BLM

Coyote Buttes- A Whimsical Product Of The Forces Of Nature.

Coyote Buttes, on the Arizona/Utah border, is a landscape that defies description. Freud would have trouble developing a diagnosis for this patient.

One look at it will put a smile on your face along with a frown. It’s situated at The Vermillion Cliffs National Monument and is well protected. At North Coyote Buttes, a trip to The Wave is only accessible for 20 daily fortunates who were victorious in the dreaded lottery put on by The Bureau of Land Management.

It’s a riot of abstractness, details, hues, textures, patterns and dizzying sandstone shapes. The Navajo Sandstone calcified dunes evolved into its current look due to erosion from winds and rains.

This is a repost from 2014..

At South Coyote Buttes, the unusual is the usual at this landscape. Grotesque shapes of rock cast by millions of years of weathering have produced a carnival of oddities that Barnum & Bailey would be proud of. I half expected a woman with a beard to come walking around the corner.

It seems as if someone put one of those curvy carnival mirrors out there to give Coyote Buttes it’s distorted look. But it is real. I think.

It’s highly believable that it took millions of years for the gods to create Coyote Buttes.

You just don’t put this together in a week.

Michael Andrew Just

Dawn2Dawn Photography

Still Photos – Valley Of The Gods

Aerial Photography, Desert Southwest, Drone Produced, Images, National Parks, Utah, Weather

You saw the video, here are some still images I captured including some with a storm passing through.

Storm clouds pass through Valley Of The Gods in Southern Utah.

Utah’s Valley Of The Gods

Aerial Photography, Desert Southwest, Drone Produced, Utah

I didn’t feel the presence of any Gods but I definitely witnessed the work of Gods millions of years ago. Valley Of The Gods is Monument Valley’s handsome understudy but just as magnificent. The landscape is raw and unadulterated and the BLM has wisely and purposely left the road rough and uneven, making the drive through it hard earned. Music is the Pyramid Song by Radiohead. Watch in HiDef at Full Screen. Still Images to follow.

Where The Tourists Don’t Go

Aerial Photography, Desert Southwest, Drone Produced, In The Country, National Parks, Seasons, Utah, video, Zion

About 15 miles outside of Zion NP is BLM land that attracts a much smaller number of visitors than the 5 million Zion gets a year. It’s used mostly by mountain bikers and primitive campers. It was about 100 degrees when I was out there last week to film and mountain bike and it was great to have the place to myself. There was NO ONE else out there!

The Amazing Valley Of The Gods

Desert Southwest, National Parks, Photography, Utah

It’s just down the highway from the more proclaimed Monument Valley but this not so little gem is free and wild. It’s on BLM land near Mexican Hat, Utah. I’m definitely coming back soon here to try some night photography.

Be careful of the Cattle Crossings. They like to eat the Sagebrush and barb-wire.

Edmaier’s Secret Is Still A Secret

Arizona, Desert Southwest, Utah

This place along the Utah/Arizona border defies description. It’s near Coyote Buttes, home of The Wave, and has similar geological peculiarities. The location is named after German landscape photographer Bernard Edmaier. Don’t ask me how to get there because it’s not easy to locate. Ask my two friends who also made the trek. First of two posts.

Can anyone guess what animal made these tracks? A jack rabbit?

A Carpet Of Yellow

Desert Southwest

Springtime rains have spawned a carpet of yellow at Wahweap Creek near Big Water, Utah

Wildflowers come alive during spring at Wahweap Creek near Big Water, Utah

Spring flowers bloom at Wahweap Creek near Big Water, Utah

The Wave Part 4- The Light Was Just Right

Arizona, Desert Southwest, Utah

As I trekked out to The Wave last Monday, my plan was to end up at the main attraction late in the day when the light was just right and there were no others there. I had the place to myself! The other 19 permit holders were long gone. No one to get in the way or for me to get in someone else’s shot. The Wave is a small area. The light however was pretty flat. A cloud cover draped Coyote Buttes. Looking up at the sky to the west I noticed there might be an opening for some light to get through but I’d have to be patient. I also didn’t want to be out there too late and hike the 2 1/2 miles in sand and slickrock in darkness. So I ate a granola bar and waited for about 45 minutes until I notice a glimmer coming down from the heavens. Some light did appear through the clouds and that’s all I needed.

Surf’s Up! The only things missing were a surfboard, an ocean and Spicoli’s van!

Arizona, Desert Southwest, Humor, Utah

I was able to secure a permit for The Wave at Coyote Buttes North! I showed up last Friday at the BLM office in Kanab, Utah to enter the dreaded lottery. During winter months when the BLM office is closed on weekends, they conduct the lottery on Friday for Saturday, Sunday and Monday permits This is the BEST TIME of the year to get a permit. If anyone is interested in going to The Wave, let me know and I’ll try to score one for you during these winter months. I plan to go back a few more times as I continously find more exotic things to shoot out there. All the permits for Saturday, Sunday and most of Monday were selected until they finally picked my number 15. A group of six jumped up and down and screamed when their number was picked for Sunday. It turns out this was their 3rd day in a row of trying and they were justly rewarded for their patience. I ended taking about 1,000 exposures so I will present the images in 4 posts. This post is an introduction and shows images of me surfing even though I was about 500 miles from the nearest ocean.

Wave Permit_0453 — Do NOT attempt to reproduce this permit!

Coyote Buttes Abstract_9606 — Natural art seen along the trail

Coyote Buttes Abstract_9648 — More abstract art.

Coyote Buttes The Wave Area_9537 — Approaching The Wave along with its twisted hoodoos and various teepees.

Coyote Buttes Wave Hoodoos_9540 — Getting closer

Coyote Buttes me Surfing_9798 — Hang ten!

Coyote Buttes Me Surfing_0423 — Shooting the curl

Coyote Buttes me Surfing_0446 — The only things missing were a surfboard, an ocean and Spicoli’s van!

Clouds and Fog at Zion Country- Day One

Desert Southwest, National Parks, Utah, Zion

The storm that ravaged California the past few days made its way to Southern Utah as I hoped and provided some great photo ops and much needed moisture.