Some friends had recommended that if i went anywhere around Moab, i should go to the Needles District. They were right. It looks like i have a new No. 2 favorite location Utah. The Needles District of Canyonlands blew my mind due to it's insane and very active geologic history.
To quickly sum things up (leaving out millions of years of interesting details and early histories), the whole area experienced two uplift periods that occurred, crazily, at 90 degree angles, cracking up all the bedrock into a unnatural geometric grid. But that was only the beginning. While that was happening, the Colorado River was sitting around eroding sediments to the west, until it accidentally exposed a hidden layer of salts underneath all the sandstone.
The north portion of the district offers exploration of a forest of stone towers.
Salt has the peculiar property of behaving like a liquid when it's under great pressure. Not quite like water, but it will flow like molasses or toothpaste over time. When the Colorado exposed the salts, it opened an escape route out from under all the overlying rock. The salt began quickly flowing out into the river and the great masses above began sliding along the salt, also into the river. Today the river is actually losing the battle and is actively being pinched off. It's no coincidence that this location, Cataract Canyon, also happens to be the most infamous rapids on the entire river and nearly ended the Powell expedition almost as soon as it started.
Meanwhile, back over to the east, the whole earth has broken apart as great blocks of rock have moved toward the river or sunk as the salt moved out from under it. A whole system of parallel valleys (called Grabens) has evolved in just 50,000 years, and is actively growing right now. For a more detailed explanation you can look at the national park website
Two hikers walk out to an overlook on the far northern edge of the district.
I don't know why but i felt like i was in some hidden kingdom of Africa while driving through the grassy grabens. I kept expecting to see herds of zebra and elephant.
I went to the Needles the first day not really knowing what to expect and got there too late, so i ended up running and climbing around like a maniac before the sun went down. I went back the next day. From Moab it seems to take close to two hours to get there, and once there you have to decide where to go in the area. I decided to go out into the Grabens via the infamous Elephant Hill road. Elephant Hill is one of the most difficult dirt roads in Utah, and it sure as hell was the most technically difficult road i've driven. I've been on a few dirt roads during my time, but by the end of that day on Elephant Hill i'd experienced a whole new level of "off road" driving. According to TrailDamage.com the trail is rated in a category that is: the highest challenge for a stock Jeep Wrangler without body damage, winching, or possible breakage.You will need 4-Wheel Drive and you should not go alone.
A very steep hill made much easier by concrete patches.
Inside the squeeze. Notice the folded side view mirror.
Another, even steeper hill. Believe it or not, there were a few places even steeper, but i didn't trust the emergency brake enough to get out in those areas.
The beginning of the Silver Stairs. This area was more fun than hard.
With no spotter (i was alone unfortunately) it was very slow going, having to get out of the jeep myself many many times to find out how the heck i was going to get up or down every obstacle along the route. It's the first time where i regularly was staring at nothing but sky on the uphill portions, where i was hanging in the air restrained only by the seat belt on some of the downhill portions, where i had to bend the side mirrors inward to pass through narrow portions, and definitely the first road i've been on with signs telling you the switchbacks are so narrow that after descending one, you have to put it in reverse and back down the next one, putting in back into drive at the next set. Describing the route more accurately requires a new lexicon of terminology. I understood why a regular truck was not recommended.
A pseudo cave on the Joint Trail. You can see a crack in the roof and the sky is visible through it.
Shelter from the sandstorm.
An intersection in the joint complex.
A very windy slot canyon that eventually offered a way on top.
My exploration by road was halted when i realized i might not have enough gas to get back if i continued onward. I stopped at a place called the Joint Trail, which goes through an area called Chester Park. Although i was saddened to have to stop, the trail was perfect for the weather conditions. The high pressure system that brought the snow was being forced away by high winds bringing warmer temperatures. Windblown sands limited visibility at times causing hikers and campers to flee, their faces covered with shirts. I've been in worse sandstorms, although i would have preferred NOT to have sand in my eyes and mouth, and it was strong enough to sting the legs. I had to keep my camera tucked away for much of the day.
Above the joints and grabens was a surreal cityscape of fanciful stone pillars, or "needles".
The joint trail provided perfect shelter from the sandstorm. It climbed into a maze of the pedestals and followed the natural joints between them. When it did emerge above ground i seemed to be above most of the sand, although it was still very windy. I vowed to return.
I made it off the Elephant Hill trail right at sunset.
Part of the Chester Park area.
Newspaper rock. I recognized newspaper rock from a history book way back in high school.
Island in the Sky is visible on the horizon.
