Dead Horse SP and Canyonlands, Nov 2, 2009

With a lunch packed we headed out to explore.  Our first stop was Dead Horse State Park about 30 miles away.

This is erosion at its BEST!  That is the Colorado River down in the valley (it is green).

Legend has it that a herd of mustangs was driven out to the point and a make shift fence (photo below) was built across the only outlet, a 30-40 foot neck of land.  They died of thirst within sight of the Colorado River many many feet below them.

   We ate our picnic lunch, then onto Canyonlands National Park which is just a few miles away.  We hiked to Upheaval Dome.  The controversy is…what caused this depression: meteorites or an upheaval of salt deposits.

Then on to Whale Rock for a hike.

The trail started up the tail end (right side of photo) and I only got to the area to the right of the small dome on top.  Bob made it to the head (left side).

Above… Here I am sitting (when I sit I feel safer) waiting for Bob to some back.  Below…that’s Bob out on the whale’s head.

Next, on to our last hike of the day, Aztec Butte.  The first 1/2 mile was on sand, then the tide turns to hiking a slick rock up and up to a mesa top to see an ancient puebloean granary.

Saw these marks, this is where they sharpened their knifes.

Bob is above me taking a photo of me getting up a very steep incline, I would say 55-60 degrees, yes I am on my knees, but I made it up.  Coming down was easier, believe it or not, Bob was at the bottom helping me.  Our day is done with a full moon view over Canyonlands.