Category: Zion

Mesas, Buttes And A Dormant Volcano

Aerial Photography, Desert Southwest, Drone Produced, National Parks, Photography, Utah, video, Zion

Sweeping video during sunset of mesas, buttes and a dormant volcano just outside Zion National Park, Utah.

Watch in YouTube at HiDef at Full Screen. Music is Giving Up The Ghost by DJ Shadow.

Zion Rut: The Movie

Desert Southwest, Humor, Music, National Parks, Photography, Seasons, Utah, video, Wildlife, Zion

Video of the Desert Bighorn Sheep engaging (Or Not) in this year’s rut at Zion National Park, Utah.

Watch at YouTube at HiDef and Full Screen. Music is Swinging Hawaii by Kitty, Daisy & Lewis.

The Rut Is On At Zion

Desert Southwest, Images, National Parks, Photography, Photos, Seasons, Utah, Wildlife, Zion

I’ve probably driven the road through the eastside of Zion National Park well over 2,000 times(Was a park ranger there) and had never seen so many Desert Bighorn Sheep as I did the other day. Must of been 40 of them including 10 Rams. It’s the rutting season and seemingly everyone showed up. This was at 7:00 a.m.

These images had an ethereal look to them because the backdrop is Checkerboard Mesa, one of the most scenic sandstone features at Zion. Video to follow.

Desert Bighorn Sheep Rams are active during the mating season known as the rut.

Checkerboard Mesa backdrop.

Desert Bighorn Sheep are known for their ability to cling to precarious ledges which is their defense from predators.

Nervous Ewes.

Who Knew

Desert Southwest, National Parks, Photography, Utah, Zion

I’ve lived in the Zion National Park area for the last 16 years but until recently, did not know these 2 interesting artifacts existed nearby. Less than an hours drive are some dinosaur tracks and Native American Indian rock art know as pictographs. Pictographs are painted onto the rock and petroglyphs are carved into the sandstone.

The figure of a man is on the right and on the left is a small Desert Bighorn Sheep.

The dinosaur that made these tracks is the Dilophosaurus which resided in this area about 190 million years ago during the Jurassic Period.

New Way To Buy Prints

Aerial Photography, Arizona, California, Colorado, Death Valley, Desert Southwest, Drone Produced, Flowers, For Sale, Images, Montana, National Parks, Night Sky, Pacific Ocean, Photography, Rivers, Rocky Mountains, Seasons, Utah, Waterfalls, Weather, Wildlife, Wyoming, Yellowstone, Zion

Just signed up to sell many of my images framed or unframed. Click on image below.

Video Of Desert Bighorn Sheep

Active Outdoors, Desert Southwest, Humor, Music, National Parks, Seasons, Utah, video, Wildlife, Zion

The rut is on and the Rams and Ewes don’t seem too interested. Maybe Later?

From Zion National Park this week. Watch ar HiDef at Full Screen. Music is Swinging Hawaii by Kitty, Daisy & Lewis athough I Get Around by The Beach Boys was considered.

Storms Make A Much-Needed Appearance At Zion Country

Aerial Photography, Desert Southwest, Drone Produced, National Parks, Seasons, Utah, Weather, Zion

As captured from Gooseberry Mesa. Watch on YouTube in HiDef at Full Screen. Music is Wah Wah by George Harrison.

Warning- Following Video Contains Violence.

Desert Southwest, In The Country, National Parks, Night Sky, Seasons, Utah, video, Weather, Zion

Fortunately no one was injured in the production of this video. Shot (filmed) last night( July 12th) from just outside Zion National Park in Southern Utah. The seasonal monsoons have finally arrived and can hopefully help the firefighters control the forest fires here and in Arizona and Colorado. Music is In Too Deep by JMJ and Flytronix. Watch in HiDef at Full Screen.

New and Last Job

Active Outdoors, Desert Southwest, National Parks, Photography, Utah, Zion

Guiding for Zion Jeep Tours where I take people out to some cool places around Zion NP with some awesome views enabled by negotiating some nasty off roads. We also do Stargazing tours!

Desert Flora Now Appearing

Desert Southwest, Flowers, Images, National Parks, Photos, Seasons, Utah, Zion

Near Zion National Park, the Prickly Pear Cactus, Cholla Cactus, Claret Cup and the Cliffrose are among the desert plant species showing off their colors and textures. Ninety degree temperatures in March accelerated the growing and flowering of these desert classics.

A prickly Pear Cactus blooms during Spring near Zion National Park, Utah.

The many spines of a Cholla cactus just before bloom during spring near Zion National Park, Utah. Also referred to as the Teddy Bear Cholla but I learned early on not to hug this well-defensed cactus.

The Claret Cup Cactus AKA as the Hedgehog Cactus.

The Daisy-Like Uinta Groundsel.

A Cliffrose bush in full bloom during spring near Zion National Park, Utah. The fragrance is so sweet, I wish I could provide it in this post but even AI can’t do that.

New pine cones appear during spring on a Pinyon Pine tree near Zion National Park, Utah. The cones will produce a white pine nut and are usually harvested during autumn.

Pinyon Pine needles.

Utah Serviceberry blooms early in the season.