Nine Mile Canyon is billed on the BLM website as “an exciting journey into the history of prehistoric cultures, early travelers and the fast-disappearing Utah rural lifestyle. Magnificent canyon scenery, still home to an array of easily spotted wildlife, also awaits your visit.” “Exciting” and” history” were the only words I needed to read to put Nine Mile Canyon on the “to do” list on a recent trip through Utah. What I failed to notice on their website was the following, “During 2011-2012, 36 miles of the Nine Mile Canyon Road will be under construction for the purpose of improving the road to further protect cultural resources, improve drainage and satisfy public safety standards. W.W. Clyde Co. will be installing drainage pipe, widening the existing road and hard surfacing the road using a double chip seal. An environmentally friendly dust suppressant is being used on the road to control dust until the chip seal is applied. Please expect delays in portions of the canyon until the project is completed. ” What really made this an adventure was the lack of pilot cars or flagmen. For many miles we were on our own negotiating half built roads , dirt plies and OPERATING heavy equipment! I am not talking backhoes and stream rollers either, we were dodging earthmovers, excavators and those huge dump trucks with 8 foot tires typically used for mining! We would approach each piece of equipment carefully until we were sure the operator acknowledged us, then quickly pass, waving to the driver thanking him for not turning us into a pancake! Playing with giant Tonka Trucks in the dirt, just another adventure in RVing!
Unlike the Biblical account of David and Goliath I think the giant would have won!
Dave Helgeson’s many roles in the RV industry started before he even had a driver’s license. His grandparents and father owned an RV dealership before the term “RV” had been coined, and Dave played a pivotal role in nearly every position of an RV dealership. He and his wife Cheri launched their own RV dealership in the Pacific Northwest. The duo also spent 29 years overseeing regional RV shows. Dave has also served as President of a local chapter of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), worked on the board of advisors for the RV Technician Program of a local technical college, and served as a board member of the Manufactured Home and RV Association. Dave’s reputation earned him the title of “The foremost expert on boondocking,” bestowed by RV industry icon, the late Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor). When he’s not out boondocking, you’ll find Dave in the spotlight at RV shows across the country, giving seminars about all things RVing. He and Cheri currently roam in their fifth travel trailer, with Dave doing all the service, repair and modifications to his own unit.
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