Arches to Needles Outpost (Hayduke, sections 1 and 2)
After wandering the Grand Gulch maze for several days with our Alaskan friends, it was finally time to start the Hayduke. By the time we got to the trailhead we were already sunburned, sore, and a little dry, but mentally we were exactly where we needed to be. Those days spent moving slowly through canyon country had attuned us to the desert. The rhythm of slippery rock, wind and silence had already begun to take hold.
Our friend Alec dropped us off at the northern edge of Arches National Park, where the Hayduke begins and immediately disappears into the vast desert. Within minutes, the pavement disappeared and we were making our way across open slippery rock, heading toward the Devils Garden section.
A few hours after leaving the road we came across a panel of petroglyphs hidden in a wall, completely unmarked, far from any established trail. It was like a welcome. As if we had been invited.
That night we wandered past glistening domes of slippery rock as the sunset moved over us. By the time we got to camp it was completely dark and we were using our headlamps. A nearby camper shared water with us, our first small act of kindness in the wilderness.
The next morning, the Hayduke wasted no time in reminding us what kind of route this really is.
The steep canyon wall blocked our progress and dropped into steep cliffs. There was no trace, just an enigma. We spent 20 minutes going back and forth probing ledges and weaknesses in the rock before finally plotting a route around the wall. We soon returned to traveling purely cross-country.
Hours later we came across something strange, some footprints.
Two hikers had recently passed by. On such a remote route, tracks like that seem almost ghostly. When had they been here? Yesterday? Last week? They look fresh. Maybe we’ll run into them soon (more on this mystery in a later blog).
We finally reached the edge of Upper Courthouse Wash. Reports warned that the wash was clogged with brush and had quite a bit of quicksand, so we decided to go for a different option, dropping into a side canyon that descended nearly 400 feet to the bottom.
Lane found a narrow chimney in the rock. We threw our backpacks down a three-meter drop and then carefully climbed down after them. From there we descended the canyon in stages, working from ledge to ledge, studying every move.
When we arrived at the bottom the sun had set brutally. The desert heat descended upon us, so we took the opportunity to open our umbrellas and began the long push across country toward Courthouse Wash, where we planned to reconnect with the route.
Then came the water. The first intersection seemed manageable, until I entered. The water was almost up to my waist. We study the map. Ten more crossings ahead.
Late in the day, soaked and with temperatures dropping rapidly after sunset, the decision became obvious. We jumped over the first wall that seemed like an easy exit.
Instead of making countless deep-water crossings, we exited the canyon and crossed the open desert toward the Slickrock Alternate, a notoriously exposed section of the route overlooking Moab. While descending a steep slope, we encountered a choke point on the descent that forced us to use our rope for the first time to lower our packs.
After that point we were on the home stretch toward Moab and hit the highway just before dark.
Within an hour we were in a hotel room doing laundry and demolishing two Dominos pizzas after receiving them in our hotel room. Although we were only on the trail for one night, we already encountered several obstacles that made it seem like we had already accomplished a lot. We planned to stay one night, but equipment adjustments and logistics extended it to two.
Finally, back on the road and leaving Moab, we headed up a long BLM road toward Hurray Pass. Late in the afternoon we arrived at the last camp before the pass and set up our tents. A trail angel wandering around camp noticed our packs and invited us to enjoy the magic of the trails, one of those unexpected little gifts that seem to happen on long trails.
The next day, we crossed the pass and descended toward Adventure Camp, an outpost known among Hayduke hikers as one of the last reliable water stops before a brutal 45-mile dry stretch. s4tg2ed.
Tom, the owner, had run the place for two decades and had stories about Hayduke hikers going back years. Every season, the desert sends a new wave of wanderers into your driveway.
At this point, we had covered miles and miles of dusty road, so we decided to deviate from the official route and take another shortcut into the canyon.
They were classic canyon country trips, winding washes, hidden overflows and constant route finding. Several times we had to lower our backpacks and descend uncomfortable sandstone steps just to continue moving downstream.
Near the end of the day, almost 40 kilometers later, we climbed a final slab of slippery rock above the canyon. We could see it from above. The Colorado River was 1000 feet below us forming a bend in the river called The Loop, before continuing to twist and wind into the depths of Canyonlands National Park.
That night we slept high above the rivers under a dark starlit sky. Shortly before dawn, an owl began hooting near our tent. Anyway, it was time to ring the alarm, so we started making breakfast and packing up to start our hike.
We packed up in the dark and dove back into the wash before dawn, walking the last few kilometers towards the Needles District in the National Park. Before you knew it, we were at the Visitor Center talking to the rangers about alternatives in the park and enjoying all the exhibits and amenities it had to offer.
A short walk away (1.5 miles), we had our resupply box waiting for us at Needles Outpost. We arrived a day before the store officially opened for the season, but we had already talked to the owner about sending a box. After arriving we met a wonderful girl named Amber who runs the place with her husband. We quickly realized that it would be beneficial to camp there for the night so we could charge our electronics and rest before a 110 mile section to our next resupply town in Hanksville, Utah. We made a mistake. We didn’t drink water from the NP Visitor Center and just assumed the outpost would have some. Luckily, the kind owner, Amber, offered to pick Lane up from the Visitor Center once he walked there to fill the water tank so he wouldn’t have to carry 15 liters back.
Once we finished packing our food resupply and charging all of our electronics, we set up our tent for the night and set out on one last side mission. We heard about some petroglyphs on the slippery rock behind the property, so of course we had to go investigate.
After admiring the views and ancient history for a while, we returned to our camp for the night. We paid for the $3 showers, so we spent the rest of the night taking hot showers and taking advantage of a picnic table to eat our dehydrated gourmet food. Tomorrow we begin section three of the Hayduke Trail.
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