THE SECOND DESCENT 4/23/08

I drive in the Range Rover Sport on the way down. It’s cushier than the LR3, the seats hold you more. Like a cockpit. But there’s less clearance in this scar, less suspension, and it’s more of a challenge to climb the descent. It’s an interesting lesson in character. Each Land Rover has its own particular sense of self.

Off-road driving is physically demanding work. It requires constant, vigilance. Constant attention needs to be paid to the terrain. By the time our cars finish the descent, make our way back down the landscape to the entrance to the trail, we’re all rather fatigued. And utterly amazed at the views we saw, the nature we witnessed. We’re all thirsty, too.

A quick jaunt back on the smooth, paved roads of Moab, and we pull into Milt’s Stop & Eat, a small, sweet-smelling burger joint in operation here in downtown Moab since the 1950s. All of us—every single one—orders a milkshake. Some with malt. Others with pineapple. There’s an immense sense of accomplishment and pleasure here. We enjoy the shakes, and shuffle almost sadly into the vehicles one last time.