Our Fantastic Falcon Voyage: Canyonlands National Monument; The Needles, UT

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Canyonlands National Monument; The Needles, UT

Canyonlands National Park is one of the most remote and least-visited of the park in the National Park System; it is split into three sections by the convergence of the Colorado and Green Rivers. The 3 sections are: Island in the Sky, The Maze, and The Needles. The Maze requires a four wheel drive vehicle as there are no paved road accesses in this area. Island in the Sky provides more canyons and canyon-like views. The Needles area is similar to Bryce Canyon with many Hoodoos and rock formation. Heading south out of Moab, without backtracking we were closest to The Needles area, so we decided to go there.

Our first hike was at Cave Spring. The trail leads through a former cowboy camp situated under an alcove in the rock.

The grain bin below was used by the cowboys as a food store, and would have been lined with tin to prevent infestation.

George located another new "house" in the prime real estate below.

Ancient handprints and native-painted Pictographs.

The seep spring below provided water for those natives and cowboys traveling through the area.

A HUGE old leaf spring, probably 3 times the size of the ones on our van, is likely a remnant of mining operations in the area decades ago. Like many desert southwest area, the Canyonlands regions was explored and exploited for uranium.

The trail required climbing of some ladders to complete the loop.

Pothole Point trail leads to tons of natural potholes as well as views of the Needles.

The lunar-like pothole surface is significant both for its unusual geologic erosion formation, as well as its holding of water for long periods after rains which provides a unique ecosystem for a host of interesting biological creatures.