Stuck in South Canyon Story Editor:
by Barry Burton Joyce Schowalter
Arkansas, USA
Having just graduated from high school, I was 18 and living with my
parents in Denver, Colorado. In the summer of 1982 I decided to take my
most daring trip ever. I wanted to go to Utah and visit a dear friend
I'd known four years. My father had given me a small (250cc) street
motorcycle as a graduation present, and I hatched a plan to ride it to
Utah.
I was to get an early start, ride all day, and arrive at my destination
(Paradise, Utah) that evening. Arriving in Ogden, Utah, in late
afternoon, I looked at my map for an alternate route to save time. A
small line on the map indicated an unimproved road heading northeast --
straight to the little town of Paradise!
Of course I headed for it. The road quickly became a single lane, dirt
farm road winding through fields. As long as it was dry surely I'd be
OK. Suddenly, I lost control of the motorcycle and it fell over. I
wasn't hurt because I wasn't going fast, but I was puzzled and couldn't
figure out what had happened. It was dark now, so while my headlight
showed me where the road was, I couldn't tell its condition, only that
it was smooth.
I started again, and once more fell over after a few feet. I looked
around and found myself very alone in a high mountain field. For the
first time during the trip I started to get worried.
A few minutes later I couldn't believe what I saw -- a pair of
headlights bouncing along the road toward me, coming from the direction
I was headed!
The man driving the small pickup stopped and asked if I needed any help.
Not the type to bother others with my problems, I said I thought I could
get where I was going on my own, but thanked him for the offer. He
explained the problem -- a rain had passed over during the day, leaving
the dirt roadbed very slippery and muddy.
After another unsuccessful attempt I finally accepted his help, and we
loaded the bike into the back of his truck. He turned around and took me
back the direction he came from -- to the place I was trying to go.
I asked him why he was out there in the field at such a late hour to
begin with. He told me that he just had a feeling he needed to go down
that road, but wasn't sure why. Then he found me.
It took us the better part of an hour to make it to the next paved road.
All the while I was amazed that he was able and willing to be there,
especially considering the condition the road was in further along. I
will always be grateful to him for going out of his way on a dark night
to the middle of nowhere... to rescue
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