Eric Bjornstad is perhaps best known as a pioneer of desert towers during the early years when those phenomenal spires were first being climbed. Indeed, many of us climbing his routes today would shudder at the idea of doing them in the 1960s and early 1970s with the available gear and lack of information. Raised in California, his early passions included poetry writing, chess, speed typing and classical music-playing both piano and oboe. He also sought physical challenges such as boxing, in which he excelled. He began camping early, with numerous trips to the High Sierra, and like many climbers then and now, a great love of high places was kindled.

Eric has experienced a working life of great variety; over the years he worked as a draftsman, piano salesman, photo processor, gardener, bartender, dump truck driver, tree topper and handyman at a sorority to mention only a few. He married three times, divorced three times, and fathered four children (David, Heather, Mara & Eigerwand). In the late 1950s, he moved to Seattle and began a long career in alpine mountaineering. He also taught climbing for the Seattle Mountaineers, served on the Seattle Mountain Rescue Team for eight years, and represented American climbers during the Seattle Worldís Fair French-American climbing week. It was also during this time that Eric began to write about climbing, in both magazines and books. He co-authored Climbers Guide to Leavenworth Climbing Areas with Fred Beckey and wrote the Pitoncraft chapter for the second edition of the classic text Mountaineering, Freedom of the Hills.

In 1985 Eric returned to live in Moab, where he developed a passion for climbing in the mysterious landscape of the Southwest desert. The routes that he and other desert pioneers established on these spooky towers tested the limits of existing equipment and techniques as well as their nerves. He undertook the task of authoring Desert Rock, the only comprehensive guide to the sandstone climbs of the Colorado Plateau. He now gives private tours in little-known regions of the Colorado Plateau, drives 4-wheel drive commercial tours, produces and sells etched glass window hangings of Anasazi rock art-and is completing and expanded five-volume guide to technical rock climbs on the sandstone walls of the Southwest desert.

Eric enjoys discussing the Moab area and the history behind it. Riding along with Eric on the 4x4 tour, you will receive extensive information about the rock layers and how they were formed as you ascend and descend on amazing 4x4 trails. Ericís love for climbing is evident during the tour, as he points out established routes along the path and discusses the development of climbing in the Southwest desert. He will converse with you about the groups of people from the past that have traveled through this area and show you the impressions that they left behind as proof that they were here; in the same areas you will have the opportunity to see evidence of ancient life forms that lived and thrived in the area.

Dave is a transplant from Illinois 11 1/2 years ago when he retired after 21 years as a police officer. He is a former Naval Officer and, prior to moving to Moab, he was an avid caver (spelunker). He and Barbara have been married for over 32 years.

He holds a river guide license and has guided horseback, hiking, river and 4x4 driving tours. He also performs as a step-on guide for motor coach trips into Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and Dead Horse Point State Park. He is a member of the Grand County Search and Rescue team, including the rock rescue and winter rescue units. He has major interests in paleontology, archeology, geology and botany (those plants used by Native American cultures).

Dave's Comments on His Trips: The regular four-wheel drive trip, whether it be just a driving trip or is part of a combination with a boat trip, starts from the Adrift headquarters with information about the uranium mining in Moab. Information is given regarding the activities of Charlie Steen, the former uranium king, and how and why the uranium was found here.

We talk about the formations, color of the rocks and their ages. This is related to why and how Moab became a major factor in the discovery of new species of dinosaurs, including those local individuals who have discovered new species.

As we go off road, we talk about the different plants used by the ancient cultures for food and medication. Survival depended upon these plants because many of them not only provided calories, but also the needed nutritional supplements.

A short hike to Gemini Bridges gives us the opportunity to talk about more plants and to look at the effects of erosion. Here we can compare the work of water and that of the sun on the rock surfaces.

As we leave Gemini Bridges and travel across the flat land prior to arriving at the head of Long Canyon, we talk about some of the local history, including stories of the outlaws that once roamed the area. Remember, the Maze section of Canyonlands National Park was once known as Robber's Roost, the home of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

At the head of Long Canyon we look at the road we will be taking and talk about how the fins across the river and the arches of Arches National Park were formed and how they relate to the deep deposits of salt and potash found under the area. We also talk about some of the plants that were used for purposes other than food or medication.

Going down Long Canyon road we talk about the construction of the road, including Pucker Pass. We also talk about the different extinctions as we pass from the Jurassic age rocks through the Triassic rocks and into the Permian and them back up. Each of these extinctions was responsible for new species that came to dominate the earth for many years.

After returning to the highway, we stop at the Fremont Culture petroglyphs and talk about those we might understand and speculate about those that we know we do not. This is also where we discuss the differences between the Fremont Culture and the Anasazi Culture that was mainly across the river.

During the step-on guide trips into the State and National Parks we cover about the same subjects, but in different sequences. The rock art tour that we do is a concentration on rock art with only the amount of geology necessary to explain the processes used in chipping the petroglyphs and painting the pictographs.