Island in the Sky

Lip balm!  I need lip balm!  Chapped lips is something I usually don't have to deal with, living in the moisture rich northern Puget Sound area of Washington. But, here in the Utah desert, my lips were in need of relief.  And, I didn't have any lip balm with me!  Before leaving my pit stop in Green River, I stopped to grab a breakfast sandwich from Subway.  Conveniently, the restaurant was sharing a building with a mini-mart.  So, I got my sandwich AND my lip balm!

My sole destination of the day was Canyonlands National Park, specifically the Island in the Sky district.  This section of the park is generally a large, spread out mesa, surrounded by spectacular basins and canyons.  The weather was perfect, sunny with a blue, cloudless sky and temperatures hovering in the high 50s.  I much prefer doing my outdoor activities in cool weather, wearing just a light jacket...or none at all.  My first stop of the day was Mesa Arch.  Not the biggest arch by far, but you can't beat the awesome backdrop!  In addition, from the overlook, I looked down on Buck Canyon. 

 

 

Next, I drove to the end of the Grand View Point road to hike the one mile trail to the Grand View Point overlook.  As I walked along the dirt and sandstone trail , I soaked in the views and of course, took lots of photos.  At one point, I saw a blur of movement out of the corner of my eye.  Chipmunk...a Hopi chipmunk to be exact!  The little critter stopped and started eating the flower pods from a plant.  So cute!  Then, I saw a good-sized bird fly to the edge of a cliff and start vocalizing.  I managed to snap a pic of this female northern flicker before it flew away. 

 

When I reached the end of the trail, I decided to try out my camera's panorama mode.  Since buying the camera last year, I hadn't used this feature.  I took shots of both sides of the overlook...Monument Basin and Junction Butte.  I think the photos came out pretty good!

I was ready for lunch.  I parked at the Buck Canyon overlook and looked for an appropriate rock to sit and enjoy my meal.  In my search for a flat stone seat, I almost stepped on a lizard which scooted away from me.  Strangely, it didn't go very far, choosing instead to sit and eyeball me.  This behavior made it very easy for me to get some nice pics.  After my meal, I took some photos of the scenery from the overlook.  This shot includes both Gooseberry Canyon and Monument Basin. 

 

My second hike of the day was half the distance, but had a little more elevation.   The trail to Upheaval Dome proved to be just as popular as the Grand View Point trail.  At the top, the viewpoint looked down at...a crater, not a dome.  Scientists speculate it was caused by a meteor strike, but it sure stands out from all the geological features in the park.  

Before leaving the park, I took in one last viewpoint...the Shafer Canyon overlook.  It provided one last spectacular vista and was a fitting ending to a wonderful day at Canyonlands National Park.  Someday on a future road trip, I need to check out other areas of the park that I didn't have time to see.