Along “Hole In The Rock Road”
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).
The difficult to travel Hole In The Rock Road at The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah
Eroded sandstone is the predominate feature along The Hole In The Rock Road in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah
A full moon rises over the landscape at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah
Didn’t want to go up there!
No Uber or self driving cars needed here.
Looks like they missed the elusive steer!
Navajo Mountain stands out in the desert landscape of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah
A cactus flowers in early spring at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah
Desert Sand Verbena
Primitive camping allowed. No picnic tables and thankfully no large RV’s with noisy generators.
The only sound I heard here was the crackling of the fire and coyotes howling in the near distance.
Glen Canyon Moonrise/Sunset
Glen Canyon is that canyon that pretty much disappeared once construction started on the Glen Canyon Dam in 1956. It was finished in 1966. But the Colorado River was backed up into the canyon which later formed Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. There still is a canyon but not nearly as deep as it was. The two images here were shot within 5 minutes of each other. More images from the area to follow.
Death Valley Moonrise
A full moon rises over the Last Chance Mountains at Death Valley National Park, California.
Nothing better than camping under a full moon at a remote desert location. The moon was so bright, I didn’t need any artificial light.
Hiking Canyonland’s Needles District
Canyonlands National Park in Southeastern Utah, is one of my favorite places, especially the Needles District. It is raw, stark and relatively untouched by humans. It’s amazing that you can actually hike through this landscape, although its not for everyone. The trail I took was a loop hike, 11 miles in length. I started at Squaw Flat Campground and negotiated the ups and downs through Elephant and Squaw Canyons. There was one spot just past Squaw Canyon where I could barely fit through a crack in the sandstone. Couldn’t even get a photo of it.
This slot is about 2 1/2 feet wide.
They embedded this metal ladder into the sandstone so you can get up into the remarkable Squaw Canyon
This is Squaw Canyon. You can see the second ladder towards the bottom center.
Six Shooter Peak
The sun sets at the Needles District at Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Finishing at one of the best campgrounds you’ll ever find
Relaxed in time to watch the supermoon rising.
Monument Valley Supermoon
The supermoon for the ages came this week and Monument Valley was an iconic place to observe and photograph. The moon was big but maybe not so super, after all, it’s only 14 % bigger than a normal full moon. The most difficult aspect of photographing the very bright moon is ensuring that you expose for the moon and not the surrounding landscape. Otherwise the moon will look washed out.
Side Trip To Bryce
While out photographing autumn colors in Southern Utah, I realized I was a stone’s throw from Bryce Canyon National Park. And sunset was close with a nearly full moon rising. These were all shot from the incomparable Inspiration Point.
Full Moon Rising
Last Friday’s full moon captured near the Grand Canyon. A prescribed forest fire nearby added some smoke and cool color.
A full moon rises over Marble Canyon at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona.
Moon and Jupiter
In case you missed it, tonight’s crescent moon was accompanied by Jupiter, just above it.
This Just In ! The Earth Has 2 Moons!
I shot the 2 full moons the other day near Lake Powell, Arizona.
NASA puzzled.
Einstein’s theories now sadly in question.
Going to have to change headline to”Men Walk On One Of The Moons”
Trump: “I told you so”.
President Obama to address the nation tonight
Mulder and Scully to investigate
Revised edition to be released soon.
Moonrise At Sunset
Some images from last week while the Full Moon was rising at sunset in and around Zion National Park, Utah
A full moon rises over the rim of Zion Canyon at Zion National Park,Utah
