Cody
Member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2012
- Messages
- 100
Desperate for some clean air and pre-holiday solitude, I skipped town for an overnight loop in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. I stopped in at Park HQ in Moab to talk over permit options since the Canyonlands permit page indicated the Needles Visitor Center was closed for the season (this year). Chatting with a Ranger, I learned that permits are self-serve only at the visitor center for now... and free. Not that I would have minded paying--wouldn't be the first time I've paid the park $30 for a worthy overnight solo trip--but it was a rather nice surprise to get a permit on the house.
I had the only permit in all of Needles that night. In fact, the permit matrix was blank for the two weeks prior as well.
Just as I was heading to Elephant Hill, the sky lit up like this:
I parked the truck at Elephant Hill TH and strapped the microspikes and gaiters on my boots for an icy, moonlight hike into Elephant Canyon, where I would be camping at EC1, just a couple miles in. The Geminid meteor shower was peaking over the weekend and I saw plenty from the trail and many laying in camp as well; some were surprisingly bright even with a nearly full moon.
It was very cold of course, and not much daylight to work with; but seeing the park in snow conditions was quite nice.
Come morning, I looped through the Joint Trail and Chesler Park counter-clockwise and then headed out Elephant Canyon in the afternoon, back to the truck at dusk. Great weekend to be in Canyonlands, and a bargain!
Featured image for home page:
I had the only permit in all of Needles that night. In fact, the permit matrix was blank for the two weeks prior as well.
Just as I was heading to Elephant Hill, the sky lit up like this:
I parked the truck at Elephant Hill TH and strapped the microspikes and gaiters on my boots for an icy, moonlight hike into Elephant Canyon, where I would be camping at EC1, just a couple miles in. The Geminid meteor shower was peaking over the weekend and I saw plenty from the trail and many laying in camp as well; some were surprisingly bright even with a nearly full moon.
It was very cold of course, and not much daylight to work with; but seeing the park in snow conditions was quite nice.
Come morning, I looped through the Joint Trail and Chesler Park counter-clockwise and then headed out Elephant Canyon in the afternoon, back to the truck at dusk. Great weekend to be in Canyonlands, and a bargain!
Featured image for home page: