Negro Bill Canyon Trail, 9/18/2015

A Park Ranger at Canyonlands told us about this dog-friendly hike (since dogs are not permitted on any trails at either Arches or Canyonlands National Parks). This is one of several great hiking trails in the Moab area. A brochure about the trails can be picked up at the National Parks or Moab Visitor Center (or online).

This is a 2-mile (4-mile roundtrip) hike along a beautiful clear stream in the scenic canyon. At the end of the trail is the Morning Glory Natural Bridge. The trailhead is at a parking area along Utah 128 (a short distance from UT 191) and is well marked. We packed plenty of water and a picnic lunch as the hike takes about 4 hours.

The canyon is named for a mixed-race cowboy, William Granstaff, who ran cattle and prospected in the canyon in the 1870s. When Granstaff was charged with selling whiskey to the local Indians, he fled the area in 1881. It has been suggested that the name of the canyon be changed to Granstaff Canyon, but the Salt Lake City NAACP opposes the change.

It was a beautiful day and the cliffs along the path are stunning. Much of the trail is on slickrock as shown in the first photo.

At the first sight of the stream, Sadie (our doggy) jumped right in. The stream empties into the main channel of the Colorado River in the Moab Valley.

The trail continues through desert areas, wooded areas near the stream, and criss-crosses the stream many times. 

The fabulous Morning Glory Natural Bridge is 243' long and the 6th longest natural rock span in the U.S.

While we were exploring the area underneath the bridge, suddenly a rope dropped down from the cliff above and a rock climber began descending to the canyon floor.

We settled in to enjoy both our lunch and the "show" on the rocks in the clearing under the natural bridge.

We saw other members of the party high above on a ledge; preparing to descend into the canyon, two at a time, from the bridge.

The two guides were from Desert Highlights, a Moab-based company that provides "canyoneering and packrafting adventures." The four individuals on this adventure were thrilled and exhilarated by the experience the team provided.

We enjoyed meeting the guides...they clearly were expert at what they do! What a great way to make a living. Check them out at the following website.

Website: www.deserthighlights.com

On our return trip, the only critters we encountered were birds and lots of lizards. I always enjoy seeing desert flowers.

The prickly pears were bright red in the sunlight but appears orange by late afternoon.

By the time we made it back to the parking lot, I have to admit I was hot and tired! I definitely need to get into better shape to fully enjoy these beautiful trails. This is a fabulous trail for dogs as they can enjoy the water along the way. We saw many other hikers with their dogs. Sadie was as tired as we were when we got home. I think she probably ran double the length of the trail...running ahead, exploring off trail smells, and returning to us every few minutes. This was one of our most enjoyable hikes ever.

For information about this and other trails in the area, see the website below.

Website: www.discovermoab.com

Family News! 9/17/2015

On this day, our grandson, Andrew Tate Hester, was born at 6:42 am EDT in Concord, NC. He weighed 9 pounds, 10 ounces and is 21 inches tall. How wonderful is that!?! 

Parents, Rachel and Zach (John's son), and the extended family could not be more thrilled! We will be in Concord to celebrate his 1st birthday, on 9/17/2016. Can't wait! 

Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky), 9/17/2015

As always, our first stop was the Island in the Sky Visitor Center where exhibits, a gift shop, and park rangers can be found. The rangers always provide great advice on the best way to see the park. 

Canyons, mesas, and buttes have been created by the Colorado River (and its tributaries) eroding the sedimentary sandstone found that sits atop underlying salt deposits from ancient seas. The park is divided into three districts by the rivers: Island in the Sky (a high mesa), The Needles (to the south), and the Maze (a remote region of clefts and spires to the west. Today, we visited the Island in the Sky area of the 527 square mile park.

Directly across the road from this Visitor Center is an overlook where we got our first glimpse of the amazing landscape at Canyonlands.

A trail from the parking lot leads to the Shafer Canyon Overlook. The overlook is on an expansive mesa (seen at the left in the first photo). 

The road seen in the first photo was built during the uranium mining industry in the 1950s. The road in the second photo drops 1,400' into Shafer Canyon. It provides access to Canyonlands backcountry and the 100-mile rim road (4WD required). 

The Mesa Arch can be seen by taking the .5 mile loop trail from the parking lot. The path leads through a pinyon-juniper woodland to the arch on the rim. 

The views through the arch to landscape beyond was beautiful.

Buck Canyon Overlook provides expansive views of the area. 

The Grand Point View Overlook is 6,000" above Monument Valley where some monoliths are 300' tall.

From Grand View we drove all the way north on the park road to Whale Rock. There is a one-mile trail here that many enjoy (but we did not hike it during this visit, preferring to hike the trail to Upheaval Dome...our next stop). Can you see the people atop the rocks in the second photo?

Upheaval Dome is an unusual geologic feature that remains a mystery. Some scientists believe it is the remnant of a salt dome uplift while others believe is the site of a meteorite impact. There is a .5 mile steep trail to the rim with amazing views along the way. 

Here is the crater. Who knows what really caused it?

Our last stop for the day was at the Green River Overlook. The Green River can be seen where it runs through Stillwater Canyon. The Henry Mountains can be seen in the distance.

In some ways, this beautiful landscape reminded us of some of the scenes in Grand Canyon National Park. 85% of Canyonlands is wilderness and only accessible by 4WD vehicles or boats. We were very interested to see how this park, only 35 miles away from Arches, differs in terrain. I did expect them to be more similar that they are. We plan to make the trip to The Needles (about 65 miles from Moab) while we are in the area.

Admission to the park is $10/vehicle for a 7-day pass. Our senior pass gets us into the park for free. For additional information about Canyonlands, please see their website.

Website:  www.nps.gov/cany