Got up fairly early (6:30 AM MDT) to enjoy the cool and quiet. So quiet I could actually hear the flap of birds wings as they flew by. The morning temperature is about 50 Deg. an a wonderful treat after the blistering days.

Today I went to Canyonlands NP Needles district. Canyonlands, both Needles and Island districts, is definitely a "hiker" park. You don't see many campers or motor homes and NO tour busses. The people I see on the trail seem to be fixated on covering as much ground as possible and move at impressive speed, considering the weather.

The Needles district of Canyonlands is not a highly developed park. If you think of it as a "wilderness area" with a few roads you will have the right idea. It is the only NP I've seen that operates on the "honor system" to collect entrance fees. The booth at the entrance point had no one attending but bundle of envelopes and a sign asking me to drop the fee off at the visitor center. However, this may have been because it was moderately early Sunday morning and staff levels low. When I left there WAS someone at the booth and a sign asking me to show a receipt before exiting. I guess altruism only goes so far when up against human nature and the laws of economics.

There are not many roads in the needles district and they are either not marked very well or the map misrepresents them. They do seem to be a "work in progress" and perhaps the printed maps have not caught up with reality yet. Since I haven't seen ANY of this yet getting turned around is not much of a loss. If you are not a hiker, the main draw to Canyonlands Needles district is the views of the canyon systems of the Colorado and Green rivers which join in the park. However, since the mesa is nominally flat topped, the best views are from the edges and the roads do not approach the edges in many places. To be fair, the area is large, funds limited and not everything has to be made easy. There is something exquisitely delicious a pleasure you feel you have earned.

One of the trails I took here was aptly named "Slick Rock Trail" that gave some views. The only problem was that the trail head information gave no information about the length or conditions on the trail. It turned out to be a fairly extensive look of about 3 miles with connecting trails on each end. It also lived up to it's name, as it was mostly over bare rock with little shade but, thankfully, not much climbing either.

I suspect this district of the park is less developed because it is VERY far off the beaten path. It is 50 miles to the nearest town (Montecello). This explains the presence, just outside the park, of a privately owned campground and store. I stopped there and had my first shower in four days. It felt wonderful and I gladly forked over $4 for the privilege. The posted price list said $3 for campground residents and $5 for visitors, but it was the middle of the afternoon and the clerk said $3 would do. An example of economics at work and I get to smell good too, what more could I ask for.

Tomorrow is moving day. I will break camp and head for Hoovenweep NP. Since I got my shower today I will not have to spend a night in a motel before setting up camp again.

While in the Needles district I gathered, what I think are, seeds from the "Utah Juniper". These are the twisted half dead looking evergreens you see growing in this area, sometimes in "impossible" places. They would make great "Bonsai" and many of the wild ones remind me of them. If there is a related species in Japan I would not be surprised if it was the inspiration for this oriental craft.