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Tag: canyonlands national park

Below Cathedral Butte: Upper Salt Creek CanyonBelow Cathedral Butte: Upper Salt Creek Canyon

Below Cathedral Butte: Upper Salt Creek Canyon

Wednesday – Sunday, April 21-25, 2021

Last spring I was looking forward to spending a few days hiking into upper Salt Creek Canyon in Canyonlands National Park with Diane so I could show her around one of my very favorite places on the Colorado Plateau for the first time. I was also hoping to squeeze in some deeper explorations into the area while we were there. Unfortunately, COVID-19 struck and would have other plans for us when Canyonlands cancelled our permit for the last weekend in April. I then managed to quickly snag another permit for later in May, but that permit was subsequently cancelled, too. I guess we would be waiting until the spring of 2021 to try again…

CONTINUE READINGBelow Cathedral Butte: Upper Salt Creek Canyon
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An Unplanned Visit to Horseshoe CanyonAn Unplanned Visit to Horseshoe Canyon

An Unplanned Visit to Horseshoe Canyon

Friday – Sunday, March 12-14, 2021

This weekend I thought I would stick a little bit closer to home in hopes that I would be able to explore a pair of canyons in the Robbers Roost area that I had not been in before. While I knew there was a chance I would have to change my plans because a storm system was supposed to be moving through the area overnight and into Saturday, I was hoping it would miss this area and I would be able to carry on with my plans as normal. But unfortunately the storm did not miss the Roost and the weather would have other plans for me after all! I left straight from work on Friday afternoon and drove west to Green River so I could top off my fuel tank and then make my way into the Roost to find a spot to spend the night. As I zipped by the Book Cliffs on I-70 the light and clouds were looking pretty nice, but I didn’t bother to stop for any photos this time.

CONTINUE READINGAn Unplanned Visit to Horseshoe Canyon
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The White Rim: Airport Tower to Monument BasinThe White Rim: Airport Tower to Monument Basin

The White Rim: Airport Tower to Monument Basin

Friday – Sunday, February 5-7, 2021

While I had an amazing time supporting Diane and Jared as they biked the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park last October, I didn’t quite have enough time on that trip to get in all the hiking that I had wanted to do because they were riding faster than I had anticipated! Since I had a backpacking trip to The Needles last spring that was cancelled because of COVID and I needed to reschedule that permit or lose in the next few months, I thought it would be nice to head back on my own to the east side of the White Rim so I could make up the hikes I had skipped out on. Last year the weather for our hike from the White Crack to The Confluence in early February was very nice, so I thought I would head back the same weekend this year, too.

CONTINUE READINGThe White Rim: Airport Tower to Monument Basin
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Drifting Around Indian Creek CountryDrifting Around Indian Creek Country

Drifting Around Indian Creek Country

Friday – Sunday, January 8-10, 2021

After spending the first long weekend of 2021 along Comb Ridge with Diane, I was on my own this weekend since Diane has now started PA school and just had LASIK surgery on Thursday, and needed to rest her eyes for a few days. As many of you are probably aware of by now, the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park is one of my absolute favorite places to explore, so earlier in the week when I was deciding which area to go to on my first camping trip of the year, it was an easy decision for me to head that direction. This time I decided to mostly stay out of the heart of the The Needles and planned to spend more time along Indian Creek just outside of the park. I left after work on Friday, topped off my fuel tank in Moab and then finished the drive down along Indian Creek to a familiar campsite I have spent many nights at before. I then spent the rest of the weekend drifting through Indian Creek Country from South Six-Shooter Peak to Davis Canyon with a couple scattered petroglyph panels along the way.

CONTINUE READINGDrifting Around Indian Creek Country
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Below Hatch Point: Indian Creek to Lockhart CanyonBelow Hatch Point: Indian Creek to Lockhart Canyon

Below Hatch Point: Indian Creek to Lockhart Canyon

Friday – Sunday, November 20-22, 2020

After spending a great weekend in the Canyon Rims Recreation Area earlier this month, I thought it was time I returned below the rim of Hatch Point to spend some more time along the Lockhart Basin Road between Indian Creek and Lockhart Canyon. I left after work on Friday and decided to drive through Moab this time instead of going through Gateway. As I expected, traffic was backed up outside of town and it took me about forty minutes to get through town and on my way again. I finished the drive in the dark and found a campsite along the road leading to Lockhart Basin. This is usually one of my go-to places to camp when I’m visiting The Needles, and I have never seen so many people camped in this area before! It was crazy busy!

CONTINUE READINGBelow Hatch Point: Indian Creek to Lockhart Canyon
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