Moab to Needles

Including my Arches loop, I just concluded my first week on the Hayduke! Leaving Moab began with a somewhat boring road walk out of town. It was the week of the annual Jeep Safari and, unfortunately, the road I walked on provides access to many of the jeep trails. I had already planned to use an alternate that started five miles out of town with the Thompson Trail, a steep hiking and mountain bike trail following the Colorado River. 

The Mighty Colorado 

It brought me close to the amazing Moonlight Spire. Next I hiked down and partially around the spire. Still very close to Moab, it already felt pretty remote as I didn’t see anyone on the trail. It was a windy day and I thought about cowboy camping until I saw dark clouds forming on the horizon. I had planned to practice pitching my new tent in good conditions, but hadn’t used it at all in Arches. So now I started fumbling around as I didn’t remember the steps of the setup at all. All this in high winds with rain clouds brewing. It took me almost an hour to put it up and by the time I finally finished, the rain had started. 

I cooked dinner in the tent (not recommended by the manufacturer) and put a dish out to collect rain water overnight.

Collecting Liquid Gold

It was still raining strongly when I woke up and I didn’t feel like getting wet. I spent the next hours doing things I should have done before, like rain proofing my electronics by putting them in separate ziplock bags, adding loops to my solar panel for better attachment to my pack and similar things. The rain stopped around 10 am and I packed up and left, amazed how quickly the tent dried in the desert.

I was only a miles from Basecamp Adventure Camp whose owner is one of the very few trail angels on the Hayduke. He invited me in and we chatted for a while. I also told his employee, Pat, that I stored my car in Moab.

“You left the keys and told her what you’re going to do? I’m sure she thinks you’re as good as dead. Probably already sold your car at the Navajo Swap Meet!” Great. Meanwhile I overheard the owner explaining my presence to some lodge guests. “Hayduke hikers, they have a heart so big it barely fits in their chest. Really good people.” I liked him!

Trail Angels Are The Best!

He graciously let me fill up all my water containers, I greeted the enormous resident turtle and was on my way. 

After a few miles my route merged with the jeep trail for a bit as it meanders through Bears Ears National Monument. I wasn’t happy about that, but soon a driver stopped and said they just received a flash flood warning. The trail wasn’t really prone to flooding, but they still all left, so they wouldn’t get stuck if one of the canyons they had to cross flooded. Having the trail to myself was much better. 

Jeeps Going Home

As the day progressed I got my first glimpses of Canyonlands and its amazingly vast landscapes. When it finally did rain for a bit, I fiddled with my also new rain poncho. I could put it in much quicker than my previous jacket and pants combo and it also covered the backpack. The only drawback was that it would balloon up like a petticoat in the wind and I couldn’t see my feet anymore. Not useful when climbing, so I waited the rain out under a rock overhang. The weather here changes so quickly and soon the sun and the wind chased the clouds away for good. It was an amazingly beautiful sunset and I cowboy camped on a rock slab overlooking a beautiful canyon (hey, what about practicing the tent setup in good weather?).

Good Morning!

I collected some rainwater from depressions in the rock to replace the water I used for dinner and drinking and went to sleep. 

The full moon was so bright that I had to wear a bandana to cover my eyes after watching it rise. The next morning I left the trail following several long dry washes that eventually led into Lockhart canyon. Here I found water dripping from an overhang. It wasn’t enough to form a stream to collect from, so I placed my dish, pot, cup and even a bottle under each drip. It took a long time to fill up. The desert can teach you patience…

When I got to the end of the canyon I saw an enormous dust cloud in the direction I was heading. I didn’t want to walk in this and decided to have an early dinner and see if the wind would calm down. 

Dust Coming My Way!

Instead, storm clouds quickly formed behind me and I scrambled again to put up my tent in the worst possible conditions. It went up much quicker this time, but the wind gusts were so strong that I worried the stakes would get pulled up, even though I had placed big rocks on them. When the wind eventually calmed down a bit I cooked dinner, only to discover another huge dust cloud coming now from the opposite direction where I had placed the entrance of my tent! What I had thought to be rain clouds was really dust.   I closed everything and the tent did its best to keep most of the dust out, but with every gust a small cloud entered the tent and after some time everything, including my dinner, had a dark red cover. I cut my finger when I tried to clean the stove. I drizzled some of the blood onto Mother Earth as a sacrifice. An hour later the storm subsided.

The Morning After 

The next day has been my favorite so far. I woke to a clear but cold morning, had breakfast and packed up after cleaning most of the red dust from my gear. I now entered a really remote area, not that I had seen anyone since the jeeps had left. The canyons here are called Horsethief and Rustler, invoking images of horsemen being chased by a Sheriff’s posse. I hiked into Rustler Canyon and followed it until it connected with the dry Indian Creek. 

Rustler Canyon

Then the route climbed out of Indian Creek which required quite a bit of route finding to supplement the vague line across the map on my gps. The climb wasn’t easy, but what a view from the top!

The canyons formed a really confusing maze and I could vividly imagine why they were favored by thieves and rustlers. The route continued along the rim of canyons and washes, weaving in and out of a remote corner of Canyonlands National Park. 

I saw a couple of old footprints every now and then, announcing the presence of my fellow Haydukers. When I reached a little hill with 360 degree views I decided to call it a night. I couldn’t pass up such a beautiful place to camp, even though it was still early. The stars were amazing before the moon rose later. There was no sound after the wind died down and it simply felt magical.