2016 Spring Break Trip to Canyonlands National Park
During our 2016 Spring Break, we went to Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky to camp, hike, and mountain bike. Our friends the Colgans (Gary, LeeAnn, Anna, and Graham) were able to get permits for backcountry campgrounds and invited us to join them. We spent four nights in the park.
Sego Canyon Petroglyphs
Our first stop on the trip was Sego Canyon north of Moab to see the petroglyphs. (03/25/2016)
Sego Canyon Petroglyphs
Charlie, Jack, and Vonnie at Sego Canyon Petroglyphs
Sego Canyon Petroglyphs
Sego Canyon Petroglyphs
Sego Canyon Petroglyphs
Sego Canyon Petroglyphs
Day 1 (3/25/2016)
We entered the Park from the northwest along the Green River after coming down the Mineral Bottom Road. We spent our first night at the Labyrinth campground. Our second night was at the Taylor campground up Taylor Canyon. Our third and fourth nights were at the Hardscrabble campground.
Island in the Sky Map
Our first night was at Labyrinth campground in the northwest corner of the park along the Green River
View from Labyrinth campground
View from Labyrinth campground
View from Labyrinth campground
View from Labyrinth campground
Vonnie at Labyrinth campground
Our camp at Labyrinth campground
View from Labyrinth campground
Dinner cooking at Labyrinth campground
View from Labyrinth campground
Our camp at Labyrinth campground
Day 2 (3/26/2016)
In the morning, we packed up camp and rode the White Rim Road to the Hardscrabble campground. We wanted to see where it was and what the White Rim Road was like. We ran into guided group of mountain bike riders from Spain. Their guides showed us where a grainery was, so we stopped to visit it on our way back from Hardscrabble. After the grainery, we rode up Taylor Canyon to Talyor campground. We setup camp, had lunch, and spent the afternoon hiking. It was a beautiful location.
Joey getting ready to bike first thing in the morning
Vonnie, Charlie, and Jack getting ready to ride
A stop to visit a grainery
Grainery
Joey in the grainery
View from the grainery hill back toward Labyrinth campground
Graham, Anna, Jack, and Charlie on top of a rock by the grainery
Charlie, Joey, and Vonnie mountain biking on the White Rim Road
Anna, Charlie, Joey, Vonnie, and Gary mountain biking on the White Rim Road
Anna and Jack mountain biking on the White Rim Road
Vonnie mountain biking on the White Rim Road
Joey riding in the Land Cruiser to Taylor campground - it was up a sandy wash
The road to Taylor campground
View near Taylor campground
View near Taylor campground
Vonnie, LeeAnn, and Anna checking out the geology while hiking in Trail Wash on the Alcove Spring Trail
View near Taylor campground
Moses and Zeus
Joey on the Alcove Spring Trail
Moses and Zeus
Our camp at Taylor campground
The kitchen area at our camp at Taylor campground
Day 3 (03/27/2016)
In the morning, we packed up camp and hiked the trail to the base of Moses and Zeus. The view from there was amazing. We then ate lunch and rode to Hardscrabble campground. We setup our camp for the next two nights, and then set out to explore the White Rim Road and Hardscrabble Hill to the south. Hardscrabble Hill is one of the two big obstacles along the White Rim Road. At the top of Hardscrabble Hill is a parking area and trail to the Fort Bottom Ruins.
Joey, Jack, and Charlie hiking to the base of Moses and Zeus
Jack and Charlie on the hike to the base of Moses and Zeus
Graham, Gary, LeeAnn, Anna, Jack, Charlie, Joey, Vonnie, and Tom at the base of Moses and Zeus. This was our run and jump in it photo
View from the base of Moses and Zeus
View from the base of Moses and Zeus
View from the base of Moses and Zeus
View from the base of Moses and Zeus
View from the base of Moses and Zeus
View from the base of Moses and Zeus
View from the base of Moses and Zeus
Charlie, Joey, and LeeAnn on the hike down from the base of Moses and Zeus
Joey on the hike down from the base of Moses and Zeus
Charlie on the hike down from the base of Moses and Zeus
Tom and Jack at the base of Moses and Zeus
We spent the last two nights at the Hardscrabble campground - photo from the road at the top of the Hardscrabble Hill
Hardscrabble campground and the Green River from the road at the top of the Hardscrabble Hill
Hardscrabble Hill
Land Cruiser on Hardscrabble Hill
Charlie riding on the Hardscrabble Hill road - White Rim Road
The White Rim Road on Hardscrabble Hill
Green River with the Hardscrabble campground at the bend
Hiking the Fort Bottom Trail to see the ruins
View from the top of Hardscrabble Hill
Looking down the Green River from the top of Hardscrabble Hill - Potato Bottom is along the river
Graham and Vonnie hiking the Fort Bottom Trail to see the ruins
Gary hiking the Fort Bottom Trail to see the ruins
Canoes on the Green River
Fort Bottom Trail to the ruins
Vonnie, Graham, and Gary crossing the thin sandstone ridge
Fort Bottom Ruins
Fort Bottom Ruins
Fort Bottom Trail back to Hardscrabble Hill
Anna at the Fort Bottom Ruins
Gary, Graham, and Anna at the Fort Bottom Ruins
Jack, Gary, Charlie, and Joey at the Fort Bottom Ruins
Jack, Joey, Charlie at the Fort Bottom Ruins
Fort Bottom Trail across the thin sandstone ridge
Fort Bottom Trail across the thin sandstone ridge - notice the stacked stones you cross in the middle
Day 4 (03/28/2016)
The Colgans hiked into Upheaval Dome, and Jack, Charlie, Joey, Vonnie, and Tom explored the White Rim Road south of Hardscrabble Hill. We almost rode as far south as the Candlestick campground. There was a very strong southerly wind, and it was cloudy most of the day as a front was approaching. It made it dusty all day.
The White Rim along the Green River south of Potato Bottom
Jack and Charlie on the White Rim cliff over the Green River
Looking back north over Potato Bottom to Hardscrabble Hill
Green River from the White Rim
Joey and Vonnie on the White Rim over the Green River
White Rim along the Green River
Joey riding on the White Rim Road
Vonnie on the White Rim Road
Green River gorge along the White Rim
Green River gorge along the White Rim
Jack and Charlie looking into the Green River gorge
Green River gorge along the White Rim
Jack, Charlie, and Joey on the White Rim
Vonnie and Joey riding the White Rim Road
Day 5 (03/29/2016)
It rained the last night, but fortunately stopped when we got up in the morning. The roads were very muddy, but Charlie wanted to ride his bike out of the Park. He hadn't been in the Land Cruiser in the Park. Jack, Charlie, Anna, and Graham had ridden their bikes from the top of the Mineral Bottom Road switchbacks to the Labyrinth campground the first day. Charlie didn't want to get in the car until he was out of the park. He rode to the intersection of the White Rim Road and the Mineral Bottom Road. We loaded up his bike there and drove out.
We had a great trip and everyone wants to plan a trip in the future to do the whole White Rim Road.