Monsoon season has begun with full force at Marble Canyon which is in Grand Canyon National Park and precedes The Grand Canyon. These images were shot from above in the Kaibab National Forest, Arizona at a cool elevation of about 9,000 feet.
Monsoonal thunderstorms visited the Gooseberry Mesa area near Zion National Park, Utah. The play with sunlight and landscape produced some dramatic scenes. These images and more are available for purchase as prints or downloadable files at Latest Images at Dawn 2 Dawn Photography
In the high country near Zion National Park, you can escape the sweltering heat below at Kolob Terrace. Monsoonal moisture is now starting to enter Southern Utah yielding more relief and some refreshing greenery. That’s where I went yesterday. Eighty degrees is much more bearable than 105 degrees.
My camera took another hit a few weeks ago due to an accident but now it is better. You may remember a few years ago that this same camera accidentally fell into a creek high in the Sierras and took some time to heal after Canon said it was totaled. This time I spilled a soft drink on the camera which was sitting on my vehicle’s passenger seat but I quickly dried it off, but some damage was done. It was a coke(No more cokes) and they contain a lot of syrup which got into some of the dials and switches on the camera. After a few days, I couldn’t move a few. I gambled with some WD-40 and after a few weeks of drying out, the camera is in fine running order. For my next camera, I will purchase accidental damage insurance which is available. So I took some photos out in my backyard of Zion National Park which turned out just fine!
Dark clouds pass through Zion Canyon at Zion National Park, Utah
Eureka Valley is located within Death Valley National Park and was added to the park when Death Valley became a national park in 1994. Death Valley NP is now the largest national park in the lower 48 states at over 3.3 million acres, 50% more than Yellowstone. Ninety One per cent of the park is designated wilderness and Eureka Valley is definitely wilderness. It is approximately 28 miles long and up to 10 miles wide. Eureka Valley could be its own national park. The valley is known for its soaring sand dunes, the colorful Last Chance Range and views to the snow-capped White Mountains that reach some 14,000 feet into the air.
Clouds pass over Eureka Valley at Death Valley National Park, California
Eureka Valley, upper left on map, is a 2 hour drive from the center of Death Valley NP, mostly on dirt and gravel roads.
Colorful strata are the predominate feature of the aptly named Last Chance Range.
The snow-covered White Mountains as seen from Eureka Valley.
Lazy clouds pass over Eureka Valley.
A full moon lights up the landscape over Eureka Dunes.
High winds kick up sand at Eureka Valley and eventually settles at the south end where the dunes reside.
The dunes rise up to 700 feet, amongst the tallest in North America.
The dunes look rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
Sunset over the valley.
It’s amazing that anything grows or survives here.
Small mammals survive here by burrowing into the sand for relief. These nests are home to the kangaroo rat.
Rain makes an occasional appearance at Death Valley, but only a few inches annually.
In the middle of my visit to Death Valley last week, I made a side trip through California’s Owens Valley. The snow level was much lower than in previous years as California has been hit with numerous storms this winter. Unfortunately, low clouds obscured the highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
