First
a little background on The Needles. When explorer John Wesley Powell first
led an expedition into this area in 1869 he described what he saw as "Ten
thousand strangely carved forms". Closely spaced
vertical fractures, widened through the unrelenting force of
erosion, have resulted in the rather unique topography of the Needles
District. The uppermost layer of sandstone in the Needles District, called
Cedar Mesa Sandstone, is more resistant to erosion than the underlying
Cutler Sandstone. As a result, the underlying sandstone weathers away
quicker than the sandstone above, which has resulted in many fascinating
mushroom-like formations that populate the Needles. Couple all of this
with an underlying layer of salt (from an evaporated ancient ocean) and
you've got some of the most unusual geology, and spectacular topography,
on the American continent.
A permit from the National Park Service is required for an overnight
stay in The Needles. This is done to regulate the number of people in
the backcountry at any given time in an attempt to help preserve the solitude
and general quality of the experience. Initially we had planned on hiking
out to a beautiful rock formation called Angel Arch along a trail that
closely follows Salt Creek. The advantage of this trail was its plentiful
water supply. Unfortunately, there were no permits available for the nights
we requested. Therefore, we changed our destination to Cyclone Canyon,
followed by a visit to Chesler Park, which is located in the very heart
of the Needles. The hike would total about 25 miles. Since no water is
available in either of these areas we were forced to carry our own. A
good rule of thumb is to carry one gallon of water, per person, per day.
Since each gallon weighs 8 pounds this quickly adds up to quite a bit
of extra weight.
The hike out to Cyclone Canyon was beautiful. As we started our journey
we were surrounded by massive mushroom-like sandstone formations. Mammoth
in size, and imposing in presence, they had a tendency to alter our perspective
on, and perception of, our surroundings. Human size, and significance,
seemed to diminish as we melded into the ancient landscape. The cross
bedding visible in the Cedar Mesa sandstone all around us provided a snapshot
of ancient sand dunes blowing across the region millions of years ago.
Time scales of that magnitude are simply incomprehensible to normal human
perception.
As we continued along the trail to Cyclone Canyon we came upon a seemingly
impenetrable barrier: a massive vertical sandstone wall rising over 100
feet straight out of the valley floor. Closer inspection revealed a series
of steep switchbacks meandering up the side of the wall. After a few minutes
of rather precarious footing we made our way up to the top and continued
our journey.
Cyclone Canyon was a wonder of peace and solitude. After setting up camp near the base of massive sandstone monoliths, we spent an enjoyable evening tracking wildlife in the area. Although my tracking skills are minimal, Roger’s are quite impressive and I learned quite a bit during our hike together. Although we weren’t lucky enough to spot any bobcats on this trip, their tracks were all around us. Later that evening we watched the rays of the setting sun ignite the pinnacles of The Needles in a blaze of color.

Roger relaxes in our peaceful Cyclone Canyon campsite.
![]() I enjoy the view. |
![]() Roger scrambles over slickrock. |
The following morning we hiked into Chesler Park, which involved a bit of rock scrambling and climbing over slickrock. Although none of the scrambling would be very difficult without a backpack, the added weight of our packs made some of the ascents and descents rather challenging. Additionally, wind added another variable to the equation. One section of the trail steeply ascended a series of massive sandstone pinnacles and ultimately reached a keyhole-like passageway to the other side. The pinnacles funneled the air through the passageway resulting in a deafening roar that made normal speech all but impossible. In this section the added size of our backpacks created extra drag as we fought our way against the formidable intensity of the wind. Words, however, were not required as we fought against the forces of nature. As we took a quick look at each other unspoken words passed between us, "This is what it’s all about. This is the real adventure of backpacking in Canyonlands."

Chesler Park
Chesler Park is located in the heart of the Needles. Ringed by sandstone
monoliths, the floor is fairly well vegetated creating a wonderful green
oasis in the desert. Water, however, is scare. A total of less than nine
inches falls during the year, with one third of it as late summer downpours.
Indian ricegrass, needle-and-thread, and galleta are some of the most
common grasses. Their shallow root system quickly gathers up any moisture
from the surface before it has time to evaporate. Shrubs and trees cannot
absorb the moisture as efficiently and therefore are fairly scarce in
this section of the park. The green blanket of native grasses, however,
provides a beautiful foreground for the red rock pinnacles of the Needles.
Photographic opportunities are endless.
During our evening in Chesler Park we went on an extraordinary hike that
took us down into an intricate series of narrow canyons formed by the
fracture of massive blocks of Cedar Mesa Sandstone. The narrow passageways
created a extensive maze to explore. We wandered aimlessly through the
stone corridors as the cool evening air gently circulated through the
passageways, as if the breath of the Land was enveloping us. Occasionally,
when the breeze would pause and silence welled up from all around us,
I could hear the heartbeat of the Land. It came not only from my surroundings,
but from within my own soul.

A shot of me during our evening
hike through
a series
of narrow
sandstone passageways on the Joint Trail.

Sunset in
Chesler Park




2008
Photo Gallery
Arches
National Park

