Out of Moab - Day 2

SA Guides: Mesa Arch, Grandview Rim, False Kiva

Routes: Everytrail - Mesa Arch, Grandview Rim

Moab is a fun little town. Not too cute (in comparison with a place like, say, Solvang) but with just enough of the kind of shops, restaurants and diversions to keep you entertained as you take a break from whatever outdoor activity it is that lured you there.

The terra cotta terrain has been a major draw since tourists started frequenting the area, but the methods of enjoying that scenery have expanded to include hiking, camping, backpacking, kayaking and canoeing, climbing, mountain biking, four-wheeling, and more. We hope to return someday to kayak-camp the Green River, but for this trip we were trying to squeeze seeing as much of two national parks as possible into three days.

In service of this goal, a late wakeup on the second day of our visit clearly didn't help, and topping that off with missing the turn to Canyonlands (and probably driving an extra hour out of our way) was enough to get my grump on - though admittedly that doesn't usually take much.

Where Arches is smaller and more compact, Canyonlands is expansive, sprawling. The park is broken into three districts (Island in the Sky, Needles, the Maze) with the rivers sometimes considered a fourth. Today we were heading for Island in the Sky, a huge mesa connected with the surrounding country by a narrow land bridge.

The long drive to the mesa took us through continuing variations on the theme of sandy, red-rock formations pock-marked with green plants and set against blue sky. We passed massive buttes and twisted geological strata as we gained elevation, eventually topping out on a gently rolling, wildflower-strewn panorama. Crossing over to the mesa proper offered breathtaking views from both sides of the road into deep, shadowed canyons. 

We stopped at the visitor center near the entrance to get some directions for the False Kiva hike. Several years ago I'd seen a spectacular night-time image taken at this Class II archeological site and had wanted to visit it ever since. Prior to leaving I'd discovered that because of its semi-protected status the park does not put the site, or trails that lead there, on their maps. But the rangers are obligated (and happy, as far as we could tell) to give you the details if you ask. They also request that those visiting the site do not publish maps or directions (which is why we don't include an Everytrail player for the hike on this page or the Guide).

So as we left the visitor center we organized our strategy for the day. We would drive the length of the roads in the district, taking in as many sites and minihikes as we could before heading out on the False Kiva hike later in the afternoon in the hopes of catching some nice evening light for photos.

All was going according to plan - so far. After snapping hundreds of pics of the mesa's surrounding canyons, and taking some beautiful little side trips to Mesa Arch and along the Grandview Rim, we made our way down the Upheaval Dome road looking for the trailhead for the False Kiva hike.

As we headed out on the unmarked trail, following the ranger's directions through lovely high desert habitat, some clouds began to gather (literally and, as it turns out, figuratively). We found our way into a wash, then descended some steep, talus slopes along the canyon rim, and eventually caught site of the huge stone overhang that acts as an outer ceiling for the former Pueblo Indian site.

This is where the illness that had haunted me for most of this trip caught up with me again. I will only go as far as to say I may have reacted to the discomfort with a bit more volume than necessary (and a little whining, if I'm honest). In any case we managed to negotiate the steep, scree-covered slopes leading up the cliff to the Kiva cave.

As we neared the site I thought about how we'd been alone on the hike and remarked to Laura that it was fortunate no one else had to endure my bellyaching, mere minutes after which we rounded the corner and saw a lone photographer waiting patiently for the perfect moment - which I can only imagine I pretty well disturbed.

In the end, the lack of great light and solitude combined to encourage us to head back up to the trailhead sooner than I'd expected. We snapped our photos and took in the views, then wasted little time racing the weather back to our car. The False Kiva is a fascinating spot, full of history and beauty, and well worth the effort to get there. On this day, however, I was more concerned with Montezuma's Revenge than modern Puebloan ruins.

I let Laura drive back to the hotel (she's a great driver, I'm just an awful passenger) and crashed as soon as I could scrub the red dirt off. 

The inviting little cafes of Moab would have to wait another day. If only the hotel vending machines sold Pepto Bismol...

Info: 

  • Mesa Arch loop: Distance - 0.9 miles, Elevation change - Minimal, Rating - Easy
  • Grandview Rim: Distance - 1.8 miles, Elevation change - Minimal, Rating - Easy
  • False Kiva: Distance - 3.6 miles, Elevation: Min -  5236', Max - 5853', Rating - Moderate

More photos:

  • 01 Monitor and Merrimac buttes
  • 02 Mallow
  • 03 Buckwheat
  • 04 Canyon view
  • 05 Pricklypear flower
  • 06 High desert
  • 07 Rim trail sign
  • 08 Rim trail view
  • 09 Princes Plume
  • 10 Slickrock trail
  • 11 Gathering clouds
  • 12 Natural cliff art
  • 13 Kiva view
  • 14 Lizard
  • 15 no name yet
  • 16 Fading light

Even more photos: Flickr - Island in the Sky, Island in the Sky 2False Kiva

(All photos by Laura Camp. Use without permission is verboten.)