Road Bicycling the Needles District and Hiking Peekaboo Spring Trail, Canyonlands National Park

2015 Fall Travels of the Mercury, Oct. 23rd to 26th.

Rains have been moving through Moab and we decide to head south for a few days to hike and bike in the Needles District of Canyonlands. We leave Moab early in the morning and take Hwy 191 south and then the Park Highway 211 to Needles. Squaw Flat Campground in Needles fills up early so we hope we can find a spot.

We're in luck and get the last open site. There are lots of really nice sites with great views scattered around the contours of a sandstone dome but they're all taken. Ours isn't one of the best being right next to the road but it has a nice Utah Juniper and a way to scramble up the rock. The rest of the afternoon less lucky people cruise around looking for a place. The cost is $14 or $7 with the Senior Pass. There are no hookups or dump station but there are flush toilet restrooms, camper sink for dishes, water available at hydrants and gorgeous scenery.

Our campsite at Squaw Flat Campground.

Our first day is as rainy as Moab. Curtains of rain and cloud shadows team tag across the colorful landscape.

A cloudy, rainy day in Needles.

When rain clears we take an afternoon walk. There are several trails that fan out from the Squaw Flat trailhead parking lot. These trails connect with others from the Elephant Hill trailhead making a network of loops of varying distances through the canyons and fins of Needles. It's a hikers paradise, better than Disneyland. The trails are rated easy, moderate and strenuous so there's something for everyone.

The trail network is so extensive that it can absorb multiple days of backpacking. Backpackers must get a permit and camp in designated camp sites for minimal impact on the land. Markers along the trails indicate the campsites. There are no bad back country campsites and water is available at several springs. During the rainy season abundant water can be found in potholes on the flat benches above the canyons.

Hundreds of potholes fill with water after the rain.

Potholes mirror the sky.

We start our afternoon walk at the Squaw Flat trailhead and hike a short couple-mile loop along Elephant Hill. The trail leaves the sandy wash and climbs over a humped back of slick rock.

A lone juniper nestled in this little basin.is a real survivor.

We hike into a hollow where a lone Utah Juniper matches it's ability to survive with the indifference of the sandstone.

I'm just a small thing in this landscape.

The view expands as we climb higher up the ridge and we can see the canyons and contours of the butte. It's easy to friction on the rock and venture into hidden landscapes.

Sensuous landscapes.

Looking toward the Needles from Elephant Hill.

Types of sandstone erode differently to create a sculpted rock garden.

We reach the highest point in the trail with a grand panoramic view.

On the spine of a ridge the trail crosses over.

What we see is a fast moving rain storm heading our way.

A rain storm sweeps across Needles.

Let it rain,

We scramble into our rain jackets just as the storm hits.

The rock is silvered with rain.

Slick rock waterfalls happen minutes after the rain starts.

The rock is silvered with rain and water is channeled into falls that thunder into the cracks below us. Follow where the water goes and you can see how it carves the stone.

We can see how the water carves the stone.

The rain moves on and sunset illuminates the buttes.

The rain moves on as we work our way down off the butte and back to camp. The land has turned from rock and desert to waterfalls and pools.

Sunset illuminates a distant butte.

The next day the rains have passed and it's an excellent time for a long hike. The park has a nice trail guide in the park newspaper we picked up at the visitor center. We choose the 5 to 6 hour, 11-mile round-trip Peekaboo Spring Trail that will take us to pictographs in Salt Creek. The trail is rated as strenuous with some scrambling and exposure. Sounds interesting.

Yesterday's rain fills the pothole's mirrors.

We start our hike on the Squaw Flat Trail that will connect with the Peekaboo Spring Trail. Potholes are filled with water from the previous days rain.

The trail parallels the Needles.

For the first 1.5 miles the trail is fairly flat, crossing chaparral, a few low sandstone ridges and up Squaw Creek with views of the Needles Formations.

Jim on a ridge we cross to get from Squaw Creek to Lost Creek.

In Squaw Creek the trail junctions with the Peekaboo Spring Trail and we leave the Squaw Flat Trail. After a scramble up to a ridge the trail becomes a cairned route on a broad, sloping bench that flairs out from the base of a sheer rock wall. At the outer edge the bench drops a hundred or more feet to the canyon floor. What's fun about this trail is that most of it is a carined route like this on benches between cliff and canyon, with wonderful panoramas.

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Most of the Peekaboo Spring Trail is a cairned route on a sloping bench with sheer rock walls above and the canyons below.

 The trail descends from the ridge into Lost Canyon. There's one short 10 ft. ladder to help with the descent. We hike down Lost Canyon for about a quarter mile until the trail forks and we scramble up to another bench. The best segment of the trail is from Lost Creek to Salt Creek. It undulates along the bench around a cliff for several miles before dropping into Salt Creek. 

We see a rock formation that looks like a figure wrapped in a blanket and we call it Shaman Rock. It becomes one of our landmarks.

Shaman Rock.

The sun illuminates Shaman Rock.

Shaman Rock in a panorama.

The trail passes through a window in a rock fin. Shaman Rock is in the background.

The trail contours along the cliff on a high bench and offers views into numerous canyons. 

There's a 14 ft. ladder to descend to the floor of Salt Creek. 

We descend domes of rock as we approach Salt Creek. The final descent to the floor of the canyon is down a crack on a 14 ft. ladder with rock steps at the bottom.

At the bottom of the ladder.

 From the bottom of the ladder it's about a quarter mile hike up the canyon along the cliff wall to the pictographs site.

Peekaboo Spring pictograph panel.

The Peekaboo Spring pictograph panel is on each side of a window in the rock wall. Here are some of the images.

Two shield figures overlay fainter larger-than-life red anthropomorphic figures.

Jim and I at the Peekaboo Springs pictographs.

Two snake pictographs. The bottom snake is very faint.

White dotes overlay a faded red anthropomorphic figure.

White hand prints with designs.

White hand prints with designs looks like they've been made by painting a design on the palm and pressing the hand to the wall.

Red hand prints.

A reverse hand print made with spattered paint.

The hand prints are the most personal of the pictographs. Perhaps they are made as part of a ceremony or maybe to make a connection with the spirit of the spring, to ask a blessing or offer a prayer. The individuals hand print is a way of saying, "This is I."

Comparing hands.

The hand print is the unique mark of an individual. More personal than a signature in writing. I compare my hand with theirs. We reach for each other across the centuries.

Information panel at the pictograph site.

It's past mid-day at the pictographs and time to head back to the campground. The hike is incredible as we retrace our way across the benches and along the canyon rims.

We follow cairns as we descend into Lost Canyon.

We take a break at the top of the last ridge above the short ladder on our hike back and see an interesting shape in the distance. The marks on the canyon walls don't match up and we realize that we're looking at Druid Arch miles away.

Druid Arch in the center of the photo.

The hike took us 6 hours but we spent time sitting and enjoying the views. Part of the hiking is the stopping to enjoy the being there.

Biking in Needles.

On our last day we take a 15-mile bike ride on the paved roads in Needles. 15 miles is all the pavement there is. The ride is easy with some short descents into shallow canyons and enchanting views of hoodoos and massive rock walls. Here are some scenes from our ride.

Rock formations at the Confluence Overlook trail head.

Rock formations at the Colorado Confluence trail head.

We ride back to the Visitor Center and then to the Colorado Confluence trail head.

Every rock is a sculpture.

Sunset shadows slide across sandstone walls.

At the end of the day the sunset performs in shifting shadows bright colors. The Squaw Flats Campground has the most beautiful views of any campground where we've ever stayed.

We will leave Needles and return to Moab for more canyoning with friends. Next time we'll canyoneer Under Cover Canyon.

Until then.
Jackie

Road Bicycling in Moab, Canyoneerinng Morning Glory Arch and at visit to Sego Canyon Rock Art Site.

2015 Fall Travels of the Mercury, Oct 15th to 22nd.

We’re back in Moab, one of our favorite places. Moab is crazier than ever. Lines of traffic extended all the way through town. Rush hours consist of people leaving town to go play and coming back at the end of the day. The RV parks and hotels are filled with tourists from all over the world. Most come to see Arches National Park, mountain bike or do extreme jeep routes. We’re here to bike, hike and canyoneer with friends.

Looking up at the cliffs from our campsite at Kings Bottom along the Colorado River.

We camp at Kings Bottom, a BLM campground on Kane Road along the Colorado River south of Moab. The cost is $14 or $7 with the Senior Pass. The only facility is a pit toilet, and no hookups or water but oh, the view.

Looking into the upper end of Hell Roaring Canyon.

Our first hike is to Hell Roaring Canyon on Island in the Sky. Hell Roaring was named by John Wesley Powell during his famous expedition. On their journey down the Green River they camped at the mouth of this side canyon were the winds blew down on them sounding like hell roaring.

We hike cross country along the rim of the canyon.

Jim hiking the rim of Hell Roaring.

 We also visit larger than life pictographs in what may have been a sacred site. The mystical anthropomorphic images wear ceremonial robes and headdresses.

The pictograph panel near Hell Roaring Canyon.

The old spirits are here.

The images are faded but at one time were very impressive in color and stature.

The next day we take a 25 mile bike ride along the Colorado River from Moab to the end of Potash Road. This is a flat road with very little traffic and great views of cliffs and river. A really fine, fast ride.

Jim biking the Potash Road south of Moab along the Colorado River

Great views of the Colorado River along Potash Road.

Jackie at Jug Handle Arch on Potash road.

Behind the Rocks near King's Bottom campground.

Our next hike is cross country in Arches National Park. We wait in backed-up traffic to get into the park then drive to the Delicate Arch parking lot. It's crowded and we're lucky to find a parking space. Instead of joining the pilgrimage to the arch, which we've all seen before, we head north off trail ascending ramps of eroded sandstone and leaving the crowds behind. Our friend takes us to some nice views into the beautiful side canyons of Salt Creek.

Jim and Lisa hiking along a canyon rim.

Looking into Salt Creek.

A future arch in the making.

Fins of rock  rise from a canyon floor.

Far away the long lens picks out the crowds gathered around Delicate Arch. 

The next day we take a 35 mile bike ride to Island in the Sky on Moab's scenic bike path.

Jim riding Moab's scenic bike path.

At the junction of Hwy 191 and 313 to Canyon Lands is the Dinosaur Tracks Museum where you can take a Paleosafari and walk among life size dinosaurs on the Dinosaur Trail. This is dino country so don't miss a chance to see them.

The entry to the Dinosaur Tracks Museum and Dinosaur Trail.

Look a dinosaur in the eye at the Dinosaur Tracks Museum.

Dinosaurs walk through the desert . . .

and the big guys hunt the chaparral.

We join our friends for a canyoneering adventure which begins with an easy hike to Morning Glory Arch. We drive up to Sand Flat and hike cross county to a wash that will take us to the top of the arch in Negro Bill Canyon. You have to know which wash to go down to end up at the right place. It’s a beautiful hike into fins of sandstone.

Our gang ready to go canyoneering to Morning Glory Arch.

We hike cross country to a wash that will lead to Morning Glory Arch.

A pause before we descend.

Walking a ramp of sandstone into the canyon.

Hiking in a grand landscape as we descend to our first rappel.

Lisa sets the ropes for our rappel into the Medieval Chamber.

Our first rappel is into the Medieval Chamber. The rounded edge of the chamber makes it impossible to get close enough to look down until you hook into the rope and begin backing over the edge.

The rounded edge makes it impossible to get close enough to look into Medieval Chamber.

It’s a 2-tiered descent. There’s a pool at the bottom of the 1^st tier which can be circumvented if you’re in the right place. Then you edge over to the lip of the second drop to finish the rappel to the bottom of the chamber. And by the way, there’s a pool at the bottom of that as well.  We managed to avoid getting wet.

Descending the 2nd tier. Jim waits at the bottom.

Lisa comes down last and then we pull the rope.

Looking up to a scratch of sky from the floor of the Medieval Chamber.

The chamber is gloomy even on bright days with only a crack in the overhanging rock to let light filter to the floor. This somewhat circular room is about 20 ft. in diameter.

We exit the Chamber through the crack and into the main canyon.

We exit the chamber and into the main canyon through a crack and it’s a short couple hundred yards down canyon to the top of Morning Glory Arch.

Looking up canyon from the Chamber.

The canyon floor abruptly ends in a drop off of about 120 ft. with span of about 15 ft. to the top of the arch. The arch is a natural bridge and is accessible from the right side so you can walk across it as you can see in the photos below.

The canyon floor abruptly ends in a 120 ft. drop off.

Walking across Morning Glory Arch.

Looking over the edge from the top of the arch.

Getting ready for the rappel behind Morning Glory Arch.

There's a popular 2.25-mile hiking trail from the Colorado River up Negro Bill Canyon to Morning Glory Arch. We can hear people below but can’t get close enough to the rounded edge to look down at them and they can’t see us up on top. They know we’re here because Lisa called down to them before throwing our rope to the bottom.

Jim is the first down. When he backs over the edge it’s the first time the people below can see him. He zips down the rope and we here cheers and applause from below.

Looking up at Morning Glory Arch and the rappel.

The rappel is down a wall for about 30 ft. then free hang to the bottom.

The first 30 ft of the rappel is a cliff and then a free hang to the bottom.

Lisa  zipping down the rope.

Morning Glory is an easy canyoneering route. The hardest part is the 2.25 mile hike out and the shuttle back to Sand Flat. It’s been a fine day playing in the rocks.

Next day we visit the Sego Canyon Rock Art Site. It's an easy drive north from Moab on Hwy 191 to I-70, then east on I-70 to Thompson Springs. From there take road 159 about 4 miles north. This is a BLM site. There's a pit toilet and educational signage about the rock art created by several different cultures. As in other sites it is water in an arid land that becomes the focus for these special places.

A sign explains the style of one of the rock art panels.

The pictograph featured in the above sign at the Sego Canyon Rock Art site.

Fremont pictographs.

Anthropomorphic figures with birds. 

A line of figures stand a the base of a cliff.

A very strange figure hovers above the head of one of the anthropomorphs.

This site is very accessible and should be respected and cared for. In earlier days cowboys used these for target practice. You can see the bullet holes in the walls. There's also more modern vandalism. You would think people would behave better. If you visit treat this place as the rare and valuable work of art that it is.

Pictographs.

Ute pictographs.

Next post we'll be spending a few days in the Needles District of Canyon Lands then returning to Moab for more canyoneering adventures.

Until next time.
Jackie