Day 50 - Canyonlands Needles Pt 2

Drive on the scenic road until it dead ends. Continue along the direction of the road on a trail that quickly drops and descends to the canyon floor in front of you. Go south along the canyon bottom and then ascend a side canyon coming in from the right or east. Go around the cliff ledge aways, going down a bit then back up, until you reach a ladder. Climb the ladder.

Follow the slick rock up to the peak of the canyon wall and look west. You then will descend a series of rock steps, weaving left and right, until you reach the bottom of the second canyon. Follow a well-tread path for a mile along this canyon floor. Once you reach a cliff wall, climb up the Kayenta ledges to the next cliff top. Enjoy the views all around. Continue over the ledge west and down to a safe grassy area. Intersect a Jeep road.

The path continues across the Jeep road once. Climb a shallow canyon wall and then descend to a beautiful sage grass valley with spires towering in every direction. Intersect the Jeep road again. This time follow it west or left for a spell until it dead ends. The foot path continues up a cliff straight ahead. Follow it. Once up continue for a half mile to a outcropping of boulders. You have reached the confluence of the mighty Colorado and Green Rivers. They meet a thousand feet below you, down a sheer cliff. Look for the line at the confluence where the currents meet. Take funny photos at scenic, rare site.

Backtrack, away from the boulders, down the cliff, along the Jeep road, taking the Jeep road an extra mile and a half this time around the grass valley, back on the trail east, ascend the canyon wall, down and along the long valley floor, up the next canyon ledge, enjoy views of white-capped mountains ahead, down the ladder, down the valley of the last canyon, up the final steep ascent and to your car.

Day 50, good job.

Tomorrow, Colorado.

Comments

Day 41 - Escalante Coyote Gulch

This one or two night Coyote Gulch hike was an easy test of my newly learned navigation skills. Anxious to get started I awoke at 545 just as the sun was rising. I followed an obvious landmark, a tall thin spire called Chimney Rock, northwest to Hurricane Wash (a drainage running into Coyote Gulch). After a couple of hours of walking up over and around slick rock, I entered the famous Coyote Gulch. The walls around me raised up, darkened and th water flow increased--like nature hinting at the scenic beauty ahead. The normally crowded Coyote Gulch was fairly empty on this early Thursday morning, giving the canyon a very peaceful and quiet feeling-- fragile almost. Down steam, I ran into the famous Jacob Hamilton Arch and then thirty minutes further-- the Coyote Natural Birdge. Both were beautiful due to their see through the wall character, but both would be overshadowed in my memory by the Stevens Arch tomorrow. Pics. By 1pm, I had hiked for six hours...

Day 62 - Colorado National Monument

Established as a national monument early in 1911, Colorado NM is known for its high canyon "rim road" and sandstone spires of Monument Canyon. The canyons of west Colorado are pretty--as they have more green trees and shrubs than the more famous Utah canyons. This gives them a more alive feeling, although the sandstone spires were formed many thousands of years ago by erosion. Rim Rock road curves up the the top of the canyon cliff, goes through several round tunnels and is lined with scenic viewpoints. The best views were in he Monument Canyon section, and included in sequence, the Coke Ovens, The Kissing Couple (behind my head), and the most famous of all: Independence Monument, the tall spire in pic 3 and viewed from the side in pic 4. The original promoter and caretaker of the park, John Otto, was the first person to climb Independence Monument and now it's a climbing right of passage. Every July 4 climbers ascend and mount an American flag at the summit. Fun! ...

Day 57 - Rocky Mountain National Park

Ever since I decided to go west for my big trip, I had dreamed of high mountain lakes with snowy peaks arching in every direction, with chilly air making every moment crisp, and with clear skies bringing all into perfect focus-- pure bliss. Today was the first of many great mountain lake days to come. Hiking here was far easier here than in the San Juans because the snow was packed down on the trail, but I brought my mini crampons for the downhill. I made it safely past a narrow ridge with narly black peaks across the gorge (pic 1), then up to Mills Lake (pic 2) then Jewel Lake then the Loch (pic 3) then down before the afternoon rain started falling. I hiked around some lower, more accessible lakes but the sky was now overcast and pictures no good. I drove up the open portion of the Ridge road amid a very light dusting of snow before heading back to camp for dinner and bedtime. I did manage to capture some fine Elk grazing in a meadows on the return trip and a g...

Road Trip Daily

Search This Blog