Located in Northern Arizona, adjacent to the North Rim at Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab is on a plateau at elevations from 7,500 feet to 9,000. The Ponderosa Pines provide much needed shade and refuge from the 100 degree temperatures now making an appearance in Southern Utah. The high temps were around 75 degrees and monsoonal storms provided even more relief. Watch in HiDef at Full Screen. (Stay tuned for upcoming photos and videos)
It’s at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range near Lone Pine, California. It’s made up of unusual rock formations and large boulders that climbers love to tackle. It is a desert type ecosystem located on Federal BLM land. You may have recognized the landscape as this area was used in the opening scene of the movie “Iron Man”.
Never heard of it? It is an area northeast of Las Vegas that President Obama set aside in 2016. Trump wants to shrink it. It comprises some 300,000 acres of pure and unadulterated desert landscape and is home to Desert Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Lions. I loved the remoteness. We camped about 20 miles from the nearest human. Little Finland is an area within the monument that showcases grotesque forms of weathered sandstone. I plan to return soon….
This is a 54 mile dirt and gravel road that reaches Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Southern Utah. It should be named “Hole In The Head Road” because you must have one to finish this. It begins near the town of Escalante and The Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument. The end of the road is Hole In The Rock, where Mormon settlers used a small gap in the sandstone to reach the Colorado River and beyond in order to settle into Southeastern Utah (More On The Hole in a later post).
Looks like they missed the elusive steer!
The normal road I take to Eureka Dunes at Death Valley National Park was washed out. So I had to go around and wouldn’t make it to the dunes that night. So I camped at Alabama Hills near Lone Pine California. It has great views and the camping is free! And the full moon was to rise that night.
To get the shots I really wanted, I went out and bought a backpack. A tent. A stove. A mattress. A headlamp. A small pillow. A Jet Boil. A knife. Extra camera batteries. Matches. A wine bota. If you want to shoot in the golden light, miles from the nearest road, you’re just going to have to pitch a tent and spend the night. It’s difficult to shoot around sunset and high tail it back to your car in the dark especially if you have to negotiate dangerous terrain. I’ve tried that in the past and ended up getting lost in the dark by losing the trail. The shots below were taken during various backpacking trips.
