Utah Canyonlands backpacking trip-- Pt. 3 (days 8-9)

After a relaxing night in the hotel (we didn't have to scramble to take care of much since the trip is winding down now) we did a daytrip into Arches National Park, a quick 5mi drive north of Moab: It's Saturday, it's a prime travel/tourist weekend (just prior to Memorial Day) and it's right next to a town without a vacant hotel room under $200 tonight. It is packed!! No surprise, but it's a bit jarring to the senses after our week of seeing just a handful, if any, other people each day of hiking. Arches is a fairly small, condensed park- at least that which is easily accessed by car. Traffic and parking was terrible, so we elected to venture northwest on an 8mi gravel road to the less frequented Klondike Bluffs area of the park. Good call, sanity somewhat restored.

From the trailhead we took a pleasant 2.5mi hike back to Tower Arch for our token arch experience. Lunch beneath it was nice, and saw some very interesting geologic features along the way.

Marching Men formation; LaSalle Mountains beyond

beneath Tower Arch

Arches is a really interesting place that I'd love to come back and explore when it's less crowded; or rather, when I had enough time to venture into its undeveloped backcountry regions. A daytrip, however, is no way to do it justice.

For our last night, we drove back to where we started- our secret stash campsite northwest of Moab. We had the place to ourselves, stoked a nice fire of fragrant juniper deadfall and cooked up a tasty dinner of steak, baked potatoes and smores over the fire. A gorgeous desert sunset bode us farewell.

Utah Canyonlands backpacking trip-- Pt. 2 (days 5-7)

After a free continental breakfast we drove 65mi southwest from Moab for the next two nights in "The Needles" district.  The Needles has the classic slickrock sandstone and spires typically associated with the Moab desert region. Weather forecast called for mid 60's and a good chance of rain, so we're hoping to stay as dry as possible. First leg was a relatively mellow and stunning 4.1mi hike back to a campsite in Lost Canyon.

This huge boulder offered the perfect awning over our tent. The backside had a perfect protected kitchen nook for cooking and sipping coffee. Clouds and drizzle moved in overnight, but the tent stayed nice and dry with our rock shelter.

Lost Canyon campsite

The second day of hiking was a long one, about 7mi, and it rained a good portion of the day. Never poured hard though, so we stayed mostly dry with rain gear and dried out a bit during the breaks. It was actually a real rare treat to witness the desert amidst a steady rain. The water makes evident how many of the surreal rock features and plant groupings have come to be. I couldn't have asked for a more fascinating day to spend hiking around the desert!

ladders to climb over the wall into the adjacent drainage

We got to our campsite in Elephant Canyon just as the rain let up for the night.

Elephant Canyon campsite

It was a relatively short 4.1mi hike out to the car on Friday, with some beautiful slickrock canyons and only a brief rainstorm.

We got back to the car just as more storms were swirling nearby and drove through some heavy downpour on the way back to Moab. We sprung for another room at the same hotel, treating ourselves to pizza, beer and a nice soak in the outdoor hottub after a few days on the trail.

Utah Canyonlands backpacking trip-- Pt. 1 (days 1-5)

April and I reserved some backcountry (hike-in-only, self supported) campsites in Canyonlands National Park (near Moab, UT) for the following week and are stoked to spend some time in the desert. I've traveled around the Utah deserts a fair amount, although have yet to get very far into the backcountry and haven't been to Canyonlands NP. This will be April's first visit to Utah ever, so it's going to be a real fun trip for both of us. Canyonlands is a large park, divided into four geologically distinct regions that are somewhat difficult to travel between.

We're starting the trip with two nights camping in the northern "Island in the Sky" district near the Green River, hiking out for a night in Moab, then driving south for two more nights camping in "The Needles" district.

After a day of driving from Denver, we car-camped the first night at a beautiful area on BLM land that we found on a whim while driving on a sandy 4x4 road north of Moab.

looking northwest into the "Island in the Sky" as the sun sets

The next morning we packed up and set off for the first leg of our hiking trek into the backcountry. We'll be camping at the western outlet of Upheaval Dome for two nights, but first have to hike 4.9mi around the northern ridge of Upheaval Dome. This sign cast us on our way, and we figured, "heh, it's a national park... how hard can it really be?!"

It was smooth sailing for the first several miles, meandering through a pleasant canyon valley that follows a seasonal streambed. Then we hit a section referred to as 'The Breach' where the canyon narrows into extremely steep walls of large broken boulders and loose scree. The streambed cascades over a precipitous dropoff, so the trail switchbacks up the north wall and then back down as a way to get around the seasonal waterfall. It got pretty sticky, some 4-5ft ledges to navigate and essentially no trail, just following rock cairns indicating the route. Doing all this with fully loaded hiking packs proved strenuous and sometimes stressful, but we pushed through and made it back down to the streambed... and soon saw a small rattlesnake crossing the trail ahead of us without incident.

looking west from "The Breach"

Got camp set up in the late afternoon and fixed a restful dinner. Today's 4.9mi wasn't a long hike, but wore us out. Camping two nights at the mouth of Upheaval Dome was worth just about any effort! (Note that the tent is the small, light green spot in the photos.)

Syncline camp looking east

Syncline camp looking west

We had the whole second day free and hiked 3.5mi down Upheaval Canyon drywash to the Green River. Flow was high from the spring runoff and it was actually backing up into the wash and flooding out parts of the White Rim Trail. Lots of lizards scurrying around and many interesting flowers, grasses and myriad of colors and textures of rocks.

"Hardscrabble Bottom" section of the Green River near Upheaval Canyon

We got some gentle rain on the second morning and packed up a wet tent, but the drizzle let up just about the time we began the 3.4mi hike out via the southern section of the Syncline Loop Trail. This leg regained all the 1100ft of elevation we lost on the way in and spent a good portion navigating through broad boulder fields. Luckily no real technical sections, just a lot of rocky switchbacks.

our trail ascends this rock field, then up the one above it on the right

April looking back into the canyon we hiked out of

We wheeled into Moab and got the cheapest hotel room we could find. Time to get a hot shower, buy some supplies, wash a load of laundry, dry the tent in the hotel bathroom, and enjoy a cold beer at the local brewpub. View from the room wasn't too shabby either!

UT/CO Day 9: Colorado Natl Monument - 34mi

During the past week cruising around Utah, I've been looking forward to my encore of sorts: stopping at the Colorado National Monument to ride around Rim Rock Road, the 'Tour of the Moon' stage of the old Coor's Classic Bike Race (later elevated to infamy by Kevin Bacon in the American Flyers movie.)

overlooking the Coke Ovens Formation

It was a fun loop ride, and felt wonderful to leave all the panniers and gear in the car. The Monument is pretty, but it ain't no Zion!

After a couple hours, it's time to get back on I-70 and pick up a case of fresh peaches in Palisades, and then the real treat of my encore day... a long hot soak in Glenwood Hotsprings!

Utah Day 8: Bryce back to Bicknell - 104mi

Another cold night back up at 7800ft, basically laying awake waiting for the sunrise. Daylight finally broke and I packed up and made a beeline for the next gas station and a hot coffee. Two routing options before me today- an easy ride 45mi north on HW22 to Otter Creek Reservoir Campground, or see if I can push further on towards my car in Bicknell, guerrilla camping when it gets dark. 

sunrise with nothing but Lucky 7's

 HW22 runs north from Bryce Canyon's bustle and is one of the loneliest stretches of road I've pedaled in Utah.

Aside from a couple empty ranch structures and a passing pickup, this heffer is the only traffic I encounter for the first 30miles:

Kept up a fantastic pace from the start- nice steady tailwinds and dropping down to the Res at 6400ft had me to the Reservoir Campground just in time for lunch! I'd already made 45mi by 1pm so no question I was going to keep rolling north, now on HW62. The fast progress and favorable winds kept me energized and challenging myself to make it all the way to Bicknell in a single day. The gradual, rolling ascent back up from the reservoir retained the wind and things were sailing along to Koosharem.

lonesome HW62 between Otter Creek Res and Koosharem

On the way my rear tire's threads finally succumbed to the pannier load, same as the front tire failure on Day 2. I'm thanking my lucky stars that I grabbed that spare tire from Ken back at Zion, as it's still 30+ miles to the car, and further yet to any bicycle tires for sale.

After getting fixed up, I cut across the across valley to join HW24 and tackle the final pass of my trip. This one was a doozy, as the road turned back into the wind for the 1500ft ascent... I hit the summit 83miles into the day:

 It was a real triumph of satisfaction, and now dropping down to the the old agricultural valley surrounding the town of Loa as the sun fell low on the horizon

Had a tire puncture that unfortunately took two attempts to repair properly, which delayed me past sunset. My journey came to its conclusion a bit after dark, with a daytime total of 104miles! Not to shabby to ride a full century while lugging 60lbs of gear with about 2500ft of elevation gain.

back at my car in Bicknell

These moments of return to real life (or at least the means that are getting me back to real life) are both satisfying and sad. 8 days of beautiful terrain, nice people, amazing views & gigantic skies, physical exertion & perseverance, nice weather and good livin'. I'm ready for a rest, but even more ready to keep on going. Each time I finish a journey, I know next time will be longer and more ambitious, bringing new adventures. The times of cursing the winds, damning the climbs, nursing soreness, shivering at night... they've all melted away by now, adding to the charm and the reasons to keep at it. Time to think about the next adventure!

Utah Day 7: Zion N.P. back to Bryce Canyon- 58mi

One of my main regrets about visiting a place like Zion for only a few days and with limited equipment is not being able to get back into the more remote areas of the park. It's the broader problem with road touring while on a limited schedule... stuck to the roads. While I'm blown away by what I've seen here, it's been a jet-set of highlights within a dayhike of the roads. I'd love to invent a bike pannier that doubled as an overnight hiking backpack so I could drop the crowds of people who are often more interested in the tamed squirrels than the unreal geology surrounding them. But alas, with a schedule to keep and a few days of riding to get back to my start/finish point, it is sadly time to raise the anchor and set sail (literally, in a sense, as today will be my first with tailwind so far!)

I caught up with Ken & Rilla again for a final farewell, and lingered over an hour as new friends parted our ways. I took Ken up on his generous offer to lend me another spare tire (since I'd used my only one back on Day 2.) Better safe than sorry in these parts.

The road from the eastern entrance to the bottom of the canyon is being rebuilt, and I discovered after riding in that way that bikes are, in fact, prohibited in the construction zone. Which is alright I suppose, because while the descent was spectacular, the climb back out of the canyon could have taken almost half the day. So I thumbed it, and I waited... and waited, and waited a full hour as countless vehicles cruised by, either unable to fit my bike or unknowing/unwilling to lend a hand.

Eventually a nice fellow named Clarence stopped to ask my destination... of course I jumped at the opportunity. I only needed to hitch the 12mi to the east Zion park entrance, where the construction zone ended, but he decided to head all the way out to HW89 and then south. So, although I was bummed to miss some fun descents that I'd struggled up previously, after losing several hours to delays already it was wise to take the warp speed option. At HW89, I headed north with the winds, and Clarence headed south on his meandering journey. I tried to give him a few bucks for gas... he paused and said, "no, just wish me luck." 

 

Couldn't resist a pit stop at the ice cream parlor in the tiny town of Orderville...

Lots of open road, lots of sunshine. Making great time with the tailwind today. The red plateau in the distance where all the lines converge is the west side of the Bryce Canyon formation.

I got back to HW12 and headed uphill towards Bryce. Passing through Red Canyon campground about an hour before sunset, I chose to save the $15 site fee and instead just refilled my water and pushed onward up the canyon until dusk. I ended up sleeping on some BLM cow pasture a little off the main road, just a few miles before the Bryce turn-off. No glory here, just another cold night back up at 7800ft.

 

Utah Day 6: hiking in Zion

Another great night of warm sleep and hot breakfast before setting out in the park again today. My main agenda was to hike to the top of the famous Angel's Landing trail. I first checked out a few other easily accessible sights along the canyon shuttle, such as the Weeping Wall and the original visitor's center (now used as an artist-in-residence residence.) Angel's Landing is basically a 2.5mi, 1500ft climb to the very point of a massive vertical rock formation that juts out from the canyon floor.

It's a bit hard to sense the scale from this photo, but the trail ends at the highest point of the shear rock face:

After about 2mi, including the Walter's Wiggles section of 21 tight switchbacks, and Scouts Lookout, you find the last half mile up this tight ridge. There are crude steps carved into the rock at some spots, as well as heavy chains to grapple up. And signs warning of death from slipping. It's a bit unnerving

At the top, it's 1200ft straight down. Literally. You can see the river, road and two shuttle buses way down below. Up this high (at almost 5800ft) the winds were really kicking and swirling, with 30mph gusts making the already precarious ledge that much shakier.

The views were endless! This is looking south (downstream) at Zion Canyon and the Virgin River.

After soaking up the vastness of the surroundings and marveling at the nervy chipmunks who had absolutely no fear (or realistic awareness??) of the heights as they bounded and scampered, it was time to head back down. I think it was a little scarier climbing up, and a little more impressive heading down.

Utah Day 5: hiking in Zion

It was about 30'F warmer last night than in Bryce, what a comfortable sleep. Windy but warm. I'm settling into a couple days of exploring Zion primarily on foot. They have Disney-esque free shuttles servicing the canyon road (no cars allowed, hence no auto traffic) all of which equipped with bike racks up front. I chose to shuttle up to the end of the line, and ride back out at the end of the day. These are my rest days, after all. 

Zion Canyon was cut by the Virgin River, leaving striking vertical walls of Navajo Sandstone towering above the softer Kayenta Formation closer to the valley floor. It's an unreal spectacle. The paved road follows the river upstream ~14mi, til the canyon gets too narrow. Then there's a paved footpath for another mile, and eventually you are free to set out right into the river and hike through the water into "The Narrows" which gets down to 10ft wide at places. This, of course, I had to check out. The cool water was awfully refreshing on my tired legs & knees! Some sections had room to hike along the sandy/rocky banks, while others were just wall-to-wall agua beneath 1000ft vertical cliffs, wading thigh-deep in the river.

An interesting feature is water seeping from the canyon walls and cracks, creating a curious stereophonic array of drips, bloops, trickles & echoes as well as feeding lush ferns and mosses. There are many "hanging gardens" high up on the walls, the last place you'd expect to find lush rainforest vegetation. Rainwater soaks in to the porous rocks on the flat tops of the rock formations and over the course of literally hundreds of years, makes its way downward until it finds a way out. They've determined some of the water fell as rain over 1200 years ago and is just now percolating out of the rocks.

I hiked upstream several miles before turning around and emerging back into the afternoon openness:

One of the most luxurious aspects of camping at Zion is that the town of Springdale abuts the west park entrance. Although it's your standard fare tourist outcropping, having immediate access to a grocery store is a godsend for any cycle tourist. Instead of packing food for its weight-vs-energy/protein ratio, browsing a market for (questionably) fresh produce & meat was pure decadence. Pair a couple local beers with dinner and I may as well be dining at the French Laundry.