Forum Index > Trip Reports > Canyonlands Natl Park Needles District Circumnavigation April 9 to 15, 2018
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John Morrow
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John Morrow
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PostMon Apr 16, 2018 9:57 am 
Back in Moab from this wonderful backpack in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. I always wanted to complete a loop around the heart of the Needles. I confirmed the possibility of a route on this prior trip (https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8004685; Sunday April 28th)but that potential lack of water on the west side stopped me from trying it then. Caching water almost turned out to be unnecessary but firmed up the possibility of completing it. Aptil 9: Dayhike loop of Chesler Park with side trip to cache my water in Chesler Canyon Wash.
Granted a permit by NPS to cache water for a dry leg of this 6 day backpack
Granted a permit by NPS to cache water for a dry leg of this 6 day backpack
Lower Elephant Canyon
Lower Elephant Canyon
Heading to Chesler Park
Heading to Chesler Park
Gap to Chesler Park
Gap to Chesler Park
Needles
Needles
View to the Maze District
View to the Maze District
Chesler Park!
Chesler Park!
Eastside Chesler Park
Eastside Chesler Park
Dropping into Elephant Canyon
Dropping into Elephant Canyon
Above Elephant Canyon
Above Elephant Canyon
Return to Elephant Hill TH
Return to Elephant Hill TH
April 10: Start my 6 day backpack from Squaw Flat TH taking various Needles District maintained trails toward the Grabens. Graben is a geologic term for how the straight line canyons of this region within the park formed
To the Grabens from Squaw Flat TH
To the Grabens from Squaw Flat TH
Water in side canyon
Water in side canyon
Headed to Devil's Pocket
Headed to Devil's Pocket
Needles
Needles
The trail route becomes circuitous so I tried a shortcut that went into and through a nice parkland after a beginning scrambling through a notch between Needles. That saved time to Devil's Pocket. From there I continued to Devil's Lane (these are all "grabens") and found a nice camp location in the appropriate "Zone" in a side canyon of Cyclone Canyon.
Tree notch for shortcut
Tree notch for shortcut
Devil's Pocket
Devil's Pocket
Devil's Lane
Devil's Lane
Trail to Cyclone
Trail to Cyclone
Devil's Lane
Devil's Lane
Evening above camp
Evening above camp
Camp canyon
Camp canyon
April 11: Dayhike loop around the Grabens and explorations of unnamed side canyons. The map explains it.
Starting down to Cyclone
Starting down to Cyclone
Perfect graben definition
Perfect graben definition
Cyclone Canyon, a graben
Cyclone Canyon, a graben
After walking south in Cyclone to its end, I had to descend to Butler Canyon Wash. Chesler Canyon wash forks upstream. My plan was to take it to the Devils Pocket Trail but I got stopped by an impassable dryfall. Backtracking, I found an easy scramble out of Butler that put me back on track into Chesler and onto Devil's Pocket to complete the loop. Fun little sidecanyons in the otherwise overlooked area. I even found water which was amazing. It rained 0.3" 5 days prior but the one pothole was longer lived than that and could be relied upon in a normal April.
Down to Butler Wash Canyon
Down to Butler Wash Canyon
gully down in shadow
gully down in shadow
Up Chesler Canyon
Up Chesler Canyon
denied!, dryfall blockage
denied!, dryfall blockage
...back down then
...back down then
An exit out Butler
An exit out Butler
Across point of Butler/Chesler junction
Across point of Butler/Chesler junction
back down to Chesler Wash
back down to Chesler Wash
Water! in Chesler Wash
Water! in Chesler Wash
Over to Devil's Pocket next, lovely trail
Over to Devil's Pocket next, lovely trail
tomorrow's destination
tomorrow's destination
I love Devil's Pocket!
I love Devil's Pocket!
Devil's Pocket
Devil's Pocket
Water in DP unnamed side canyon
Water in DP unnamed side canyon
sunset above camp
sunset above camp
above camp; Canyonlands NP, Needles District
above camp; Canyonlands NP, Needles District
April 12: Time to start for the loop. I met my 2 gallon cache so I had lots of water and time to make the crossing into the Salt Creek watershed. But I just decided to push for it because I like the informally named Five fingers Canyon system. Long day made longer by not recognizing my turn off toward what I call Butler Park. That is the location of my notch route through that I scouted in 2013. Oh well, upper Butler Canyon was pretty and worthy...if my feet hadn't been getting so sore!
Time to head up Chesler Wash
Time to head up Chesler Wash
claret cup almost out
claret cup almost out
met my cache!
met my cache!
My first potential exit connecting Chesler with Butler failed to go.
possible route through to Middle Butler Wash
possible route through to Middle Butler Wash
wow, water in CW side canyon
wow, water in CW side canyon
Try this side canyon as passage
Try this side canyon as passage
Uh, no go
Uh, no go
Back down Chesler a ways I thought a lower divide would go and it did, fine.
This lower side canyon ought to go
This lower side canyon ought to go
Goes!
Goes!
Looking down to Butler wash
Looking down to Butler wash
descending to BW
descending to BW
big sand now for a while
big sand now for a while
Butler Wash getting more interesting
Butler Wash getting more interesting
My inconspicuous turn
My inconspicuous turn
What I am calling "Butler park"
What I am calling "Butler park"
Lots of big sandy wash until I reached the beautiful "Butler Park" and my through route.
The talisman tower my guide through
The talisman tower my guide through
Butler Park
Butler Park
climbing out, view back
climbing out, view back
There it is...Five Fingers!
There it is...Five Fingers!
Through!, looking up at descent
Through!, looking up at descent
Loose scree down the Five Fingers side required careful slow descending but I finally made it to a nice camp at the forks of two of the Fingers. April 13: Spending the day in the Five Fingers exploring crossings and bumping camp.
Five Fingers canyon morning
Five Fingers canyon morning
canyon look
canyon look
needles in Second Finger, Canyonlands National Park
needles in Second Finger, Canyonlands National Park
Second Finger
Second Finger
I hoped to connect 2nd Finger with 1st Finger (which I've explored and found a route out of to Upper Salt Creek). Got through a notch but was stoppped in the First Finger side by verticality.
Exit route to First Finger?
Exit route to First Finger?
Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, UT
Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, UT
Down Second Finger
Down Second Finger
Denied! no access into 1st Finger
Denied! no access into 1st Finger
Camp evening
Camp evening
April 14: Back to my old friend Salt Creek to revisit sites, possibily find new ones and maybe notice new stuff in sites I've already visited; always possible in the ancestral puebloan world. I hadn't seen Angel Arch in almost ten years so I'd ceck out that canyon too. There I found a real special pictograph panel I missed my first time. Walked right under it.
Morning Five Finger reflection
Morning Five Finger reflection
Angel Arch Canyon
Angel Arch Canyon
water in canyon
water in canyon
side of Angel Canyon
side of Angel Canyon
view down canyon
view down canyon
Massive Angel Arch
Massive Angel Arch
side canyon arch
side canyon arch
Back in Salt Creek
Back in Salt Creek
down Salt Creek
down Salt Creek
Salt Creek, Needles District, Canyonlands NP
Salt Creek, Needles District, Canyonlands NP
April 15: Time to depart via the really scenic Peekaboo Trail.
Final morning hike, Salt Canyon
Final morning hike, Salt Canyon
Salt Creek Canyon
Salt Creek Canyon
morning atmosphere
morning atmosphere
Onto incredible Peekaboo trail
Onto incredible Peekaboo trail
walking the "red and white"
walking the "red and white"
trail on the ledge traverse
trail on the ledge traverse
inaccessible canyons everywhere
inaccessible canyons everywhere
headed to TH, Canyonlands National Park, UT
headed to TH, Canyonlands National Park, UT
Drop into Lost Canyon
Drop into Lost Canyon
Some of what the ancients left:
Barrier Canyon Style
Barrier Canyon Style
Needles District, Canyonlands National Park
Needles District, Canyonlands National Park
Barrier Canyon Style
Barrier Canyon Style
Barrier Canyon Style
Barrier Canyon Style
Barrier Canyon Style
Barrier Canyon Style
Needles District, Canyonlands National Park
Needles District, Canyonlands National Park
7 White Faces!
7 White Faces!
As I drove out through Indian Creek, I was listening to a popular song with this line: "Hold the line, the line of strength that pulls me through the fear..." San Jacinto, Pete Gabriel His very respectful tribute to the peoples that inhabited places like the Needles for over 5000 years. A version sung to the backing of an orchestra...powerful. Brought me to tears. This place is sacred for sure. It is easy to feel it strong. Go immerse yourself, respectfully.

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” ― MLK Jr.
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Yana
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Yana
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PostMon Apr 16, 2018 1:17 pm 
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PLAY SAFE! SKI ONLY IN CLOCKWISE DIRECTION! LET'S ALL HAVE FUN TOGETHER!
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joker
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joker
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PostMon Apr 16, 2018 1:31 pm 
Burly trip on multiple fronts, and quite cool I'm sure!! I bet you had a lot of solitude for a NP too!

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Rigafari
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Rigafari
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PostMon Apr 16, 2018 5:51 pm 
That place surely does have a feel to it. I did a similar loop like that once. Thanks for the stoke to get back that way!

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Rainie Too!
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Rainie Too!
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PostMon Apr 16, 2018 6:01 pm 
Wow! Only you can put a route like this together! up.gif up.gif up.gif

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neek
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neek
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PostMon Apr 16, 2018 6:57 pm 
I've really been enjoying your Utah reports. We were at Island in the Sky on the 13th, didn't get to spend nearly enough time there. Kinda windy a few of those days huh?

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silence
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silence
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PostTue Apr 17, 2018 6:26 am 
Nice!!! You covered it all ... lucky to have found water too.

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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DIYSteve
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Joined: 06 Mar 2007
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
PostTue Apr 17, 2018 7:51 am 
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cascadetraverser
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cascadetraverser
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PostTue Apr 17, 2018 5:45 pm 
John, your southwest adventures are a great read. Thanks for posting. It inspires me to get back down there with my kids!

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