The things I get myself into....

This was the sign. I walked half a mile to find this sign. What you cannot see are the trails below the sign. One off to the right, which leads to the first overlook, and if you look in the background of the photo you can see trail markers on the giant rock. The second trail is off to the left, and it looked like there was another trail splitting off of it. It turns out that it was not a trail. I saw this sign and went left seeing the arrow associated with the first overlook. I didn't even notice the arrow on the right part of the sign pointing up or the trail markers in the distance...the 150 foot distance!

This is looking up the trail I ended up going down, after climbing up another giant rock face......it looks pretty steep right? Going down was fine.....

However, going back up was going to be pain.... That's George and Sue who I met along the way, they were as lost as I was and had the same issue with the sign. They are walking up the trail in this photo. HMMMMM....now I have to get up the rock face. Oh crap, now it is snowing and raining....making the rock slippery and I still have to get back.

I am not afraid of heights. I am however afraid of falling off of giant rocks. It happened once already. Independence Rock in Wyoming. I was exploring and got into a place I could not get out of and when I tried, I fell and managed to not break anything...but had some serious bruises and edema...and a rock implanted in my shin that I dug out several hours later.

I had to climb back up and walk out. I was alone at this point, and knew if I fell, I wouldn't get help. So I admit at a few points where it was too large a step to take safely, I got down on my hands and knees and crawled. At one point, I was crawling up this rock and laughing hysterically due to the predicament I would myself in.

All for photos of Upheaval Dome. It was rather neat. My best photos actually came from the first overlook...all that work to get to the second and nothing of importance to show of it.

Upheaval Dome in Cayonlands National Park. They have a theory that a meteor struck this spot 60 million years ago, and the subsequent erosion left this odd geological feature. It is rather odd looking, and totally worth the trip.

I am back at my home base, 6 days, 2562 miles, 8 national parks/monuments and 1 state park later.