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| Magda
at the Dead Horse Point |
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We're entering
Canyonlands |
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Magda rests
a bit at the Murphy Point |
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One of
the typical Island in the Sky's views |
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The Mesa
Arch |
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| City:
Moab |
| Lodge:
Motel6 |
| Price:
54$+tax |
Summary |
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-Dead
Horse Point SP |
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-Canyonlands,
Island in the Sky |
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Sunday, 27th
July
Dead Horse Point SP
We come back to our usual donuts and orange juice and, leaving
the motel, take advantage of the complimentary coffee. Today we'd
like to spend the day at the Canyonlands NP.
By the way, there is another park, a State Park, called Dead
Horse Point SP. In terms of miles, the detour is
quite short and in half an hour we reach the park's entrance where
we pay the 7$ ticket. The visitor center is smallish but nice
and a ranger informs us about what we can do. To tell the truth,
there is just one walk along the park's rim. From here we can
see the main park's view: a gooseneck that the Colorado River
has dug during thousands years of erosion. The landscape is the
same shown in many photos. After another short walk and some photo,
we leave.
Canyonlands,
Island in the Sky
While we're entering Canyonlands alert signs tell us that we should
carry our own water since in the whole district there is just
a standpipe at the visitor center (and here you can just drink,
no way to fill tanks!). Fortunately it's at least possible to
buy water at the visitor center. The park is divided in three
districts, one over the other like steps. We're in the highest
one, Island in the Sky. We stop as usual
to chat a bit to rangers. Some trails are suggested to us, all
pretty short and they underscore that a very hot day is awaiting
us.
Our first choice is the Murphy Point Trail.
The walk is pretty long (4.8 miles) and the views along the trail
are nothing special. When we finally get to the Murphy Point itself
we expect a breathtaking panorama. Instead, the canyonlands view
is nice but not really moving (specially considering the effort
needed to get there). We get back mumbling something about how
this trail has disappointed us.
Since it's very hot, we decide to avoid other tough walks and
we choose a short trail. We stop at the Grand View
Point (very nice) and at some other view point.
Then we hike till the Mesa Arch (probably
the best thing of the day) and, at the end, we walk up to the
Upheaval Dome (where we can see a crater
made by a meteorite’s impact).
It's almost 2 p.m. and sun is shining. We decide to stop at a
picnic area near the Upheaval Dome trail-head, one of the few
shaded places in all the district.
We've seen many of the things we planned to see and the heat has
really destroyed us. So we decide to leave the park.
Canyonlands was somewhat a delusion, but we know quite well that
the true park's heart is the Needles
district that we could admire far off in the distance from the
Island in the Sky view points.
Today is probably the first day we really suffer the heat. The
temperature is specially high, and there's not a shadow to be
found. So we decide to relax a bit in the afternoon and rest up
in our room till 6 p.m.
We plan to go out in the evening to take in the sunset at the
Delicate Arch.
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