FEBRUARY 2010
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| TRAIL JUNCTION AT THE END OF SQUAW CANYON |
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| VIEW NEAR THE END OF SQUAW CANYON |
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| VIEW FROM THE TOP OF BIG SPRING CANYON |
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| SNOW DESCENT INTO BIG SPRING CANYON |
I arrived at the Needles District of Canyonlands in the first week of February about four hours before sunset. Playing it safe, I decided to do the shortest hike from the Squaw Flat Trailhead, which happened to be the Squaw Canyon Big Spring Canyon Loop Hike. While it was a pleasant walk with nice views, it is not nearly as interesting as the other hikes in the Needles, such as Druid Arch, Devils Kitchen and Chesler Park.
Hiking this trail in the winter was a little rough as there was a steep climb required to get out of Squaw Canyon which was covered in ice, and a big, steep drop into Big Spring Canyon which was covered with a layer of icy snow. This section had me really nervous. However, if you were to hike this trail after the snow has melted, these sections would not be a problem.
The nice thing about hiking the Needles the first week of February is that you have the place almost entirely to yourself. I hiked over twenty miles in two days, and saw only two people the entire time I was there. The only other sign of life were several large ravens who followed me around while I hiked.