Island In The Sky

One of the destinations on my recent trip to Utah was Canyonlands National Park.  If you've never been there before, it's hard to describe in words.  The closest comparison might be the Grand Canyon, but that doesn't really do it justice.  While the Grand Canyon is a long but narrow canyon centered along the Colorado River and its tributaries, the vast expanses Canyonlands stretch across two river systems and four districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and Horseshoe Canyon.  The Green and Colorado Rivers serve as the boundaries between the first three districts and with their own ecosystems, can be thought of as a kind of fifth district.

Over the years I've explored much of the park, from the arches and cliff dwellings of Salt Creek to the grand vistas of Island in the Sky.  As for the Maze--the most remote and inaccessible region of the lower 48 states--I've only gazed from above and pondered its mysteries.  Exploring its hoodoo spires and hidden pictographs is on my to-do list, hopefully before I get too old to make the trek.

For this trip, I picked Island in the Sky.  It's been twenty years since I've been there.  Being the most popular and most easily accessible part of the park, I tend to avoid it.  But it was time to refresh my old 35mm slides with new digital images, so off I went.  My first stop was Mesa Arch, an easy quarter-mile hike from the road.  While morning photos of the arch have become common, the pastel glow of the backlit arch is a site I never tire of.  The trick is to try to find a new vantage point rather than plunking your tripod down into the same three holes everyone else does.

Next up was Buck Canyon, a sharply carved tributary of the Colorado.  There are several good vantage points from the road, but to really see it, you need to get out of your car and walk.  It's not overly strenuous, but like much of Island in the Sky, when you get to the precipice there are no railings.  Its a 1400 foot drop straight down.  Keep small children in check.

There were plenty of other sights to see along the road, with such names as Green River Overlook, Upheaval Dome, and Grand View Point.  For a different perspective on that last viewpoint, check out Edward Abbey's classic, Desert Solitaire, from your local library and read the chapter titled "The Dead Man at Grand View Point."

Next up: Arches National Park in a Rainstorm