Look down, look down that muddy road. It’s not so much the road, it’s the anticipation. Bear heads to Utah and tackles the infamous Moki Dugway... “I Survived the Mokee Dugway”...
Bear Tracks | The bloke at the rental agency didn’t muck about. “If you’re thinking of riding the Moki Dugway, you won’t be covered by either our road service or the insurance.” That was like a honeypot to a bear, of course, so I fired up the laptop and did a little research.
There was plenty of information. The official stuff mainly seemed to be dedicated to keeping everyone off the road. “Road closures can be frequent, so check conditions before traveling to this area,” said one reference about the Dugway. “During and after a storm the road may be impassable, even with a four-wheel-drive vehicle and can easily get muddy if it rains making it challenging to get through… It is very important to check rainfall in this area before setting off and make sure you are well prepared for the trip,” said another.
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To top it off, I was advised that “If road conditions result in an accident, you may be able to pursue a personal injury claim against the state or municipality.” Seriously? We’re being told that we can sue someone if we come to grief on three miles of gravel road? Before we even get there? What on Earth can it be like?
Motorcyclist Map on Facebook describes it as “a 6-mile (stet) stretch of mostly hard-packed dirt with tight switchbacks that can challenge even the most experienced riders,” while another bloke found “exhilarating hard corners with loose gravel and pavement. Not only very sharp but on an 11% grade… steep AF! Did I mention that the road was ALL GRAVEL!!!!” Not everyone was concerned. “The Moki Dugway in Utah was insane – an absolute must for anyone travelling on 2 or 4 wheels in Utah. We accidentally fell upon that route, how lucky…” read an Instagram post.
Looking at the online decription, a dugway can seem quite daunting. These days, it’s usually just a track that’s been blade cut by a dozer into the edge of a cliff. The name originally comes from a fascinating solution that pioneer trail blazers developed to cope with roadless, steep mountains. Here’s the US Army Test and Evaluation Command’s description of their invention: “The absence of roads and passes through the mountains forced the trail blazers to dig a serpentine trench just wide enough for the wheels to enter on the up-hill side of the wagon.” Okay? Can you visualise that? I had a bit of trouble. Great idea, though.
It’s all of three miles long, although it does have a gradient of 11 per cent…
The Moki Dugway, called that after the local Pueblos’ name for themselves by the Spaniards in the 18th Century, offers a bit more than that. For a start it’s as wide as a normal road, although it has no shoulders or fencing. It was cut in the first place for trucks taking uranium ore from a mine on top of the mesa, the 370m vertical drop down to a mill in the valley. Today it serves as kind of back access to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park near Mexican Hat UT. As I mentioned it’s all of three miles long, although it does have a gradient of 11 per cent.
So was it terrifying? Well, er, no. In fact you could call it a disappointment, the second of the day. The first was the actual stone Mexican Hat which does look like a sombrero – but is upside down. As for the Dugway, I’ve encountered worse driveways to houses in the country in Australia.
The surface is gravel and sand, well compacted and even carefully semi-sealed in the corners. I think I can safely say that none of us slowed down particularly when we left the tarred road for the gravel. The Dugway could, in fact, serve as an example of the ideal gravel road. Oh, okay, there was a bit of sand and some tight hairpins.
I’d certainly suggest that you tackle it if you’re riding by…
Despite the lack of much obvious danger, the Moki Dugway is fun and “provides breathtaking views of some of Utah’s most beautiful sites. Scenic views of Valley of the Gods and distant Monument Valley open at every turn of the Dugway.” There are plenty of opportunities to pull over and check out those views. I’d certainly suggest that you tackle it if you’re riding by. Oh, and I checked in the shop at Mexican Hat for stickers that said something like “I Survived the Mokee Dugway” but had no luck. We would have to be satisfied with verbally boasting that we had conquered this terror.
If you do tackle the Moki Dugway and crash, unlikely as this may seem, remember that you can always sue! “You can get more information by visiting https://getinjuryanswers.com,” says the helpful article I quoted above. Or you might just like to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and ride on. Your call, I guess.
The Bear is revisiting some of the more interesting rides and destinations he’s found in his years of motorcycling all over the planet. Keep an eye out for future excursions…
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