Press "Enter" to skip to content

Tag: barrier canyon style

Returning to Chesler Park: Shangri-La of The NeedlesReturning to Chesler Park: Shangri-La of The Needles

Returning to Chesler Park: Shangri-La of The Needles

Saturday & Sunday, March 1-2, 2025

I wanted to start the month of March off right with an easy first backpacking trip of the year, mainly so I could test out some new gear I have acquired over the past few months to help lighten my load a bit (I’ve recently purchased a new backpack, quilt and shoes- among a few other odds and ends), so at the end of January I booked a campsite in Chesler Park for the first weekend in March when Diane was also available. Back about five years ago Diane and I would typically start off our backpacking season with a trip into the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, but it’s been a while since we did that and the last time we backpacked into Chesler Park was in 2018, so we were looking forward to a return visit and hoped that the weather would cooperate with our plans. We left from home early on Saturday morning and made it to the Elephant Hill Trailhead shortly after 9:00am to begin our hike to Chesler Park.

CONTINUE READINGReturning to Chesler Park: Shangri-La of The Needles
5 Comments
Poking Around the Pockets of Horse CanyonPoking Around the Pockets of Horse Canyon

Poking Around the Pockets of Horse Canyon

Canyonlands National Park | Saturday & Sunday, February 1-2, 2025

With warmer than seasonal temperatures and overall nice weather expected across the Colorado Plateau this weekend, I thought this would be a great time to get back into the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park for the first time this year. Since we’ve had a pretty dry winter so far this season and the road into Horse Canyon was actually open, I also thought this would be a great opportunity to get back into that elusive canyon. I met up with a friend on Saturday morning and we spent the entire weekend poking around the pockets of Horse Canyon to see what we would find along the way…

CONTINUE READINGPoking Around the Pockets of Horse Canyon
9 Comments
Canyons of the San Rafael Reef IICanyons of the San Rafael Reef II

Canyons of the San Rafael Reef II

Rock Art of the San Rafael Swell XX | Saturday & Sunday, January 11-12, 2025

It’s been a few years since I spent any time exploring the canyons of the San Rafael Reef and I’ve been feeling the need to get back this winter, so I left home early on Saturday morning, drove west into Utah, and then spent the entire weekend on the Reef. Not only did I hike and explore a few unnamed canyons that have carved their way into the Reef within the San Rafael Reef Wilderness which were completely new to me, but I also revisited a few places that I hadn’t been back to in almost fifteen years, so it was nice mix of old and new. Of course, I also saw plenty of rock art throughout the weekend, too. These are some photos from my weekend on the San Rafael Reef.

CONTINUE READINGCanyons of the San Rafael Reef II
Leave a Comment
Rock Art of the Book Cliffs XRock Art of the Book Cliffs X

Rock Art of the Book Cliffs X

Saturday & Sunday, January 4-5, 2025

I wanted to start the year off right on the first weekend of 2025, so I met up with a friend on Saturday morning and we spent the rest of the weekend together hiking in canyons that carved through the Book Cliffs in search of petroglyphs and pictographs. We found a lot of new rock art along the way and even stopped to revisit a couple sites that I hadn’t been back to in almost fifteen years which were nice to see again. While Saturday was mostly overcast all day with a couple of short-lived snow showers in the late morning and Sunday was completely clear and sunny, the cool temperatures throughout the weekend were great for hiking in. Here are some photos of the rock art we saw this weekend.

CONTINUE READINGRock Art of the Book Cliffs X
1 Comment
Christmas in Arches 2024Christmas in Arches 2024

Christmas in Arches 2024

Moab Area Rock Art XLVI | Tuesday – Wednesday, December 24-25, 2024

After spending the last two weekends hiking around Moab, I returned again for my annual Christmas visit to Arches National Park like I do each year. Unfortunately, Diane had to work the holiday again this year so I was on my own. Since I got out of work early on Tuesday I was able to spend a few hours on Christmas Eve searching for some new petroglyphs before spending the night at the Devils Garden Campground inside the park. Although the weather forecast had been predicting rain and/or snow overnight and into the morning, aside from a few brief sprinkles overnight no precipitation ever materialized and the sky was mostly clear when I woke up on Christmas morning to start hiking to Landscape Arch for sunrise. These are my photos from yet another Christmas in Arches!

CONTINUE READINGChristmas in Arches 2024
2 Comments