For tonights show… We’re down in the adventure capital of the world. From the mighty Colorado, to the famed slickrock, Moab Utah is one of the top destinations for adventure seekers.
(Dan Mick. Danmick.com) “here we are we entered the trail, this is the start of the Poison Spider Mesa.”
(Dan) “and we’ve got some dinosaur tracks on the hill above us.”
And our guide tonight is a four wheeling legend around these parts…named Dan Mick
(Dan Mick, Dan Mick Jeep Tours) “I love to take people out here. I say we like to make memories that last a lifetime, one day at a time. You know I’ve got knew victims, I mean customers to take out and show the he.., I mean show the beautiful scenery to every week and today it’s you.”
Back in 1978 Dan’s GTO broke down in Moab and he’s been here ever since. For over thirty years he’s been crawling over the navajo sandstone and for over two decades he’s been taking people on his world famous Jeep tours.
(Boyd Haven, Millcreek Township) “there is a magic saying about the Jeep for every hour on the trail there is 8 hours under the vehicle. I’ll tell you what it’s true.”
(Joan Haven) “and given all that fancy equipment, this is the most important thing you need to take on the trail, lots of water.”
Boyd and Joan are joining us today, they hired Dan to help guide their 1984 CJ-7 over the tough trails.
(Dan) “Now if you look at the side of his Jeep this has got the newest paint job here. (laughs) He usually lays it over on this side. How many windshield frames is this now? (boyd) I think that’s my 5th or 6th one.”
A quick adjustment to take the tires down to 12 pounds per tire.
(dan) “and we are off.”
(Dan) “yeah mule, getty up.”
(Adam) “oh my gosh we are going up that? (dan) Just taller than the Jeep here we go. (adam) “Oh!” (dan) blue sky, woo. Back down again.” (adam) “that will butt pucker you.” (dan) “piece of cake.”
(Dan) “In the Moab area what we’ve got around us mostly is Navajo sandstone.”
(Dan) “the cowboys named it slickrock, steel hoofs on the horses.”
(Dan) “Steel hoofs on horses they would slide around, today we’ve got our iron horses here with rubber tires, incredible traction. You’ll see how we go up and down rocks that seemly are impossible. It’s crazy what we can do. I think sometimes, the laws of physics don’t apply out here and that’s when it will jump up and grab you and you’ll lay it on its side.”
(Dan) “Slowly, big air, woo, keep coming, keep coming. give me five, that was air buddy.”
(Dan) “That’s what you call an adrenaline rush, of course he’s probably got a shark fin in the bottom of that seat cushion.”
(Boyd) “I just love it, I wish I could come more often.”
(Dan on radio) “Alright guys here we are at the launching pad. We are going to try to get all the way to the top without flipping it over backwards.”
(boyd on radio) “Joan is bailing on me.”
(nats of Dan making chicken noises) “Joan is chicken.”
(Joan) “I usually get out and take the pictures, that’s my excuse.” (laughs)
(Dan) “pretty steep, tires protesting a little.”
(Joan) “I come because it’s breathtaking beautiful. I have devine moments and my husband comes to conquer the mountain with his machine.”
(Tag) I’ll tell you what if that doesn’t pucker the cheeks and make you want to suck some leather off the seat as you are climbing up that slickrock. Dan sure has a knack for getting you up here safe. That’s why he’s called the “godfather” of Jeeping. Coming up on KSL Outdoors, we are on to the next trail, the Golden Spike, that story in just a second, but first tonights quiz question.”
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(Dan) “Alright we are coming up on the little sign post here on the left, by that dead peice of wood. it says you now are on the Golden Spike trail.
Back in the day when restrictions didn’t allow going off trail, Dan was one of the founders of the Golden Spike Trail, linking the Poison Spider and Gold Bar Trail.
(dan Mick) Texas Bob came from the other direction and we met right here. He pulled up and I pulled up and i reached out touched fingertips and called it the Golden Spike Trail. It’s been one of the most popular trails in Moab ever since.”
The Golden Crack is just one of the more exciting obstacles on the trail. There’s no bypass. Drop your tires in the crack
(Dan) “easy, easy, don’t roll, don’t roll.”
Hope you don’t roll over and hope you don’t do too much damage coming out.
(tires screeching) it’s going. Woo. little bit more, easy does it. (nats) “woo hoo, you made it. (nats of joan screaming and laughing)
(Joan) “At least I didn’t swear! (laughs) I was so proud of myself.”
(Boyd) I told Dan I wanted to get a little air for the camera. (adam) You got it.
Dan’s custom 2008 JK is a little safer than Boyds older Jeep. Dan’s sports a TeraFlex Elite suspension and TeraFlex geared front and rear diffs, makes crawling up the rocks look like child’s play. It’s a comfortable ride, there’s no fear of tipping over and the best part, it’s just your party and Dan.
(Dan on petroglyph) “A lot of people interpret these different ways. There’s fences over there and big horn sheep which was a big part of the life of the Anasazi, Fremont and Ute Indians over the years. Most of these are 400-700 years old.”
He takes time to show you the local history, the landscape and even has fun, even if it means scaring the daylights outta you.
(Dan) “the magic bush.”
Up close the “magic bush” doesn’t look to magical. Dan makes sure everyone touches the bush on the edge of the cliff. Take a few steps back however, and the magic unfolds.
(Dan) “we used to hang a ten dollar bill on it and see who was bold enough to go get it.”
(almost tipping over) “woo!”
One thing is for certain, Dan and his son Richard will show you a great time.
(Dan) “don’t move, don’t breathe.”
(Joan) “it’s not the big obstacles in life that are hard, it’s the little ones that knock you up or knock you down, tip you over.”
They have the gear to get you out of trouble and will make sure you remember your time down in Moab on Dan Mick’s Jeep Tours.
(Dan) “I like that shirt over there, the art of getting dirty, going broke, while slowly heading no where and taking all day to do it.”
(Dan) “yup Jeep, just empty every pocket. Just expect every problem.”
(Dan) “just each and every paycheck. (laugh) Just exchange every part. (laughs)
(Tag) so when you come with Dan you got to touch the magic bush. look at this, I’m standing on a rock over a 500 foot cliff, this is impossible. now a little too much weight now, i’m a little nervous. (dan) No problem, look at this beauty, that’s how it grows out here, magic. (dan jumps) “no, no, no, if you want to come down with Dan, just check out his website at Danmick.com. time now to turn it back to Salt Lake for the fishing report to the guys at Fish Tech.”
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