I recently had an opportunity to spend three days on the Hayduke Trail in the Needles District of Canyonlands.
I did a variation of a route that took in the Hayduke or alternates in some cases, including a stretch of Rustler Canyon, back in 2017.
Hence, I got asked to accompany the other people on the trip, curious to see how much traffic there was compared to what I remember from seven years ago.
I didn’t remember much traffic, trails, cairns, or similar markings seven years ago.
A few years later? An undeniable social trail and even cairns.
Photo from Nate
But the scenery still seemed striking, as my memories recalled the longer walk and weekend trips Joan and I have done more recently.
.Once dropping into Rustler Canyon, it is easy to follow the wash and, as mentioned, the more defined social trail and cairns through the terrain.
The recent rains left lots of water in the potholes and made for easy camping.
Camping on the rock with the sun’s soft glow on a perfect October evening made for a memorable Colorado Plateau experience.
The following morning, we went to a viewpoint that gave us a view of the namesake formation for this part of Canyonlands.
We then dropped into another canyon, split off from the route I followed back in 2017, and entered an area somewhat new to me. I also noticed fewer signs of use; I think most Haydukers follow a different route for logistic reasons.
We then made our way to Butler Wash. The recent rains made an American football field-sized wash and many camping options.
A room with a view.
We had a fantastic light show to bring in the evening.
Nate also captured a photo of Tsuchinshan-ATLAS from our campsite. It’s an unexpected delight that’s 80,000 years in the making.
We worked our way out of the canyon following a cairned route to get to the next level and walk to the Bobby Jo campsite.
From there, we stopped our ~35 miles / 3-day Hayduke experience. The Hayduke goes into Butler Wash and onto Beef Basin. I’ve done variations of this on many weekend hikes and a more extended trip I took last year.
Instead, we made our way via Elephant Hill and saw sites I’ve seen before and sites new to me.
It is an excellent jaunt on an increasingly well-known route through outstanding scenery.
