The road remained closed for 1½ years until December 20, 1969, much to the annoyance and discomfort of both visitors and Monument personnel—particularly the latter. During the summer, the usual 16-mile daily round trip to the post office in Fruita via the West Entrance was increased to about 80 miles by way of the East Entrance. During the school season, wives of Monument personnel took turns driving a station wagon full of children on two daily round trips to the schools and post office in Fruita. Note in figure 44, taken only 6½ years after the road was reopened, that small gullies already have been cut in the lower half of the new fill. Another local cloudburst could remove the new fill, but let us hope this does not happen! On the next curve to the east the road cuts entirely through the red Chinle Formation, which here has a measured thickness of 103 feet.[37] From the base of the Chinle to about the creek crossing the road cuts expose the old Proterozoic metamorphic rocks, which here have a purple hue. BALANCED ROCK [Mile-marker 11] At the southernmost loop of the road is a parking area for viewing Balanced Rock. The photograph for the frontispiece was taken from the hillside near the foot of the monolith. HISTORIC TRAILS VIEW [Mile-marker 12] After the road turns north, we again cross the entire Chinle Formation, then penetrate the Wingate Sandstone through the two tunnels (turn on your lights) shown on all the maps and in figures 33 and 44. Just beyond the highest tunnel (turn off your lights) we reach Historic Trails View, with a sign noting the early expeditions that traversed the area. West from the parking area, but better yet by walking to the westernmost curve, may be seen the northern part of the Black Ridge Trail. [Illustration: FRUITA CANYON, looking northeast from point on Rim Rock Drive above head of canyon. Dark Proterozoic rocks floor the canyon, above which are the slopes of the red Chinle Formation and the cliffs of Wingate Sandstone capped by the lower resistant beds of the Kayenta Formation. Beyond the Grand Valley are the dark Book Cliffs and the more distant, light-colored Roan Cliffs, which are shown more clearly in figure 48. (Fig. 45)] FRUITA CANYON VIEW [Mile-marker 13] This foot trail is part of the old stock trail over which sheep and cattle once were driven down to the Grand Valley from Glade Park and Piñon Mesa. The road then winds upward through a series of switchbacks cut into the Kayenta Formation to Distant View and then to a parking spot at the relatively new Fruita Canyon View, which affords a splendid view of Fruita Canyon. Figure 45 was taken from a point about a tenth of a mile to the east. On the right are housing facilities for Monument personnel. CAMPGROUND AND PICNIC AREA