[John Morrow]

Part 2 of my 2014 Canyon Country Travels The time came to relax a bit after my Island in the Sky backpack took most of my strength away. Now I am rejuvenated and headed to the Needles for a nice long stint. I based out of the fine little Willow Flat campground in The Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park and ventured from there. Some driving involved, but easy and pleasant. Thursday: Hellroaring Canyon is just north of the Island, outside of the park. It is known for arches and rock art. My day first took me along an easy three miles of mesa walking to an overlook of Jewell Tibbetts Arch. The trailhead, off the Island in the Sky Highway, is 1.5 miles down a signed sandy and slickrock track. the Honda made it a mile when the slickrock got too rough.

Tibbetts Arch

Hellroaring Canyon

Arch and Claret Cup

Access to the inner canyon, where the rock art is, is problematic as no official trail finds its way through the cliffs. On a lead, my task was to find an entrance for a future pursuit of the famous and remarkable Rock Art. I found the route known as the "Dubinky Sheep" route which I will save for another time. After that it was time to visit Sevenmile Canyon (the Island in the Sky Highway 313 passes through it) and find the spectacular pictographs and petroglyphs located there. How many times have I drove right by some of the oldest and most remarkable art known. The 2000 years old Intestine Man and Snake in Mouth (green pigment snake that my camera does great injustice to) have watched me pass by many a time with me unknowing! Snake in Mouth is 4 feet tall!

Intestine Man

Petroglyphs, Intestine site

Coyote?

TV Sheep (awful name)

Snake in Mouth

I quickly headed down to the Arches National Park to inquire about a Fiery Furnace Ranger Guided Tour spot for Friday. No such luck but I found out that a limited number of self guided permits are available per day and one was left! Friday: One great thing about the Willow Flat camp is the five minute walk to Green river Overlook, coffee in mug and hand, for sunrises and sunsets.

Green River View morning

Cleopatra's chair

Candlestick Tower and Half Dome

Distant Henry Mtns

Lighted candlestick

Unnamed dome

I was excited for the Fiery Furnace, but the orientation video and mandatory permit lecture left me wondering, how tough could it be????? The point the NPS is making is that folks get frustrated finding a way in that they do much damage to the cryptobiotic soil in trying. I was determined to walk only on wash sand and solid slickrock. OK, after an hour I am not too proud to admit nearing defeat! Mostly because I was so conscious not to walk on any crust or vegetation. Perseverance finally brought me to the first inner natural bridge between fins. Exiting that dead end I noticed an obscure dryfall (looks just like a low fin, really) because I could tell that water definitely washes over in flash floods. Hmm...what is behind that????? It was the key to the inner sanctum! I found an all skickrock boulder scramble in. On the return could see where the guided tours go through a cleft in the bouldery slickrock I used to gain access. I was in....the canyon yielded its beautiful fins, arches, narrows, and bridges.

Fiery Furnace, Arches National Park

Small bridge in the Furnace

Arches National Park

Portrait by a friend

Arches National Park

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IMG_6777

Furnace light; Arches National Park, UT

passageways

Inner Sanctum Bridge

The riches are hidden within

I had a touch of energy left and heard the Klondike Bluffs road was graded gravel. Gravel anyway, not sure of when last graded! The washboard was intense and took me 25 minutes to go 6 miles. I am sure some nuts and bolts have worked loose on the ole' Honda but hopefully will not release completely free until I am back in WA! It is 1.7 miles one way through the bluffs to the Marching Men and Tower Arch:

Marching Men

Klondike Bluffs finlandia

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Famous Tower Arch

LaSals behind Marchers

Arches National Park

sandstone play

Saturday: Time to leave the Island for resupply and shower day in a Moab campground. Why not bag an easy summit with over 1500 feet of prominence on the way out? Well, the highest point on the "Island" is the lowly and modest "The Knoll" a few hundred yards off the Deadhorse Point State Park road. I paid it a visit.

Silly bump with 1550 ft prominence

No busting crust

Pete's Mesa and Merrimac

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Tomorrow, off to Canyonlands National Park, Needles district. If all goes well, ten days of interesting backpacking will ensue, complete with the company of other NWHikers for some of it! It will be 10 days worth so not sure when I will sign back in to this here site to write up the journey.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

The Fiery Furnace looks awesome, way more pleasant than the name seems to infer. Maybe it feels that way in the middle of summer.

[Matt]

Very fine, especially the Fiery Furnace.

[bobbi]

awesome! very cool petroglyphs! love the other 'parts' of the Fiery Furnace. did this guided … i would have gotten lost if i did it without a guide! worth the $10. Fiery Furnace TR

[Ski]

excellent images of the petroglyphs. thanks!

[John Morrow]