Day 16

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States: Utah
Miles driven: 79
Miles hiked: 6
Slept: My tent, 50′ from the canyon rim in Willow Flats campground, Island in the Sky District, Canyonlands Natl Park.
10 words or less: Dead Horse Point/Island in the Sky. Shared tent site.

The best place in the world to faint

Today I drove from Moab to Dead Horse Point State Park. The story of the name is that cowboys would heard droves of wild horses up to this point where they’d corral them up there on the peninsula, pick out the best horses, then leave the rest to die on the waterless mesa, 2,000′ above the Colorado River. It’s a sad story. Poor horsies! The view was breathtaking though and it was the most I’d seen of the Colorado River this trip.

I asked a French woman to take my standard “out on a ledge” photo. It was hilarious! After I’d hopped over a barrier wall I wasn’t supposed to hop over, she could hardly aim the camera. She kept letting out little soft screams and gasps, petrified I would fall of the edge. Looking at how thin the rock was I sat on, I can see why she freaked out. It was a good 3,000′ drop to the bottom. I’m reminded of this Simpson’s scene.

Sitting on a diving board. Kind of a thin rock, now that I see it from this angle.
Dead Horse Point State Park, UT

Next I drove to the Island in the Sky district of nearby Canyonlands National Park. I did a really great 3.6 mile hike to Murphy Point. Not a soul was on the trail – I had it all to myself! The views were stunning, but as it had been most of this trip the sky was hazy. I’d been taking photos of the trailhead signs so I could remember what trail my pix were from later. See if you can spot something unusual left on this sign. I had to do a double take when I spotted it. The hell?

Murphy Point Trailhead, Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands Natl Park.

As dusk approached, I hiked the mile or so well worn Grand View trail. It totally lived up to it’s name. Along the way, there were a few families here and there, but by the end of the trail I was alone atop a truly grand view, except for the guy who took my photo. He wasn’t very talkative. I thought “that’s cool, whatever” and simply asked if he’d get a shot of me on top of the ledge. I was up there already, taking several panorama shots. With my camera you have to take three photos in a row, panning manually in the process, then the camera would stitch the images together. The only reason I’m explaining that is so you’ll understand the length of time I stood staring into the tiny camera screen on top of this smooth, rounded rock overlooking an, oh I don’t know, 2,000′ sheer drop. When I finally looked up, I got a massive wave of vertigo and went all dizzy. I saw stars and fell! Thankfully I fell backward. Seriously the stupidest thing I did all trip. The guy was like “uh, careful there.” Thanks dude. He took a couple photos of me and I got the hell off that rock.

This is where I had a fall. Luckily I fell backward!
Grand View Point, Island in the Sky district, Canyonlands, UT

Earlier in the day I’d set up camp at Willow Flats. I came across a super nice Dutch couple and, ever the penny-pincher, asked if they wanted to share my campsite. There was nothing but land land land behind the picnic area, so it wasn’t like we’d even see each others tents. They were all for saving a buck too, and we struck up a deal. Later the dude made a campfire. It was the only time I’d be in front of a wood fire all trip. I was surprised the burn ban had been lifted considering how dry it still was. Another camper, lovingly referred to as “that shirtless asshole”, started a fire too. Oh, here’s a shot of him in action!