Jammer
06-15-2007, 11:29 PM
Hey All--
I'm back from my long trek across Canyonlands. I've actually been back for a few weeks, but I've been crazy busy catching up with work and sifting through 1100+ pics and 3hrs of video. Here's my quick summary of the trip and some pics:
The plan was to traverse the region from Green River to just west of Blanding-- one of the longest stretches uninterrupted by pavement in the US.
I ended up driving all the way in to Horseshoe Canyon instead of biking because of a late start and terrible weather to begin the trip. Woke up the second day to SNOW on nearby hills! In fact the weather was quite challenging on this trip. The first few nights were below freezing-- a week later it was 100+ going through the Needles and then the final week it snowed on me again going through the Abajos! Highlights of the trip for me were:
- Horseshoe Canyon pictographs-- truly amazing
- Climbing down into the Maze-- this was QUITE the adventure as a solo hiker with a 50# pack.
- The Maze-- wow, what an amazing place. Much deeper than I had imagined.
- Route down to Colorado River: cool trail from the Dollhouse, though climbing out the other side in the mid-day heat was miserable.
- Druid and Angel Arches-- The classic icons of Canyonlands really are amazing. Both are so much bigger than they seem in pictures. Climbing up into Angel Arch was a great experience.
- Upper Salt Creek-- With all the ruins and the crazy rock formations (and solitude) there really was a pre-historic feel to this place.
- The Abajo Summits-- yeah, the elevation gain was rough and hiking through snow up to my waist at times was unexpected-- but the views from the top made it all worth while.
- Comb Ridge-- hiking the last several miles along the Comb Ridge was awesome. Ending my trek at the road-cut referenced in The Monkey Wrench Gang felt really cool.
All-in-all it was a great experience. I absolutely LOVE that area. I ended up hiking 176 miles in 15 days. Feel free to ask me questions for more detail or check out the full account at my site:
www.curbpavement.com
(sorry, no deep-links, so click on Hike #2 then Daily Journal or Photos.)
Thanks!
-Jamal
I'm back from my long trek across Canyonlands. I've actually been back for a few weeks, but I've been crazy busy catching up with work and sifting through 1100+ pics and 3hrs of video. Here's my quick summary of the trip and some pics:
The plan was to traverse the region from Green River to just west of Blanding-- one of the longest stretches uninterrupted by pavement in the US.
I ended up driving all the way in to Horseshoe Canyon instead of biking because of a late start and terrible weather to begin the trip. Woke up the second day to SNOW on nearby hills! In fact the weather was quite challenging on this trip. The first few nights were below freezing-- a week later it was 100+ going through the Needles and then the final week it snowed on me again going through the Abajos! Highlights of the trip for me were:
- Horseshoe Canyon pictographs-- truly amazing
- Climbing down into the Maze-- this was QUITE the adventure as a solo hiker with a 50# pack.
- The Maze-- wow, what an amazing place. Much deeper than I had imagined.
- Route down to Colorado River: cool trail from the Dollhouse, though climbing out the other side in the mid-day heat was miserable.
- Druid and Angel Arches-- The classic icons of Canyonlands really are amazing. Both are so much bigger than they seem in pictures. Climbing up into Angel Arch was a great experience.
- Upper Salt Creek-- With all the ruins and the crazy rock formations (and solitude) there really was a pre-historic feel to this place.
- The Abajo Summits-- yeah, the elevation gain was rough and hiking through snow up to my waist at times was unexpected-- but the views from the top made it all worth while.
- Comb Ridge-- hiking the last several miles along the Comb Ridge was awesome. Ending my trek at the road-cut referenced in The Monkey Wrench Gang felt really cool.
All-in-all it was a great experience. I absolutely LOVE that area. I ended up hiking 176 miles in 15 days. Feel free to ask me questions for more detail or check out the full account at my site:
www.curbpavement.com
(sorry, no deep-links, so click on Hike #2 then Daily Journal or Photos.)
Thanks!
-Jamal