A short drive later, the mountains of the famous Rockies were visible and still snow capped. The Liberty was running strong in the high altitude, and it seemed ready to hit the Continental Divide. After a very brief border crossing, the team entered Montana and was eager to get into Glacier National Park.
Driving through Glacier National Park was one of the most memorable and fantastic drives they had ever done. Breathtaking vistas, high altitudes, snow-capped peaks, crystal blue topaz coloured lakes, and glaciers. As the team climbed a peak, the Liberty suddenly started to overheat. The team opened the windows and turned up the heat on the fan controls, and kept moving. The heat had subsided…at least for the time being.
After an incredible experience in the National Park, the guys decided to run “Endurance-style” all the way to Utah. Pushing through the mountains, Dion drove the first leg and as night fell, Derek took over. The team pressed on, and this became too much for Dion as he fell asleep in the passenger seat.
Dion awoke to darkness, and the sounds of the Jeep rolling and the satellite radio pumping out music. He looked over at Derek who was enjoying the night driving. After a few late night fuel stops, the team crossed the Utah border where they saw a variety of forest fires and crews working to clear them. The guys had heard about these and were concerned about highway closures. Thankfully though, none of the highways were closed.
Day broke and the team was still in “Endurance Mode.” The Jeep was running smoothly, seemingly enjoying the endurance-style drive that was a non stop tour of the U.S. Midwest. It was then they immediately noticed the sudden environment change. A little warmer, very rocky, new mountains, and dirt and sand. To top it all off, not a lot of life or people were around.
They stopped at a rest stop just after the “Welcome to Moab” sign, and noticed the rise in temperature almost immediately. They left Canada at 20 degrees C and now found themselves at 35 degrees C, and that wasn’t anywhere near what they would experience in the coming days.
After leaving the rest stop, they noticed they were entering into a deep valley and the rock and ground suddenly turned into a deep red and orange colour. They had made it. They were finally in Moab, and the Red Rock Challenge was truly underway.
Rolling into Moab, the team got a lot of looks from people around town. The Jeep Liberty was outfitted and loaded to the eyebrows with gear and decals, and it had Ontario license plates. It was an impressive sight for sure!