From another list:

Subject: Re: [JEEP-TJ] RE: Lion's back incident
Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2002 18:40:32 -0700

BettyAnn I don't mean to be a pain but I need to correct your information.
Lions Back is not closed. It is fenced off by a private landowner who wants to
control access. Most times when I've been there its been open and unlocked. In
the high season the landowner has the right to refuse you access but I've never
heard of him doing so or seen him doing so. He also has the right to charge you
to access his property. Utah law does not hold the landowner responsible for
what individuals do on his property without his permission so I doubt he worries
too much about people falling off of Lions Back. The accident did happen on
Lions Back which is a large sandstone fin. There is no such thing as the Lions
Back Trail. The trail you are describing is called Hells Revenge and you
accesses it via Little Lions Back. In previous years you could access it via
Dump Bump which is now fenced but not closed. The fence around Dump Bump is to
ensure riders of Hells Revenge pay their 5 bucks to the Sand Flats Assn.

The real story from those that witnessed it and also watched a video of it less
than an hour after it happened.
There were 4 individuals in a Pathfinder climbing Lions Back. 2 Jeeps started to
descend so the Pathfinder moved slightly to the right or north and stopped. The
Jeeps passed and the Pathfinder continued. At the top of Lions Back is a small
bump which they had a difficult time climbing. The driver punched it and bounced
to the right (remember he had already moved right to allow the Jeeps to pass).
At that point one of the passengers got out to help guide. The driver again
tried and again gave it too much gas when he bounced right off the north end of
Lions Back into a crack between Lions Back and Hells Revenge. No sandstone gave
away, they were not on Hells Revenge and they were not part of any organized
event taking place in Moab. That side of Lions Back is the "short" side. The
drop there is stepped by smaller fins and rubble. The most they could have
dropped was about 60'. They were lucky and landed on one of the smaller fins so
their drop was closer to 35'.

So that you understand I know Utah and its 4x4 trails. I'm the 4x4
representative on the Utah State OHV Council and past Vice President of Utah 4
Wheel Drive Assn. Local 4 wheelers have been working hard correcting the media
on this story. At first they reported the kids were on a Jeep Safari trail and
were participating in a Safari run. We've gotten them to correct that error but
we are still having a problem with the media understanding what the Jeep Safari
really is. Right now they think it is some sort of competition. Oh well, each
report gets a little better so I guess we'll keep trying.

By the way Lions Back Camp Park is for sale. You get a campground, Lions Back
and Dump Bump all for a measly 1.8 million. After paying all those bucks you
don't even own it, you've bought yourself a long term lease from the BLM.

Marsha