The Hole Tourist: Canyonlands Day 2

So I know I said that I was going to keep the blogs short, break them up by and what not. Well that's not going to work, mostly because we did so many hikes, at least nine that were under 3 miles. But we also did some awesome things that weren't hikes, and I wasn't really sure of how to fit those in. So instead I will break them up by days. Yes that means more blogs and yes that means more work and more waiting. I think that it will be worth it. Though there is one glitch, for some reason my camera decided to stop working on a few hikes so I don't have pictures for them. Unfortunately I didn't notice until two days had gone by. I swore on this trip I wasn't going to 'examine' the photos I took and instead wait till I got home. Luckily I'm a sucker and checked my camera. Just to find it wasn't working. So after a few adjustments and many practice shots and double and triple checking that the pictures were in fact staying, it was all sorted out. So for the hikes that I have no photographic proof of I will add in some stock photos of the adventure, that took place out side of hikes, but are none the less adorable and amazing. Enough with the disclaimers lets get to day 2.

Chesler Park via Elephant Canyon

The first all day hike we did was to Chesler Park. We parked at the Elephant Hill trail head (also where the 4-wheel drive road for Elephant Canyon starts) and took the Elephant Canyon route to Chesler park. we read the sign and one way to Chesler park was 2.9 miles. That was about it for description, we figured it would be a push and we left early enough so we could have plenty of time to rest.

Not my photo
Staircase that starts the Chesler park trail

The trail starts off climbing a staircase cut into a boulder and continues on this extraordinary path. Once we started over the semi-flat slickrock we found a place to sit and have a snack of bananas and water. It gets fairly steep at parts, the trail said that there was a ladder, which we never found. Chesler park was also our first introduction to a poorly marked trail. The rock cairns seemed to just vanish at times and we spent lots of time retracing our steps trying to find the last cairn. Often Kevin went off in search of the trail while I waited at the last visible cairn with the kids. The problem was that the trail at times followed a dirt path along a dry creek bed then suddenly veered back onto the rocks. When the trail was on a dirt path there were no cairns. It was very frustrating and could be very dangerous. But mostly just aggravating, especially since we were 'told' repeatedly by signs to stay on trails. Sorry for the rant, but it happened quite often on many trails and it made both Kevin and I very disappointed.

Not My Photo
This is the 'hallway'
we walked through

Overall the hike was a blast, we climbed up and down the sides of Elephant canyon, and up and over The Needles to an open expanse of sagebrush. guarded on all sides by the pillars of the Needles. it was amazing. The trail slipped through a canyon who's walls were so close that my shoulders occasionally hit the sides of the walls, the kids instantly dubbed it the Castle. Up a staircase carved through rock. It was an amazing and diverse hike, and each step closer to the park you wonder where and how your going to cross the impenetrable looking needles. Or if you were at all. When you do the scene completely changes, where you expect more tangled rock formations you find a desert garden. We went a bit past the Chesler park sign up the Joint trail and found a nice tree to sit a rest by. We had lunch, turkey sandwiches, apples, chocolate as a reward and tons of water. After lunch we laid out all of the kids hoodies and made them lay down and rest for a half an hour, before we headed back.

Pictographs on the Chesler Park trail

Note to readers considering any elevation trails in Canyonlands, if you get nervous going up steep elevation gains, its a hundred times worse trying to come down. To all family reading, I promise the kids we're never in any danger of falling down the side of a cliff. Kevin and I had them snuggly tucked between us on every trail and if we had the slightest worry of heights, or danger, kids were firmly in hand. The only one who did slip was Kevin and that was due to a rock that wasn't firmly set at the base of a descent. And don't worry he was fine, he slipped maybe 3 inches.