The "ridge of unknowns" is a name I give to a narrow, flat-topped ridge below Dead Horse Point and visible from the point. When I first saw it from the point it called to me, so I made plans to explore it. I knew from the view at Dead Horse Point that the likely approach would be on a long, curving bench, but did not know how to get onto the bench. Cliffs abound in that area. One portion of the bench contained a lot of boulders and I wasn't sure that it was possible to get through them. In addition, there was no guarantee that I could reach the top of the ridge. The view from above revealed only one side of the ridge, and it was impossible to surmount. The far side would be my only hope. These were the unknowns.

Additional scoping showed that reaching the bench would not be a problem but that the bench might be blocked by a buttress. With this in mind, in 2009 I hiked up a talus fan to the bench and discovered that the bench route was wide open---no blockage. The bench was a wide, level promenade with constant mind-blowing views of the canyon country. At the worrisome field of boulders, I got lucky again---I found a route that presented only minor difficulty.

As Google Earth had shown me, getting around the end of the ridge to reach the far side was easy---just more walking. Once on the far side of the ridge, hiking and easy scrambling got me to the base of the top layer of rock. Only three places offered any hope of ascent, but gaining the top was not meant to be: about twelve feet (3.6 m) of vertical rock separated me from success. Climbing gear was needed. Frustrated, I vowed to return.

In 2015 I returned, equipped with equipment for getting me up the rock wall. At the most promising spot found on the previous exploration I attempted to surmount the cap rock and almost made it. My climbing anchor, from which my rope dangled, was a 2x4 with pads at each end. It was too long and wobbled as it sat on the uneven rock surfaces. It just didn't seem stable enough to allow me to climb over it, so I backed off. A shorter board is needed. Maybe my luck will improve on the next attempt. I have high hopes.