Out of Moab - Day 3

It only took three days, but we finally got our act together and got a good start on the day. And since we had to drive an hour south of Moab just to enter the Needles District of Canyonlands NP our newfound expeditiousness arrived not a moment too soon.

On the way into the park, as we crossed the open and rolling scrublands, we noticed some scurrying off to the side of the road. Another person riding with us, or observing from a nearby car, could have been forgiven for thinking we'd gone a bit batty - what with the excited gesticulating and craning of necks as we slowed our car to a crawl in the middle of an open highway.

We'd seen prairie dogs.

Okay, the locals probably consider them no more interesting or valuable than squirrels, but for both Laura and I it was a treat to see an animal we'd only encountered previously in zoos. Fortunately there were no other cars traveling the deserted road to the Needles District, so we took the time to try and get some photos.

Dragging ourselves away from the cuddly, and frustrating to shoot, rodents we resumed the drive, only to be diverted once again by another roadside attraction.

Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument preserves a section of a stone cliff that is nearly covered with petroglyphs, some as old as 2000 years. It's mere feet from the road, and is well worth the short stop. Even though there are a few names and dates carved into the rock that are from early to middle 20th century, the sense of antiquity and wonder is not diminished. It's always absorbing to imagine what an artist of two millennia past might have been thinking when he took the time to make his mark on walls like this one.

Finally we completed the drive to the Needles visitor center. After checking out the possibilities for future backpacking trips (personal ignorance check: there are bears here...in Canyonlands...in Utah!) we headed out into the park with the same plan as the day before - drive the roads, stop at as many points of interest as possible, and work in a decent hike in the afternoon.

Unfortunately, we always plan to do more than we've time for, and our stops on the way in to the park, in conjunction with POI stops and a long drive back to Moab, left us with less time for a hike than we'd hoped for. Even so, our scant two mile trip from the Elephant Hill trailhead was enchanting.

After driving about five miles on dirt roads we came to the parking lot for the popular Elephant Hill four-wheel-drive road. This lot also serves a trail leading away to the east that acts as a connector for the popular Chesler Park loop - a trail which travels through the actual needles part of Needles.

The hike climbs immediately out of the parking area's small canyon onto and through colorful formations of incredible variety. Because of time, we followed it for just over a mile to an overlook that offers a vista of red and ochre hoodoos and rock-piles. We could barely drag ourselves away from the spectacle, but the need to prepare to leave early the next morning for Denver demanded we head back. It's a spot I very much hope to return to, and explore further, one day.

I have a relative who, when visiting my parents in Arizona and being treated to some of the area's scenic drives, eventually grumbled something along the lines of, "Are we done with all the red rocks yet?" Churlish attitude aside, I have to wonder at such a perspective. Would such a person also drive through Yosemite Valley and remark, "Are we done with all the granite yet?"

Between just Arches and Canyonlands National Parks there is more red rock to examine and appreciate than several life spans of diligent exploration could embrace.

Even if I had that much time, I can't imagine I'd ever be "done with all the red rocks."