Return to Canyonlands: The Needles

Today officially started Week Two of my current road trip.  I said goodbye to Moab this morning...but not before grabbing a salad for lunch from the grocery store.  My destination of the day was the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park.  I had visited Canyonlands on a past road trip...the popular Island In The Sky mesa area.  Just south of Moab, I stopped to take a few pictures of Wilson Arch.

As I made the turnoff for Canyonlands, I was driving along, going the 40 mph speed limit when a squirrel suddenly darted across the road in front of me.  But, for some reason, the critter stopped and turned to run back the way it came.  For one brief moment, I saw the look of panic on its face...and then I felt the bump as I ran over it.  I felt pretty bad, but it will make a good meal for the scavenger birds.

I tried to put the dead squirrel out of my mind by doing a couple of hikes in the park.  In the morning, I walked the Slickrock Trail. This 2.4 mile trail gives you great views of the surrounding areas of the park, including Island In The Sky and the rock formations known as The Needles.

As the name of the trail describes, much of it travels over the sandstone slick rock.  There were quite a few lizards skittering all over the place.  At one point, I was trying to take a photo of one when I heard the thump of running feet behind me.  I thought it was a deer because the animal sounded so heavy.  But, it turned out to be a jackrabbit!  I tried to snap a pic, but it didn't quite turn out.  It looks like an alien in this shot.

In the afternoon, I visited the Cave Spring area and hiked the short loop trail.  The alcoves naturally formed by overhanging rock were used by both ancient Puebloan Indians, and later by cowboys.  On display was what a typical cowboy camp would look like.  And, the camps used by native people had blackened ceilings from fires, and cryptic hand prints on the wall.

Before leaving Canyonlands, I stopped to snap a few pics of Wooden Shoe Arch.  I guess it DOES look like a wooden shoe!

As I returned to the main highway, I drove on the same road that squirrel met its demise.  Yeah, I was still thinking about it.  Right off this road is Newpaper Rock State Historic Monument, which has one of the best petroglyph panels in the world.  In fact, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Of the hundreds of petroglyphs on this panel, there are the easily identifiable items, like footprints, riders on horseback and deer.  But, there are also the unknown.  If only this wall could talk!

Tomorrow, I'll be doing a little more hiking and seeing a lot more rock formations.  Then, I'll slowly be making my return trip home.