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TheRoadtoPDTP

2012byNickGerlich

DependingonwhichwayyouapproachPDTP,itisprettycertainthatyouwillnot

arrivethereinastandardcarorminivan.Ahighdegreeofpreparationiscurrently

neededforthisadventure.

IfyouarearrivingfromtheeastatExit325(Navajo),thena4WDvehicle,ATVor

mountainbikeisnecessary.IfcomingfromPintaRoad(Exit320),amountainisthe

onlysuitableformoftransport,thankstothegate.AndifyouareboldlyescapingthePetrifiedForestNationalPark,thenamountainbikeisonceagaintheonlyoption.

Inbothofthetwolatteralternatives,liftingthebikeoveragateisallittakestobe

onRt66.

Today,weapproachedviaExit320anddroveapproximatelyonemiletothegate

blockingaccesstoRt66.Mywifeoptedtostayatthevan,becausewehadasmallpetwithus.Thankfully,itwasnothotoutside.

Ifoundmywaytotheothersideofthelockedgate,andproceededwestbound.Rt66

isinroughshapethroughhere.Itiscertainlypassable(i.e.,nowashouts),butitis

crumblingthroughout,andisoftenheavilywashboarded.Iquicklynoticedthatthis

landisbeingusedforrunningcattle.Icountedatleastadozenheifersandcalvesin

thefirstmile.

AbouthalfwayalongthethreeorsomilesfromPintaRoadtothePDTP,Isawan

ATVapproachingmefromthewest.IdidnotexpecttoseeasoulouttheresoI

stoppedasheapproached.Themanhadseveralsacksoffeedcornstrappedtohisrig,andwasclearlygoingabouthisbusiness.

Howdidyougetin?heasked.Didyoucomeoverthegate?hesaidwithahopefulinflection.

Yes,Ireplied.

Theresalotofcattleouthere,headded.

ImfromTexas.Iridearoundcattlealot,andknowtonotspookthem.Thisis

trueespeciallywhenIridedowninHillCountryandtheiropenrangeland.

Hesuddenlylookedalotmorerelaxed.IthentoldhimwhyIwasthere.Itturnedout

hereallydidnotcareatallthatIwasgoingtoPDTP.HewasmoreconcernedthatI

hadcutafence,andthatthecattlemightescape.Wehave142heifersandtheir

calvesonthese19,000acres,hesaid.

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Westartedtalkingaboutcattle,andthenalittlemoreaboutPDTPandRt66.Hetold

meaboutallthearchaeositesontheproperty.Youseethatblueflagoverthere?

hesaid,pointingtothenorth.Wecanttouchthatstuffthere.

Ah,yes.Indianartifacts.

Hethenwentontoexplainthat,whilethePDTPsitsonabout100acresofprivate

land(withnofence),therestofthelandisanenormoustract(tensofthousandsof

acres)thattheUSGovernmentintermediatedinalandswapbetweentheNavajo

andHopiIndians.Andthelandwasleasedtoagiantranchingconcern.HewastheRanchBoss.

WeresendingthecalvesuptoNebraskathisweekend,hewenton.Andwevegot

44moreheadonanotherbigsectionofland.

IaskedifitwasOKformetocontinuetoPDTPtotakesomepics.Goforit,he

quicklyresponded.Justaslongasyoudontcutnofences.

IassuredhimIhadonlymycameragearwithme.

Afterabout15minutes,hehandedmehisbusinesscard,andtoldmehiswebsite

andFacebookpage.Thisranchiscompletelyopentothepublic.Nexttimeyou

wanttocomehere,justcallme.Illopenthegate.

Gee,hadIonlyknown.

OnJune30ththisyear,theranchishostingabigexhibitionofthecowboylife,

completewithbranding,castratingandawesterncookout.Lastyear,200peoplecame,heproudlyboasted.

AndthenheproceededtotellmeabouttheplannedcasinoforExit320.TheyregoingtostartitassoonastheyfinishtheotheronedownatTwinArrows.

Finally,hesaidthattheyplantoremovethelongeast-westbarbedwirefenceonthe

southsideofRt66,aswellasthePintaRoadgate,andputthemallonthenorthside

ofRt66.ThatwayeveryonewillbeabletoenjoyRt66.

Istayedquiet,consideringthebenefitsofacall-aheadsystem,versusacompletely

openroadwaybeckoningeveryonefromhardcoreroadiestokidswithshotgunsandspraypaint.

IthinkIlikethefirstideabetter.

Butthatsanotherissue.Iwasafreeman,hadanewcontact,andreceivedhis

blessing.IcontinueddownthehilltothePDTP,tookabunchofpicsandvideo,

rolleddownfurthertotheDeadRiverbridgeformorepics,andthenexploredthe

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mesaacrosstheroadfromPDTP.Ittookawhile,butIfoundthepetroglyphs(after

gettinganastypokefromthatbarbedwirefence).

Theglyphsarehardtoseeafteralltheseyears,andthesunwasreflectingoffthe

rocks,butifyougoaroundtothesouthside(inotherwords,completelyoutofview

ofPDTP),walkhalfwayalongthemesa,andthencarefullyclimbupnearthetop,theyarewaitingforyou.Allthewhile,Ikeptawaryeyeforrattlesnakes,butalas,

theworstthathappenedtomewasasmallpuncturewoundfromthefence.

IvegotthemanscardforfuturetripstoPDTP,andwillshareasneededwiththoseplanningexpeditions.Themanwaspracticallybeggingmetocontacthim.

AllthatsleftformeknowistosortthroughafewdozenpicswhenIgethome.Until

then,thelittleboyinsidethismanhasjusthadabigday.