Unraveling the Geological Mysteries of Canyonlands National Park

Audio Only

Ever wondered how the majestic landscapes of Canyonlands National Park came to be? Join me, the Natural Medic, as I unravel the geological mysteries etched into the breathtaking vistas of the Islands in the Sky District. From the dizzying heights of the Grand Viewpoint Overlook, feast your eyes on the intricate canyons crafted by the Colorado River, where the river's legacy has carved stories into the very rocks we stand upon. We'll traverse the historical White Rim Road, peering into the storied layers of Kayenta and Wingate, and marvel at the stoic LaSalle Mountains towering in the background. Even without stepping foot on every trail, the allure of the park's hidden gems, like the Mesa Arch and the enigmatic upheaval dome, will captivate your imagination.

As we navigate these awe-inspiring terrains, we'll delve into the mystery that surrounds the upheaval dome—an ongoing debate of meteorite impact versus salt dome uplift that keeps scientists on their toes. Despite time constraints, the thrill of potential future explorations keeps the adventure alive in our hearts. Picture yourself on the challenging syncline loop trail or discovering the arches that rival those of the famed Arches National Park. Whether you're a geology enthusiast or an outdoor adventurer, this episode promises an invigorating blend of natural wonder and scientific intrigue, sparking a sense of wanderlust for one of nature's most outstanding phenomena.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Hello there, this is the Natural Medic. I'm at Canyonlands National Park, the Islands in the Sky District, and I'm at Grand Point. Overlook, let's take a look. Whoa, look at that, Isn't that crazy? So what you're looking at is the Colorado River Canyon. The river is cut so deeply you can't even see the river. Before 1921, the portion of the Colorado River above the Green River was known as the Grand River. That's why they call this the Grand Viewpoint.

Speaker 1: 0:33

Down here, directly in front of us, you have the Totem Pole. In the distance, you have the Ajo Mountains, the Needles District of the Canyonlands, which I was at yesterday, and you have the confluence it's way over there, off to the right, looking this way which John Wesley Powell mapped in 1869, which is where the joining of the Green River and the Colorado River happens. If you look down on the edge, there's a road down there called the White Rim Road. It's a 100 mile road that goes around the park, this district of the park, and you can take it by mountain bike or by four-wheel drive vehicle. It usually takes about two days to do it. You've got to take care of your own supplies and be pretty much self-sustainable in order to do it. You can see it running out past the canyon right there, along with a number of mining roads.

Speaker 1: 1:37

Speaking of carving those canyons, this is a diagram here showing the different visible rock layers. This is a diagram here showing the different visible rock layers Over here. Topmost layer is the Kayenta, the Wingate, the Chinle, the Moenkopi, White Rim, Organ Rock, Cedar Mesa and there are some other ones that may not be visible but spires that have formed those spires which we'll look at in just a second. They have a hard cap rock on top, along with the flat portions of the canyon tops which have kind of formed some mesas and things like that. And of course we are here standing right there. But if you look down there again, you can see those spires with the caps on top. You can see the hard top where the White Rim Road goes and you can see other areas as well. Over here to our left is the LaSalle Mountains, which we've been seeing the entire week I've been here, or the entire few days I've been here, which are around the side of Moab. You can see them from arches very clearly and they reach a height of 12,721 feet. The White Rim Sandstone is a hard layer that follows the edge of the canyons. As you see, if you want to further explore I'm not doing this today you can go down this trail here and hike along the rim of the canyon here. Pretty cool, all right. The other end of the road there is the upheaval dome.

Speaker 1: 3:19

I'm not gonna be able to do any of the trail today. I'm running out of time, but this is what it looks like and you have several trails that get you a good view of it. I'm not going to have time to do any of them. The first overlook is a mile long, takes an hour round trip. Second overlook is 1.8 and 1.5 hour round trip. Then, if you do the entire syncline loop trail, which I'm assuming is a loop all the way around here, including over there behind the ridge, and that takes six to eight hours and it's 8.3 miles in a 1300 foot elevation change, I would love to do that, but today don't have the time. Definitely want to come another time, but anyway, they don't really know what happened. Scientists have hypothesized that it's a remnant of a meteorite impact or a salt dome uplift, and the recent evidence favors an impact hypothesis. So who really knows? And I'm not going to get to see it until my next trip out here, so stay tuned for that. Okay.

Speaker 1: 4:33

So Mesa Arch. Unfortunately I won't be able to go on that one either, but I will another time. It is not the only. The famous arches are not only in Arches National Park, but they are also in Canyonlands. This is a short, relatively easy trail. It's a half a mile loop, takes about 30 minutes to do it and it's located that way. Another time I will do it. It is a half a mile loop, takes about 30 minutes to do it and it's located that way. Another time I will do it. It is a natural Stone arch that has been here for a long time and eventually it's going to collapse, like other arches, but right now we can enjoy it. On to the next spot. Okay for our final trick here.

Speaker 1: 5:10

In a overview of the island in the sky district of Canyonlands National Park, you're looking at Schaefer Road.

Speaker 1: 5:17

It comes around this little bend here in a place called the Neck. It goes down and then you can see right here. That's pretty wild. Not something you want to do in the wintertime, but other times of the year probably a pretty fun ride. You can definitely see why they call Canyonlands National Park Canyonlands, because when you look at the grand viewpoint fun ride, you can definitely see why they call Canyonlands National Park Canyonlands, because when you look at the grand viewpoint you can see how the rivers have cut into the landscape and given the area a unique spot. Unfortunately, the weather and time was encroaching upon my visit, so I hope to get out there another time time and actually I would like to drive that road around the, the white rim road around the canyon rim. That would be amazing. Um, anyway, hope you enjoyed this video if you did give it a thumbs up so I can get out to more people. And until next time, please leave your comments below and I'll see you next time.