Canyonlands Trip
By Frank G. Whiston (Trail Tales December 2007)
On October 2nd, 2007 a group from the club caravanned with the destination of the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. Cruising through Bernalillo, we saw Mark Berglund heading to the tire shop to have a broken valve stem replaced that was found during preparation for the trip. After a quick break in Cuba, NM, the Meier’s began to have trouble with their pickup. They returned to Cuba and spent the day with the local mechanic. After replacing the fuel pump, it was discovered that the distributor had come loose from the engine block. At about 5 PM they were on the road again to join the rest of the group. By the time we hit Farmington,
Mark caught up with us.
The whole group proceeded on in the park to the visitor center to secure the permits for Lavender Canyon the next day just before they closed. We all then went back outside the park boundary to the campsite along Lockhart Road that the Thompson’s had secured earlier in the day.
In the morning, Russ Kaz and Gleena Giboney headed out before sunlight for the Salt Lake City area where Russ would purchase a 98 wrangler that he had found on Craig’s list. Just in time for the trip, the Meier’s arrived at the camp. They opted to spend the night in an RV park in Monticello UT rather than to try to find us in the dark. I handed out the permits and we all set out to drive Lavender Canyon.
That day we had Robert and Holly Hohlfelder, Mark Berglund, the Meiers, Jeff Atchison, and the Thompsons in line. There was a storm that passed through the week prior which produced a lot of moisture and left things pretty soggy. We made the first tracks on the trail since the storm. This made navigation rather challenging since most of the trail is in the arroyo bottom. I maintained a pace that was faster than I would normally keep due to the fear of sinking in quicksand. Although encountering several soft spots, no one got stuck.
Thursday, we had planned to drive Salt Creek, which also requires a permit, but the road was closed due to a washout that occurred months ago. The park service gave no indication that they intended to address the issue other than to keep the gate locked. Plan B would take us over Elephant Hill and into the heart of the needles. From there we proceeded through the narrows and into the Devil’s Kitchen for a 10/100. The group continued on into Devils Lane and to SOB hill. SOB hill did not live up to its name due to recent maintenance. The next stop would be at the Bobby Jo camp to utilize the facilities, the last we would see that day. Shortly after that, we stopped for lunch near a primitive camp. After exiting the park’s south boundary, the group made its way up Bobby’s Hole, which proved to be somewhat of a challenge for Jeff’s stock Ford Ranger with street tires. From there, the group continued into Beef Basin and Ruin Park where we would visit a couple of archeological sites. It was getting later in the day, so we kept a quick pace and drove around the southern edge of the park boundary, climbing into the pines of the Manti-La Sal national forest. Views were spectacular looking down on the Needles with the La Sal Mountains towering in the background. We eventually looped back to camp via Cottonwood Canyon. What a l-o-n-g day!
Friday we decided to have a more laid back day. Russ and Gleena decided to spend the day in Moab, and Robert and Holly decided to do some hiking. Mark headed back home to join the family to celebrate Maria’s Birthday. The rest of us traveled to the Colorado overlook returning to the visitor’s center for lunch. After lunch we visited Pothole Point to view the creatures like tadpole shrimp living in the puddles on the slick rock. We ended the day by visiting the Cave Spring Trail where ranchers set up a cowboy camp near the spring. That evening the wind picked up, so everyone stayed inside and went to bed early. The wind woke me at about midnight. It was really howling! So bad, I decided to go out and put my camp table and chairs inside the Jeep for fear that they would blow away. When I came back in, the gusts became stronger. I decided it was best to pull the slide in on the motorhome. Then I went to check on Jeff, Russ, and Gleena who were all camping in tents. They had emptied their vehicles into the tents for ballast, then they curled up inside for the remainder of the night. Those gusts were unbearable in a tent.
Saturday, at first light, it was gloomy and still windy. I checked the weather radio and snow accumulations were mentioned for Monticello. As the others ventured out we discussed what to do. I really wanted to go back over Elephant Hill to hike the Joint Trail, but all of this is in canyon bottoms. With precipitation in the forecast and seeing how much water had flown through those canyons a week ago, we decided to pack up and head back to Albuquerque. We had an un-eventful trip home and left something to return and do in the future. What a beautiful place and a great trip overall.
