Hiking the switchbacks up through hoodoo rock formations on the Navajo Loop Trail – Bryce Canyon National Park. Be sure to take water with you, as it can be hot almost any time of year on this short but steep trail. The elevation gain on the way up this section called “Wall Street” is 515…
Summer storm clouds erupt on the Colorado Plateau on what seems to be just the other side of the La Sal Mountains. Air heated by the hot desert sun with high-level moisture streaming in from the south, something must give. Most afternoons in this part of the Colorado Plateau have the possibility for thunderheads to…
Ghost Rock formed by erosion of the Navajo Sandstone layer of the Colorado Plateau. The bright white color is due to a lack of significant iron oxide (hematite) coatings on the sand grains, often caused by natural bleaching processes where groundwater removes the iron minerals from a layer of sandstone. The rugged Utah landscape almost…
“I’m pretty tired. I think I’ll go home now.” The spot on US Hwy 163 where Forrest Gump famously decided his running days were over – Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. I decided not to stand in the middle of the road which seemed to be the popular choice of fellow tourist. I like this…
Entrada Sandstone, which formed during the Jurassic Period when this area was a coastal dune environment, is rich with the mineral hematite (iron oxide) and gives this bold landscape its distinctive red color – Arches National Park. I am drawn to the varied landscapes of the Colorado Plateau. The colors are vibrant, especially when a…
Don’t be fooled… you may need to zoom in to glimpse the path of sightseers which will give you a little perspective of the massive size of the rock formation Double Arch – Arches National Park. To me it seems like the red rock is like playdough and someone has pressed it together, then stretched,…
A historic moment in history is recaptured daily in the Great Basin northwest of Salt Lake City, where the Union Pacific (east) met the Central Pacific (west) at Promontory Summit in 1869. Up to this event, crossing the United States coast to coast took months. Suddenly, after this final connection was completed, the feat could…
Stretching from horizon to horizon, the setting sun paints the sky of the high-desert Colorado Plateau. More than the senses of one person can behold. I wish I could have captured it all, but it suddenly became time to just sit and admire the work of the Great Artist. Rim Trail – Bryce Canyon National…
One of the most widely recognized symbols of the state of Utah, Delicate Arch stands 42 feet high and 32 feet wide, making it the largest-free standing arch in Arches National Park. As with most geologic formations set in sedimentary rock, these arches are short lived. During our lifetime this arch should be fine, but…
Rugged and often forgotten landscapes exist throughout central Utah which contain many spectacular vistas – Ghost Rock View Area. The size and scope of this scene is hard to capture. I found the vastness mesmerizing. (Green River, Utah) ≡Canon R5/RF24-240 65mm f/10 1/320sec iso-100