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!
It was 100 degrees Saturday and smoke from that nearby forest fire was in the air but my friend Jemmy and I made it to the top in about 2 hours. It’s 4 miles up and strenuous! All of theses images were taken with my new Google Pixel 2 smart phone camera, reputed to be the best camera in a phone. I did not edit any of these. Very sharp and great color!
As Death Valley has come to life this winter with its large floral display, Badwater Basin is where the flowers don’t flourish. Badwater Basin is probably where Death Valley got its name. Nothing lives there. These salt flats cover some 200 square miles and provide little hope for life. The salt is a result of the hot and arid climate in the park that evaporates any moisture, leaving only the salt behind. At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater is the lowest point in North America, thus creating extremes in temperatures and dryness.
