The Twists and Turns of Salt Creek Canyon

Canyonlands National Park | Thursday – Monday, April 4-8, 2024

After a rugged hike around Navajo Mountain last year, Dave, Jared and I decided to return to a very familiar place in Canyonlands National Park for our annual spring backpacking trip this year as we started making plans to continue exploring the twists and turns of Salt Creek Canyon a few months ago. Although we have all hiked into Salt Creek many times over the years, I hadn’t been back to the middle section of the canyon since our first hike down the length of the canyon just about ten years ago, and I was looking forward to returning! I left from work on Thursday afternoon and made my way to Indian Creek Country for the evening where I found a campsite and watched a colorful sunset on the surrounding cliffs while waiting for Dave and Jared to arrive. They arrived well after dark and we caught up for a little while before getting into our sleeping bags for the night.

Hatch Point Sunset

Harts Point Sunset

On Friday morning we were up with the sunrise and made sure our packs were ready for the next couple of days in Salt Creek before we headed over to the Backcountry Desk at the Needles Visitor Center to pick up our permit. Then it was off to the gate near Cave Spring to start our hike. It was a little surprising to find no other vehicles at the trailhead this morning since this is usually a popular backpacking trip at this time of the year.

Many great trips have started and ended at this gate over the years.

Although we spent most of the day just taking our time hiking to our intended campsite, we did stop to revisit a couple familiar places along the way.

Jared even spotted a small pictograph panel none of us had noticed before.

It was very windy out with strong gusts occasionally blowing sand into our faces and the sky was darkened with dust as we hiked deeper into the canyon.

Eventually we made it to our campsite near the mouth of Angel Arch Canyon and set up our tents. With the strong winds and dead cottonwood trees we had to be mindful about where we placed our tents, just in case. This used to be a much nicer camp before it burned sometime after our trip in 2014, but it would do.

I revisited this panel above our campsite later in the evening after eating dinner.

Thankfully, the winds started to subside and the sky started to turn blue again before sunset. There would be occasional gusts of winds throughout the rest of the night, but many of them would miss hitting our tents.

Salt Creek Evening

Evening Light at Camp

After a good night of sleep, we ate breakfast and headed up Angel Arch Canyon to revisit Angel Arch in the early morning light, which is something I’ve been looking forward to doing again.

A view from the upper end of Angel Arch Canyon.

Below Angel Arch

Molar Rock & Angel Arch

After spending a while watching the clouds come and go behind Angel Arch, we headed back down canyon and then spent the next two days searching for ruins and rock art.

Although it wasn’t quite as windy on Saturday, it was a bit colder out, especially when the clouds blocked out the sun. There were also on and off graupel storms throughout the day with sunny conditions in-between. We were either too hot or too cold.

A canyon view between the graupel storms.

Caught in another graupel storm.

Here’s a short video of a graupel storm while the sun was out.

A view through the graupel…

When we returned to camp on Saturday evening I climbed up onto the ledges after dinner to stay in the sunlight for as long as I could since the temperature had dropped significantly!

After two full days exploring the canyon we packed up camp on Monday and started our hike out.

Salt Creek Arch and some interesting clouds.

It was a beautiful morning as we hiked out.

 

Little Ledge Ruin

In-Ground Storage

A reverse handprint and faint white bird. There seem to be a lot of birds in this part of the canyon.

This faint hunter with a bow and arrow was just off to the right of the previous faint bird.

Long Zigzag

I’m guessing the slab of rock this granary was built on has moved and shifted since it was originally constructed.

Half Roof

White Pictographs

Two rooms under an alcove with graupel coming down in the background.

Here’s a closer look at the round structure.

I liked the green colored paint used in this pictograph.

Perched Granary

Interesting white pictographs high on a point.

Open Arms Panel

The figure on the right is about four feet tall.

Faded Hands & Dots

Little Ledge Granary

Collapsed Kiva

For some reason I decided to explore a narrow tunnel in the back of an alcove.

Surprisingly, there were two granaries hidden in the darkness above the opening inside.

Potsherds

I walked right over this arrowhead without noticing it, so thankfully Jared spotted it.

High Ledge Pictographs

This small granary is located in a very lovely alcove.

 

After leaving The Needles and starting my drive back home, I pulled off the highway before reaching Moab at the southern end of Spanish Valley so I could watch and photograph today’s Solar Eclipse at its maximum, which was about 58% coverage at this location. Although I had an amazing experience watching the Great American Eclipse in 2017, I really had no desire to head east to see this one, so this view would have to do. If I’m lucky enough to still be around for the next eclipse in 2045, I won’t have to travel far since it will be coming right over our house!

 

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