We stopped off in Moab for gas and more ice for the cooler. We had found that it took about two bags per day in the intense desert heat to keep drinks and produce cool. By the time we were driving south towards the Needles District, temperatures were already pushing past 100 degrees.
Driving to the Needles really gave us an idea of just how remote the place was. Once we left Moab, we didn't see another gas station, or any other business, for that matter, for an hour and a half. Traffic was heavy on the main highway, but after making the turn for the Needles entrance, we didn't see much in the way of people or cars, either.
The road climbed high over a mountain pass, the surrounding hillsides lush and green. Watching the temperature drop on the dashboard thermometer gave me hope for the conditions we would be camping in. We were hoping to spend four nights in the Needles. This would give us enough time to do some hiking through the unusual formations.
My hopes of cooler weather turned out to be merely wishful thinking. The road rapidly descended to the floor of a canyon as we drove west. The canyon walls were towering and steep on either side of the road, however the road was not completely enclosed in all directions, like in other parts of Utah we had driven through. Dense stands of cottonwood trees lined the road to one side, an indication that there might be water somewhere nearby.
We were relieved when we saw a sign for the "Needles Outpost," a store selling gas and other essentials right outside the entrance. It wasn't until we visited the store later that we would find out just how remote this place was.
We hurried into the campground to make sure we got a site. It turned out this wasn't going to be a problem. Most of the sites were empty. We found one right next to the bathroom with a wonderful hidden amenity.
A small trail at the back of our campsite lead through a dense stand of shrubs and small trees, and into a cave. The cave was actually a slot canyon formed by the towering rock formations overhead. The canyon was closed off on the other end, and only had a couple of gaps where the rocks came together above, so it functioned like a cave. In this dark rock tunnel where the sun never penetrated, it was wonderfully cool.
This was an important discovery, because the air in the campground was around 107 degrees. The sun bore down on everything with an intensity I had never felt before. We were determined to set up camp right away, so we hauled out the tent and went to work. The poles and stakes were painfully hot in only minutes of sun exposure. Putting up the tent became a game of hot potato, and by the time we were done I was soaked in sweat.
The terrifying heat seemed to threaten to cook everything and everyone in the desert at any minute. We pulled out the camp chairs and retreated into the cave. The air was at least 30 degrees cooler in the shadowy cave. We collapsed into our chairs and waited for our breathing to return to normal.
Mary remembered the sign in the bathroom that warned of problem bears and ravens. Apparently the ravens have learned to unzip things, and will tear apart a campsite with food in minutes! With our campsite out of sight, we decided our only option was to haul all of our food into the cave with us for the time being.
We wiled away the afternoon reading and snacking on our pile of food in the cool cave. We had several visitors while we were in there. First, a small ground squirrel scurried into the cave. He sprawled out his legs, collapsing so his belly was directly on the soft, cool sand in the shade. He appeared to be panting. Our daring visitor made a few plays for our food, but I think he was mostly just after the cool shade.
A little while later a jackrabbit hopped into the cave. He dug himself a small trench in the sand and flopped down only a few feet from us, and the squirrel. They were joined by a chipmunk later. Mary had the idea of putting out a cup of water, which the chipmunk literally dove face-first into, lapping it up! I had the distinct impression that this cave played a critical role in the survival of several the desert's inhabitants during the hottest hours of the day.
We had planned to go for an evening hike, but the weather just wouldn't cooperate. At 7 PM it was still over 100 degrees outside. We took a drive up to the Needles Outpost to look around instead. The outpost looked to be more like someone's home with a few shelves of canned food and snacks and a couple of coolers of drinks. Ice was $5 per bag. Gas was $6.50 a gallon. There went our idea of taking a drive on the four wheel drive roads! We immediately resolved to make it back to Moab on the one tank of gas.
When the sun finally dropped out of the sky, it was time to make some dinner. The air remained oppressively heavy into the night hours, but the darkness brought out a new set of problems. Hordes of flies, moths and other bugs came to life after dark. They made cooking and doing chores around camp into a miserable ordeal. We ended up eating our pot of chili while sitting in the Jeep with the air conditioning running. At 9 pm, the dashboard thermometer read 98 degrees!
As we climbed into the tent, hoping we would be able to sleep in such tough conditions, we decided to abandon hiking in the Needles on this trip. Perhaps in another year, and another season's weather, we will come back. The area looked fascinating from the road, with a myriad of bizarre rock formations in every direction.
We fell asleep that night to the occasional pattering of something bouncing off the rain fly of our tent - not rain, but hundreds of insects colliding with the tent in the darkness.
