The Incredible Buckskin Gulch

For those people(Like Me) who don’t get a permit for The Wave because a tour bus of people showed up at the lottery drawing, another option is to visit Buckskin Gulch. It is the longest slot canyon (13 miles)in the US and it is fun. On this particular day, my aim was to get to a spot in the canyon where the afternoon sun would be highest (not so high in winter) and capture the colorful and various hues it produces on the sandstone canyon walls. The indirect sunlight reflecting and bouncing back and forth on the walls generates magentas, oranges, tangerines, blues,  cyans, reds, violets, golds and whatever rainbow color you can visualize. I got the color I wanted but it only lasted about 20 minutes as the shifting sun altered the light. You first have to navigate the very narrow Wire Pass to get to Buckskin but it is fun in itself. You can purchase these images as either prints or downloadable image files at http://dawn2dawnphotography.com/

Buckskin Gulch
I don’t think Frodo would go in there!
Buckskin Gulch
You could live in this giant alcove on the right
Buckskin Gulch
I stood there in awe at the tall canyon walls. You can’t see much daylight in there.
Buckskin Gulch
This is not a safe place during monsoon season.
Buckskin Gulch
The sun was beginning to do its dance of light on the sandstone walls.

Buckskin Gulch

Buckskin Gulch
If it was a cloudy day, you wouldn’t get this color.

Buckskin Gulch

Buckskin Gulch
You can barely see the canyon rim from here, about 150 feet above.
Buckskin Gulch
Deep into the abyss.
Buckskin Gulch
This shot is actually a vertical panorama where I stacked two images on top of each other.
Buckskin Gulch
The person in these photos is a professional model!

4 responses to “The Incredible Buckskin Gulch”

  1. Dilip Avatar

    Brilliant photography! Thank you.

  2. Herman Avatar
    Herman

    Hi there, Michael. Thank you for visiting and following HoB. Much appreciated!

  3. John Barrett Avatar

    Visited Buckskin in ’73 during spring break, we hiked down Buckskin Gulch (took all day) and came out at the top of Pariah Canyon, then a couple days hiking down to Lee’s Ferry on the Colorado River…..truthfully the hike of a lifetime for me…..we saw MASSIVE tree trunks wedged between the walls, 30-40 feet up…..definitely not the place to be during a flash flood! Thanks for posting these great shots!

    1. Michael Just Avatar

      Thanks John for relating your experience. I hope to hike the entire length of Buckskin Gulch and Paria in the near future

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