Riders take note: Carry liquids, water preferably and no alcohol, please. Wear a helmet, dress for the weather, know the difference between the throttle and brake. Listen to your guide and try, as hard as it may be, to keep the jaw from dropping while taking in the scenery. Riding can be dusty at times.
Those are but a few of the "safety & etiquette" rules given to riders involved in the San Juan Safari last month.
The fact that all 85 of the registered riders returned with little more than weary bones and tired muscles, and some dirt between the teeth, means they listened.
It was one of a growing number of organized all-terrain vehicle rides, often referred to as four-wheeler adventures, offered around the state each summer and fall.
Requirements on the part of the rides are simple: Along with the aforementioned rules, ownership in an ATV is mandatory.
On the part of the organizers, in this case in particular, the only requirement is a place to ride, with scenic wonders unmatched in any other part of the country. Places like Canyonlands National Park, Bridge National Monument, Wilson Arch, LaSal Mountains, around Monticello Lake, up to River House Ruin and on and on and on.
In all, said Doug Harkey of Monticello, one of the original organizers of the event three years ago, there are 18 directions riders can go and tour guides for each ride.
When Harkey moved to the area, he said he saw the potential for introducing ATV rides. At the same time, the county was looking for something to
boost tourism.
"Also, I was looking for a way to ensure we could keep our backcountry roads open and felt if they were used, then there was a better chance they would stay open . . . and the roads are open," he explained.
Riders this year came from all over the country.
Kim Burtenshaw, chairman of this year's Safari, said, "We would have had more riders, but some of those who signed up early were from Louisiana and they had to cancel.
"We have noticed, since we started the safari, that we are getting more people with ATVs staying in town. Many of those who go on the safari tell us they plan to come back and bring friends because they had such a great time,"
The event is designed to accommodate 350 people, and organizers expect that they will eventually hit capacity.
Which means organizers will require a pool of between 60 and 80 volunteer trail guides.
Finding that many people in the Monticello-Blanding area won't be difficult, said Burtenshaw, "The people around here love to ride and, even more, love to show off the country . . . It's spectacular."'
The two most popular rides, or those that fill up first, he added, were Hook & Ladder and Paiute Pass.
"And, really, it's not that they are any more popular. It's simply that people are more familiar with those two rides," he explained.
Hook & Ladder is rated as a "difficult" ride that runs through semi-desert, red-rock terrain accented with some slickrock.
The description reads: "Unprecedented views of the LaSal Mountains, and a view through the back side of Wilson Arch. Indescribable views of red-rock fins, canyons and overlooks."
Paiute Pass is also rated "difficult."
And, said Brent Johansen, who guided the trip this year, one of the more difficult, "which is one reason people enjoy this ride."
The description reads: "This trail presents some of the most scenic vistas in the county, including Jacob's Chair, White Canyon, the Henry Mountains, Rainbow Canyon and, if Lake Powell is high enough, Good Hope Bay."
"You also see a lot of geological features, the process of erosion, including a number of balancing rocks. This is also bighorn sheep country, and occasionally we'll see a big ram," he added.
Burtenshaw led the ride to Shay Ridge on the second day, which is a high-country tour that reached a high point of roughly 11,200 feet in elevation.
It is popular because it is a "very beautiful ride. It also is a ride where there's a good chance of seeing wildlife. We saw a large bull elk on this trip," he said.
"But it doesn't seem to matter where people ride, they enjoy themselves. The first year I guided on a desert trail. Some of the people didn't know what to expect, but they all told me they loved it. Taking an ATV in this country is really the only way to see it."
He added that what people seem to like most about this type of activity is that it is an organized event, which means people can ride into new country, see new sights and feel safe and know they're not going to get lost.
Variety is also a thing that lures riders to the area. There's everything from high mountain to lower-elevation desert rides, and rides that are easy, such as the one to Behind the Rocks, to the more challenging, such as Paiute Pass.
The Behind the Rocks ride, for example, is out into semi-desert country, among the pinion-juniper trees and sagebrush. There are also some sand dunes along the way that offer a little play time for riders.
Another easy ride is Wooden Shoe, which follows a well established country route. It starts near Bridges National Monument, then climbs steadily onto national forest lands.
There are approximately 500 miles of available trails in and around Monticello and Blanding. Burtenshaw said there are plans in the works to add more miles and create a loop that will go from the center of the state south to Blanding and on to the tip of Lake Powell.
In most cases the Safari tours leave promptly at 8 a.m. and return in the afternoon. The time, of course, depends on the location and length of the trip.
The rides are challenging. And, when the day is over, riders know they've been somewhere special, seen country they haven't seen before, used muscles that have been unused for a while, and are ready for a good meal and rest.
But come morning they're up and looking for more. And, when the event has ended, guides say, the most common comment from those involved is: "I'll be back . . . this time with friends."
E-mail: grass@desnews.com