Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky, UT

Today's Photo - Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, UT During Sunrise














I did manage to get up at 4:15AM, and managed (without coffee!) to make it to Mesa Arch in the Canyonlands by 5:30AM. Much to my surprise, there were already 5-6 photographers there when I arrived. Luckly, there was still space for me, although a bit to the left of where I wanted to shoot.

The photograph of the canyons through Mesa Arch is a famous one, at least for Canyonlands. At first, prior to the sun hitting the arch it doesn't look like much. As the sun rises it hits the underside of the arch, making it look like it is almost on fire. The "Look" only lasts for about 15 minutes, changing all the time. I included a couple of different frames shot over the sunrise at today's Lakeshore Images 2011 Trip Page.

After that I continued through the park for some morning shots, then back to the campground to relax. There are some afternoon photographs I'd like to shoot - I'll go back after lunch & add them to the page this evening.


I took a trip on a road I've wanted to drive since the last visit to Moab - the La Sal Loop. This is a narrow two lane, mostly paved road that gos through the La Sal mountains. Lots of nice views, cows on the road, in fact an actual cattle drive. I came around a corner, and rather than just one or two cows like most of the road, there was a whole herd, complete with cowboys (and cowgirls) on horses, cattle driving dogs, etc going down the road in the same diredtion as me. Ane of the cowboys waved me on, so I threaded my way through 1/4 mile of cows. An interesting experience!

I have come to the conclusion that nature photographers (at least one that I know very well) are nuts. Who else would go on a 3 mile hike on a nonexistent trail on a 95°F day to take a photograph of something that he saw in another photographer's work? I am also completely direction deficient. Ask Don or Anne - I go into a store parking lot or gas station, and the chances are 50-50 that I'll turn the wrong direction coming out. Not the skills necessary for hiking in the middle of Canyonlands. Still, I did want to shoot an image of the False Kiva, which is only well lighted in mid afternoon, so I stopped at the Visitor's Center, talked with a ranger who made a rough map, described the hike, and gave me instructions of what to do & not do at the site. I took my handheld GPS with me to leave markers as I went.

The first mistake was to take the wrong unmarked trail. After an hour hiking over slickrock, following carins I ended up overlooking the Holeman Spring Basin from the top of the cliffs that the False Kiva was under. No way down, so back to the road. I discovered the real non trail, and if I was in my right mind, I'd say "that's nice", but one 3 mile mid afternoon hike is enough. Of course, I didn't, so off I went. Everything worked fine until I reached the cliff face. Although there are plenty of carins marking most of the way, at the face I got lost. Since the part where I was confused was under the cliff ledge, the GPS was useless - no satellite reception.

I ended up doing some scrambling on rocks that should have never been scrambled upon. Finally, I decided to try one more time to find the Kiva. I ended up on the trail back to the road. As I passed a tree I remembered passing before I turned around, and after a short climb, found the Kiva. Of course by then it was far too late in the day so a shadow fell across the Kiva, but I shot it anyway. The hike back just about killed me, but I made it.

Until Later!