ATV'ing in Grand Mesa Style

On February 9th, we went back ATVing again, and this time Roger and some other friends from Sun City went. It was a spectacular day, and you could see FOREVER!! Paper in this layout is by JBrisebois in her kit "Count the Ways" at Digital Scrapper Premier, Feb 2012.



Top: Looking west toward Moapa Peak and the Mormon Mountains, across Topquop Wash from the top of Flat Top Mesa. The background is a cholla cactus with its new growth.

Around the turn of the 20th century Harmon Wittwer and Hector Bunker built a trail to the top of Flat Top Mesa from Bunkerville across the Virgin River south of Mesquite to the summit on Flat Top Mesa. The trail can be seen from the top of the mesa as it winds up the wash and along the rocky ridge to the top. The digging was easy through the wash but not through the rock near the top.You can still see a notch cut in the rim rock just big enough for horses and cattle to make their way to the relatively flat grazing areas on the mesa top. The pioneers built rudimentary cisterns to catch water for the horses and cattle and often brought water up daily in saddle bags. There were only a few head that grazed there and there are none left on this land, a lot of which is under BLM management now. The mesa is typical Nevada desert flora and fauna--creosote bushes and Joshua Trees. While you can occasionally see a fox or a squirrel, or a desert tortoise, there is no water now to sustain much grass or animal life. There are several geocaches on top of Flat Top Mesa, and the area is frequented by ATV enthusiasts, rock hunters, hikers and motorcyclists. It is totally undeveloped. So may it ever be!

Below are some pictures from my first jaunt to the top of Flat Top Mesa, January 19, 2012

One of the greatest places in the Southwest to go on ATV adventures is right in our own backyard,---and today I did! I went with some friends for a great ride to Flat Top Mesa, a great geologic formation that is within two blocks out of our front door! I worked a small album with some of the photos of today using "This Way and That" --an Artisan's Guild January Notebook kit, and elements from "A New Beginning" created by Debb Cozzi. The bottom page is done with Pam Lefors kit "Eternal Blessing"