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