San Rafael Swell

San Rafael Campground by the river on the Buckhorn Wash road (go see the panel), the Wedge Overlook, Little Wild Horse Canyon. Plenty to see. Butch Cassidy country. 

I thought this was a thread about Marin people with plenty of money.

Make sure you spend some time in Goblin Valley. Very cool spot. 

The Mewlips

You sink into the slime, who dare
To knock upon their door,
While down the grinning gargoyles stare
And noisome waters pour.

Beside the rotting river-strand
The drooping willows weep,
And gloomily the gorcrows stand
Croaking in their sleep.

Over the Merlock Mountains a long and weary way,
In a mouldy valley where the trees are grey,
By a dark pool's borders without wind or tide,
Moonless and sunless, the Mewlips hide.

The cellars where the Mewlips sit
Are deep and dank and cold
With single sickly candle lit;
And there they count their gold.

Their walls are wet, their ceilings drip;
Their feet upon the floor
Go softly with a squish-flap-flip,
As they sidle to the door.

They peep out slyly; through a crack
Their feeling fingers creep,
And when they've finished, in a sack
Your bones they take to keep.

Beyond the Merlock Mountains, a long and lonely road,
Through the spider-shadows and the marsh of Tode,
And through the wood of hanging trees and gallows-weed,
You go to find the Mewlips - and the Mewlips feed.

by J.R.R. Tolkien

I have a touristy brochure of the Swell somewhere around here. 

I think it was published by the city of Price to attract tourists

"Pork Chops and Apple sauce,,,,"

Little Wild Horse is a must-see and just down the road from Goblin Valley. You'll pass it on the way. 

Just watch for rain, even if it's miles away. As you can see, there are spots where there is no escape. 

Tragically, two little girls, 7 and 3, died when a flash flood hit the area last May on Mother's Day and their parents could not save them in the rushing waters. The 7 year-old died in her daddy's arms, the 3 year-old was found 28 miles downstream.    

Here's a twitter video from that day. from people who got to high ground. 

https://twitter.com/tommgowan/status/1260107498523987973?ref_src=twsrc%5...

There is in fact a hot springs close to San Rafael, CA....and the swell has to be gone to get to it.

Near Stinson Beach there is a warm seep under a big boulder that is exposed during extra low (negative) tides -- it's quite a trippy experience to soak there, especially during full moons.

First you have to sandbag up a "tub." There are regulars and visitors that help do that. The regulars have been going there for years. (Actually first you have to risk life and limb climbing down the hillside, unless you are camped nearby -- then you can walk the along beach, though it is precarious.) Then you have to wait your turn for a good soaking spot, as up to a couple dozen people might show up, depending on the weather. It's not unusual to find yourself sitting on a starfish. After a while the tide comes in and the first wave of cold sea water washes into the tub. Everyone scampers out. Otherwise, it would be quite easy to be swept out to sea.

Because the needed conditions and tides often seem to happen in the early dawn hours, it is not impossible to make it back to the City to your tan cubicle at work and wonder, "Was I just squished in a tiny cave below sea level  with a bunch of crusty hippies and naked sorority girls just a few hours ago?", as sand falls off your eyebrows into your coffee cup.

Ray's Tavern in Green River serves up a mean Cheeseburger. Tell Pickles I said "Hello, Pickles".

After turning off the hwy for Goblin, drive past the entrance on your left and continue forward into the Swell. A big panel of glyphs on the first cliff on the right

New owners. Rays sucks now. Green River Coffee has some good eats with a hippy vibe.

I have been there and through that area several times too and correctly figured that Slick would have better details and directions. I enjoyed the solace and very intense desert quiet while spending some time camping around the wedge overlook ("mini grand canyon") too. Enjoy!!

Yeah Ned, I don't think Pickles has been at Ray's for years. Unless she came back. It has changed drastically and has lost much of the charm. Pickles was great. Wouldn't take shit from nobody. 

Bob, who owned it for years ($25 cheeseburger sandwiches for vegetarians) sold it to Carol who owned the pizza place on the main drag. She raised the prices and milked the tourists. (But it's the same price a cheeseburger and fries is now in Salt Lake.) A guy named Virg ran it for her for a bit, but she may have sold it. Not sure, it's been a few years since I was there.    

Ned, I was on the river looking for the geyser (back in '90?) and who the hell was at that beach but Pickles! We knew her from the bar also. I had a friend who lived in Green River for years.

Damn, even the geyser doesn't spout anymore. One night, we saw that thing go for 45 minutes, shooting 90 feet into the air sometimes.       

Ken, you mentioned driving through. That interstate through the swell is one of the prettiest sections of interstate in the country.

I ate at Ray's in October and it was just fine. I asked the bartender if Pickles was around and he said she's back in town(!), but not working at Ray's.

Make sure you spend some time in Goblin Valley. Very cool spot<<<

I took a road trip with my dad a couple years ago in the region and would echo stopping by Goblin.

Likewise, if you have the time to roam or take the long way home, the route we took was VERY cool - even just being in the vehicle:

I70 -> 24 -> Hanksville -> Fruita -> 12 -> Grover -> Boulder -> Bryce -> 89 -> 14 -> Cedar City

 

We're doing an early season 3 day/2 night backcountry trip in a couple weeks in the Superstition Range NE of Phoenix valley (White Rock Spring etc). Hitting Wolf Creek to ski for a day on the way back, and a soak in Pagosa Spgs :)

My Datsun vapor locked there in the 80's on I-70. ----- I found it to be a cool landscape when I ventured about. - I last went through in 2017.

Scored a bag of weed from a Colorado deadhead at a rest area in the Swell. On our way to Vegas 91

interesting story on how the I70 got built. Local towns looked forward to the economic boost since it was longer but easier to build the hwy through the towns. So they flew out the guy whose decision it was and as soon as he saw the Swell he HAD to put a freeway there

Cisco, UT got by-passed (aka: screwed).

RE thread title:  I thought maybe San Rafael got a WNBA franchise.  Or, I dunno, pro soccer.

Bring your Geiger counter. You can't tell the story of the Swell without telling the story of the uranium boom

 

Then there's the Mars Research center.

 

Also look for the remnants of the Green River Launch Complex

 Hanksville -> Fruita -> 12 -> Grover -> Boulder -> Bryce -> 89 -> 14 -> Cedar City

 

met some old timers  who said that was the only paved road to LA before the interstate