York and the younger brother was studying to be an anthropologist. On their way to California they thought a little hike in Canyonlands National Park would be fun.

I managed to clear enough space from the quad cab seat for the two of them. I asked them if they had ever been four wheeling and they authoritatively answered, "yes" in unison. "Yes," they said, "we went four wheeling with a friend in Vermont once and had a great time. I've never been four wheeling in Vermont, but let me tell you, this definitely isn't Vermont! Shortly after this statement, we approached a steep section of road. Fortunately, while it was very steep, it was also not off camber. I felt my seat being pulled back as one of the brothers clung to my seat with a death grip and asked alarmingly; "Can you make it up that?" To be perfectly honest, since I had never climbed a grade this steep before, I wasn't really sure, but we would sure enough find out!

We all let out a collective sigh of relief when we crested the top, but there was a lot less idle chatter from the back seat after that climb. It seems the brothers had a newfound interest in checking out upcoming road conditions. Later we came to a section of road mere inches from the rim of the Canyon. I sincerely doubted anything as heavy as my 10,000-pound truck had been on this road, so I felt like I was giving the roadbed a good stress test. Memories of sliding off a collapsing road in Colorado and almost rolling my truck shortly after I bought it in 1998 are still fresh in my mind. Steep drop-offs with soft shoulders still give me an adrenaline rush. I didn't waste any time through this section and kept the truck moving at a steady pace. By this time, the idle chatter from the back seat had completely stopped. Finally, we made it to Murphy Trailhead, and after filling the brother's water bottles, they eagerly headed up the trail. I was as happy to see them go, as I'm sure they were to leave.