Canyonlands Needles Crosscanyon Traverse April 10-15, 2016

[John Morrow]

6 Days in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park:


Days 1 and 2 I spent with Abert (David) carcamped at Davis Canyon. I had intended to backpack from Salt Creek/Cave Spring TH but he was able to drive us all the way into Davis in his Subaru! We left my car at the TH for me to trek back to.




On our second day we explored various forks of Davis Canyon and scouted an exit to traverse to Horse Canyon that I'd do the next day.




Days 3 through 6:


After two days exploring Davis with David I started a backpack exiting an unnamed Davis Fork via an ancestral Puebloan route with Moki steps into Trail Fork Horse Canyon to Horse Canyon.




I spent time exploring and scouting Horse Canyon. Then I located a possible route into Secret Canyon and scouted it with a light pack.



After leaving Horse I turned up Salt Canyon a mile to First Unnamed West Fork upstream of Peekaboo Spring.
I camped below Salt Creek-Lost Canyon Divide.


Next day I crossed into Lost with one thin Class 3 ledge, to explore Lost Canyon forks. I camped back at Divide, bumping up camp through the exposed ledge in case rain came in. I didn't want wet friction on the sandstone.





I returned to my car at Cave Spring by descending through the length of trailless Lower Lost Canyon. It was dense brush, wet soggy bottom, then endless soft sand! But I hadn't done it.




Some more pictures of ancestral Puebloan ruins and rock art found here:



Sorry, I can't figure out how to get the vertical shots rotated....