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Bernard Sanden | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Grand Canyon Moonlit Hike tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Grand Canyon Moonlit Hike

Hiking in the Canyon under the soft light of a twelve-day-old moon, I only went as far as Cedar Ridge and back on the South Kaibab Trail. Most of my time was spent attempting these moonlit shots. Conditions were about as good as it gets: calm, warm but not hot, exceptionally transparent, and very quiet...the silence of the Canyon was deafening. I started the hike at 10pm Sat 8/5 and was back on top ~2am Sun 8/6. The photos don't begin to convey the beauty (what's new), but it's all I could bring back other than trail dust. And for those astronomically-inclined: Chi Cygnus is at a rare maximum and a couple of the shots capture the Northern Cross with an orange "extra" star, easily outshining Eta Cygni just to it's north.
Elk near Albright School
Elk near Albright School		 Early in the hike below the Toroweap limestone cliffs on the S. Kaibab Trail
Early in the hike below the Toroweap limestone cliffs on the S. Kaibab Trail		 Cygnus the swan rising over the cliffs
Cygnus the swan rising over the cliffs		 Trail winding down past Ooh-Aah Point
Trail winding down past Ooh-Aah Point
A view back up the trail from Ooh-Aah Point
A view back up the trail from Ooh-Aah Point		 Uranus and Neptune locations
Uranus and Neptune locations		 The light from the North Rim Lodge was the only hint of civilization out here.
The light from the North Rim Lodge was the only hint of civilization out here.		 A view to the northeast
A view to the northeast
Corona Borealis, Bootes, and the Big Dip
Corona Borealis, Bootes, and the Big Dip		 Cedar Ridge at midnight
Cedar Ridge at midnight		 The Northern Cross with a naked-eye Chi Cygni in flare-up
The Northern Cross with a naked-eye Chi Cygni in flare-up		 If you're good, you might see writing in the sky. If you're real good, you might get a photo of it, too.
If you're good, you might see writing in the sky. If you're real good, you might get a photo of it, too.
Back at the Trail Head with Moon and headlamp still lighting the way
Back at the Trail Head with Moon and headlamp still lighting the way		 Once the moon sets, it gets dark
Once the moon sets, it gets dark

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Guest 25-Jun-2007 07:02
very beautiful place
Ian Morehouse05-May-2007 09:07
We are supposed to get meteor showers, but the choice was rain or meteors and at the moment rain wins.
Dave Beedon16-Feb-2007 08:18
Neat idea! Not many people would think to go hiking in the dark just for fun. Even fewer would dare do it. Life is full of simple pleasures.
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