Moab, Utah

Yesterday morning I got a bit of a late start. I decided to head up to Canyonlands National Park and see about several areas of the park I had not visited before. I spent the day touring around the Island in the Sky region of the park, mostly in the Upheaval Dome area, which was new to me.

I ended up doing three short hikes for a total of about seven miles in somewhat overcast and very windy conditions. It was threatening rain all day but I only saw a few drops. It appeared to be raining nearby on several occasions but don't know how much of it hit the ground. Someone in the Visitor Center said the rain often evaporates before it hits the ground here — but I have no idea if that's true.

The first hike was at Whale Rock, a large outcrop near the Upheaval Dome.

I then went over to the Upheaval Dome (check out this link, the picture is much more detailed than mine). It was a neat hike and a really interesting structure to see. The trailhead sign was incorrect — or, rather, it only told about the first overlook — so the hike was somewhat longer than I expected. I ended up seeing some great scenery.

I drove around for a while checking out the various overlooks and was finally able to get a good view of the Green River.

I was about to leave the park when I decided to hike out to the Murphy Overlook which I suspected (correctly) would give me a view of the last hike I had done in the park two years ago. It turned out to be a very enjoyable hike. I met a nice couple from Poland via Tampa, Florida, who were interesting to talk with and who took my picture.

I ended the evening at the Moab Brewery. I can wholeheartedly recommend the Scorpion Pale Ale and the Derailleur Ale. Very nicely done all around.