(UTAH Monticello, Canyonlands-Needles, Needles Overlook, La Sal loop, Moab, Arches)
MONTICELLO
Dan on the motorcycle and I in the Subaru, with the trailer following dutifully behind me had to decide what to do next. I suggested a town, comfort and shower were in order and as we approached the UTAH town of Monticello all that looked possible. We passed a few obviously touristy motels, knowing the price would be more than we wanted to spend. We drove through town, and spotted a very pretty private campground. I noticed the sign said, "Free Internet, free showers, tent spaces." We pulled in and saw the soft, lush grass we could put our tent on, the site had a picnic table... - and so sold! We moved in for $12 versus hotels which were in the $80-$100 range. That left budget for restaurant!
It had been a while since we could shop, especially to restock the liquor cabinet-err, plastic bucket in the backseat. We had been out of our Sundowner favorites since Grand Canyon, so we started to look for the Liquor Store we were told was on Main Sreet in town. I drove by once, then turned to try again, finally asking, then after one more miss I found the tiny hole in the wall white painted sign -on a white building- to purchase what we wanted. Yes, said the proprietor, this is the way it is in Utah. Lots of places are "dry" and many smaller towns do not have sales of liquor at all. So, showered and well stocked we enjoyed our Sundowner and found a restaurant; Tex Mex, I think.
OFF TO CANYONLANDS
The morning came and we struck off for Canyonlands National Park still following rt. 191. Canyonlands covers a large area located in southeastern Utah with the confluence of two major river systems, the Green and Colorado rivers creating the center of the park. The spectacular area of 527 square miles, most still wilderness with a few 4X4 roads, was established as Canyonlands National Park in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson. It became the thirty-second National park. The park is the largest of Utah's five national parks, with a total of 337,258 acres for all. It is known for its rivers, canyons, mesas, pillars, standing rocks, grabens, and arches. All the rocks in Canyonlands are sedimentary origin.
Canyonlands was home to the Fremont people and the Anasazi. The Fremont people left records in the form of pictographs and petroglyphs in Horseshoe Canyon (far west) and Salt Canyon. The Anasazi, now referred to as Ancient Pueblans) built several granaries,(storage built of cut sandstone bricks) probably in the twelfth century. Ute and Navajo Indians subsequently occupied the canyons until the late 1800s. They were eventually pushed out of the area by cattlemen. In 1869 and 1871 John Wesley Powell explored the Green and Colorado rivers as his expeditions traveled through Canyonlands. Today, the park is divided into three districts, Island in the Sky, Needles, and Maze-Standing Rock.
The Canyonlands three districts are not connected by inner roads and figuring out where and how to visit was a bit confusing. At this point Dan and I had to repeat the mantra we all know well, "you can't do it all." To make the map of the area even more confusing we saw the Needles Overlook- 40 miles off the main road, and another overlook accessed by a 19 mile gravel road a Ranger warned us would not be easy on the bike. We saw on the map that we must leave the park to enter each district. In several areas, especially the Mazes, the park is not developed, and many of the sites can be seen only by hiking. Headquarters for the park is in Moab, with visitor centers, providing Ranger programs, movies of history or geologic formation and campgrounds that could fill up by late afternoon located in each of the three districts.
The Maze-Standing Rocks District is located west of the Colorado River after its confluence with the Green River. This section is known for Elaterite Basin, Elaterite Butte, the Maze, Standing Rocks, the Doll House, the Fins, and Ernies Country. We did not visit there as there are no paved roads in.
NEEDLES DISTRICT
Dan and I headed left onto the access road toward Needles rt. 211. This southern district, is the area east of the Colorado River. Angel Arch, Druid Arch, Paul Bunyan's Potty, the Grabens, Elephant Hill, and Needles are common attractions. This area contains most of the remaining artifacts from the Fremont people and the Anasazi in Salt, Davis, and Lavender Canyons. We stopped at a spot to see some of these special "writings" , a place called Newspaper Rock, a twenty foot by fifty foot protected spot on a cliff face covered with signs and symbols. Then continued on into the park seeing red and purple cliffs along the road interspersed with private cattle farming lands and old corrals. Miles before the entrance we saw incredible shapes off in the distance; tall rounded mounds with what are called fins, also towers and spires or evenly squared off rocks on top of spires or towers of sedimentary sandstone.
Our goal was to enter Canyonlands early and grab a campsite at Squaw Flats . We selected a beauty! Temperatures for Needles are said to be 80-100 degrees in the summer. It was a little less than that in early June, and the nights were a bit more than the possible 20s to 40s. When we arrived, however, the sun was blazing and Dan was roasting on the bike. Up on our ledge behind our camp we found shade until it cooled down enough to set up camp later. We set off in the car to explore one of the back roads, driving as far as we could toward the Colorado River and Elephant Canyon.
Another exploration was to take the bike along the popular paved road and stop at all the attractions; from the Visitors' Center to Big Spring Canyon Overlook. Two walks we took were to Cave Springs with the underledge Cowboy exhibit and ladder access to the higher mesa. The overlooks were fascinating, but we decided to water up, you need to carry gallons, get on the hiking shoes and head out about five miles to see the Needles Grabens close up. What's a graben you might ask? I have copied the information but I still wouldn't be able to explain. I do know that oil and gas explorations study the rocky make-up of this park.
"Needles District of Canyonlands National Park,
first crosses the Shay graben near Newspaper Rock and then slowly climbs the gentle west flank of the Monument Upwarp. The road slowly crosses down-section through rocks of Triassic and Jurassic age, as it approaches the axis of the Monument Upwarp, and ends in the Permian Cutler Group at the Needles
District near the crest of the huge anticlinal structure. In the Needles District proper, interfingering of the white Cedar Mesa Sandstone with reddish-brown arkose of the Cutler Group forms banded spires, eroded from fractured terrain at the crest of the uplift. Beyond The Needles, arcuate fractures formed by
collapse of rocks above salt in the Paradox Formation, and down-dip gliding toward Cataract Canyon are forming The Grabens, even today. The primitive road into The Grabens from The Needles is limited strictly to four-wheel drive, high clearance vehicles."
NEEDLES OVERLOOK
After our hike we had to leave the park to get to the next place. Needles Overlook put us miles away from our hike, but the road after and during the 40 mile ride provided a hawks eye view of where we had been now that we were overlooking from around 6000' elevation. We could still orient ourselves by the La Sal Mountain Range in the distance.
We took a back winding mountain road, verdant green shady and lovely with spring blooming flowers near mountain lakes, a nice difference after pink, white and purples, dry ground, rocks and cactus, and were soon back to Monticello and on our way north to Moab back on rt.191.
LA SAL LOOP
Well, not so fast. The La Sal loop is a road winding from the footlands, to high mountains just made for motorcycles we heard, and that road would be prettier, and more scenic though not as direct route to Moab. La Sal Mountain range is the range seen in most of the canyon pictures where you see tall mountains in the distance (some to 12,000 ft) with snow capped summits. The ride was spectacular; we were lucky to find a campsite up there as the camping at higher elevations was just opening for the season. There was no Ranger to take our money, and we were somewhat relieved when one fellow camping family with two children moved in to share the ambiance. To save money, they were going to travel to Arches National Park from the mountain, quite a long drive of 60 miles over mountain roads.
In the morning we finished the La Sal loop arriving on the flat narrow road along the Colorado River. The temperatures had been warming and the mountain snow melting. Parts of the Colorado were raging rapids and overflowing the banks nearer the town of Moab. The string of campsites on the river were officially closed due to high water. We drove in, found a motel and settled in for a few days. I had explored the camp options in town and there were some, but our motel was not too expensive and the private campgrounds were quite expensive- and campsites don't have air conditioning! I can't show you any downtown shots of Moab because even though I took some, I just don't seem to have them anywhere.
EDWARD ABBEY
Dan and I would like to recommend a book to readers or anyone who is planning to visit the National Parks, especially in the West. The book is by naturalist /author Edward Abbey and named Desert Solitare. He wrote many other books, also. Dan and I had read Desert Solitaire and his more militant environmental ideas in The Monkey Wrench Gang. About forty years ago Abbey spent a summer as a Ranger in Arches National Park before the park was popular, or had paved roads. He wrote his powerfully descriptive book about his experiences in the natural areas around the Canyonlands and Arches canyons and mesas. In particular he wrote of the devastating changes in the natural environment and the Colorado River when the dam was built at Glen Canyon. In lively story form he described his last trip on the river , floating and exploring with his friend, as the Colorado access was closed and water diverted, making Lake Powell. As a young Ranger, Abbey climbs and hikes in parts of the canyons that we now have some knowledge of from looking in from the road. He spent time learning slowly that he could survive alone and described his life- changing experiences relying on no one but himself. Abbey, the lone Park Ranger at that time, advocates leaving the natural areas inaccessible except at some expended effort by the would-be park visitor. Abbey also suggested cars not be allowed in the parks, not practical but we both saw the negatives he expected as a result.
MOAB
Moab as many other western towns was known for its mining at one time. Prospectors, Mountain men (and women?) went about their business and supplied up in the town. Abbey in 1970, would go to Moab's only bar when he went into town for infrequent supply runs. Now Moab is known for ArchesPark, adventure expeditions, canyoneering, mountain climbing, running rapids, trekking and is filled with motels and tourists as Arches National Park is one of the most visited, famous and fabulous parks. It was fun to walk the streets, look in the shops and people watch.
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK
Unfortunately it was Sunday when Dan and I headed into Arches National Park. We were early enough to avoid the crowds at the entrance but as the day progressed the parade of RVs, and trailers grew. We took off down -canyon on a 4X4 ride to a less visited area, saw some other overlooks and came back into Arches Park on Monday.
I haven't explained that because Dan is a holder of a special entrance pass that a person needs to be 62 to qualify for, entrance throughout the United States National Parks and treasures are free or reduced for him and others in the same vehicle. At Arches and other major attractions the entry of $25 was waived. After entry, campsites are then half price. Sometimes campsites cost $22 and we pay $11. Sometimes at the primitive sites if they cost $6 we pay $3. We returned to the park and enjoyed our hikes and walks to the fascinating areas where arches have formed and have been given names.
Below you will see a slideshow of the areas described above. Again pictures show only a small slice of the surroundings at a time and the views are 360 degrees.
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| 9 UTAH Canyonlands, Needles, Moab to Arches National Park |
Island in the Sky is the northernmost district. It is a high and extensive mesa located in the area between the Green and Colorado rivers. Some of the popular attractions in this area are Upheaval Dome, Shafer and White Rim Trails, Grand View Point, and Monument Canyon.
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