Utah, Day 19... Goblin Valley

 Thursday, September 19, 2024

         There was only one thing on tap for the day, Goblin Valley State Park.  I wanted to do this last year, but knew it need more time than I had.   It's about a half hour's drive north of Hanksville.

     A hundred and seventy million years ago, this was the shore of an inland sea.  Over time, the accumulated silt and mud created what would become this park.   There's no set trail through the valley floor.  Feel free to wander about.

       On the far end of the parking lot, there's a curious sounding trail to a place called Goblin's Lair.  It's two and a half miles with a steep climb at the end to a cave.

      This is the last turnoff to Goblin's Lair.  Center frame is the trail up to the cave entrance, more of a window looking down into it.   After watching one group after another have trouble with it, I moved on.  The trail off to the left is another quarter mile to another cave named Goblinette's Lair.  

     I did find the second cave.  You can climb down inside if you want.  I chose not to.

     From the hike back...

      

Utah, Day 18... Islands in the Sky

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

     This morning was all about the Islands in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park.  The turnoff is twenty miles north of Moab.  From there, it's still a long drive to the entrance of the park.

     If you drive all the way to the far end of the park road, you come to an overlook called Grand View Point.  One of the park's most popular trails starts there.  Unfortunately, it was blocked off and closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic.  The Park Service is doing maintenance on the parking lot and adjacent trail.  To get an idea what it would have been like, once again, Utah's Adventure Family.

     Instead, I began the day at a nearby overlook instead...

     This was followed by a trail out to an overlook in the area they call White Rim.  

      That line below is in fact a road.  If you look towards the right side of the frame, you can actually see a Jeep slowly driving by.

      Overlooking Buck's Canyon...

     And Green River...

      Down at the end of a different park road is a curious place called Upheaval Dome.  There are different theories how it formed.  The most popular seems to be a meteor strike.  In person, that's a rich blue color.  

     Another random overlook...

      The last stop in the park was another popular place called Mesa Arch.  Access is by an easy half mile trail.

     The view through the arch...

      While I was there, two structural engineers were on their hands and knees looking at the base of the arch.  They were talking about the large cracks at the base where it's very slowly pulling away from the walls.  They were trying to estimate how long until it collapses into the valley below.  

        After leaving the park behind, I still had the hour and a half drive to Hanksville ahead.

      The town is named after Ezekiel Hanks, an early settler.  These days it seems more of a crossroads town.  There's not much to do here, just plenty an half hour or so any any direction.  

       My home for the next two nights was the Whispering Sands Motel.  Have you ever walked into a motel and it either felt brand new of just renovated?  That's this place.  

       Sunset from the parking lot...