The Return From- Past The Point of No Return

This is where I parked while we scouted out how to get down the big cliff.

This was just before the first cliff we had to maneuver down. You can see how deep the sand was.

These were the two cars that went down the trail.

Ok, so here is the story. A good friend of mine and some of his other friends decided to do a little car challenge. They called it the "300 Challenge." It was titled such because each team had to purchase a car and have it in running condition for $300 give or take a little. The plan was that they would then take it on a little rally race through central Utah with some specific challenges. It was requested that I would bring my truck along as a support vehicle and to haul supplies. Seems simple enough right? Well it was until we took a wrong turn. The road we took split off at Goblin Valley and was supposed to loop, which it did, but we didn't. We followed a river bed that we thought was a trail but was actually just a wash. We managed to get all the vehicles, cars included, down several cliffs, and after about 10 times of pulling cars out of the sand, we got into open space.
By this time it was getting late and we were all exhausted and low on water. We decided to send the Jeep ahead to go to town and get supplies assuming we were on the correct trail. Well, about a mile down the "trail"( I use the term loosely) the Jeep was there baring bad news that there was no way out. About this same time I blew a tire and one of our party, Shawn, split his lip wide open to the point of needing stitches. Fortunately I had a spare, and an air tank with barely enough air to get the truck running again. We also had a first aid kit to take care of Shawn until he could receive further medical help.
At this point we decided to kneel in the middle of nowhere and ask God for a little direction. Following the prayer we all agreed that we would abandon the cars, load whatever gear was in the cars into the truck, and hall all nine people out the way we came. We had 4 people in the Jeep and 5 in the truck(3 in the cab and 2 in the back laying on top of gear. It wasn't too bad minus one of the last cliffs we had to climb. The Jeep went first and I followed. Near the end of the climb I was crawling sideways on a hillside with a drop-off on the lower side of the truck. Do to the additional weight in the truck the trail literally crumbled beneath the back of the truck and I felt it drop! Knowing that if it continued to slide I would roll down the mountainside and roll over one of my spotters, I simply reacted. With no time to think I simply floored it! With both rear tires popping in the air as they bounced up over the ledge, I pulled to safety. We then drove safely the remainder of the way out of the wash.
When we stopped at the Forest Ranger Station to report the abandoned cars the Ranger stated that we had taken the vehicles "Past the Point of No Return" as they like to call it. They also informed us that where we had gone wasn't even listed as a 4wd trail on there maps. Only a few weeks earlier a man had gotten stuck there in his Jeep ant they had to take in heavy equipment to get him out.
It was a much bigger adventure than any of us had planned for and we were all grateful to have returned safely from-Past The Point of No Return.