01-MAY-2010
Zion National Park
The following trip notes are for a circle tour through several National Parks, Monuments and Recreation areas in Utah that we took from April 30 – May 9, 2010. On Friday evening, April 30th, we flew from Washington Dulles into Las Vegas, NV for our starting point.
Saturday, May 1st, we left Las Vegas, NV early in the morning heading northeast into Utah for our first stop in Zion National Park. We spent the late morning through evening photographing throughout the park. We were rewarded with a good sighting of Desert Bighorn Sheep just past the tunnel. Zion is a park of two contrasts – the lush valley area and the more arid higher elevations as you climb the mountains and cross through the tunnel. We stayed the night in the Zion National Park lodge.
Here is a photograph of one of the Desert Big Horn Sheep in Zion National Park.
01-MAY-2010
Zion National Park
Here is a photograph of some of the rock formations in Zion National park knows as Checkerboard Mesa.
02-MAY-2010
Bryce Canyon National Park
Sunday, May 2nd, we left Zion National Park and headed north east to Bryce Canyon National Park. As we climbed in elevation to 8,000 - 9,000 foot level, the temperature dropped steadily into the high 20’s. The weather for the rest of the day was mostly in the 20 to 30 degree range with gusty snow showers and short periods of breaking through sunshine. We spent several hours photographing along the canyon rim drive and the dusting of snow help enhance several photographs. We stayed the night in the Bryce Canyon National Park lodge.
Here is a photograph of Bryce Canyon from Bryce Point.
02-MAY-2010
Bryce Canyon National Park
Here is a photograph from Natural Bridge Point.
03-MAY-2010
Capitol Reef National Park
Monday, May 3rd, we worked our way north west through parts of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Capitol Reef National Park, staying the night in Torrey, UT.
Here is a photograph of Waterpocket Fold Cliff in Capitol Reef National Park.
05-MAY-2010
Arches National Park
Tuesday, May 4th we worked our way north, west and then turned south to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park staying May 4th and 5th in Moab, UT. We spent a lot of time photographing in Arches National Park both in the evening hours and early morning hours trying to catch the best light. We also made a trip out to the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park.
Here is a photograph of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park.
05-MAY-2010
Arches National Park
Here is a photograph of Double Arch in Arches National Park.
06-MAY-2010
Canyonlands National Park and Needles
Thursday, May 6th we headed south from Moab visiting Wilsons Arch along the way and taking trips into the Needles Overlook and the Needles area of Canyonlands National Park. We also visited Natural Bridges National Monument photographing the Kachina, Owachomo and Sipapu Natural Bridges.
We spent the night in the Blanding, UT area.
Here is a photograph of Needles in Canyonlands National Park.
07-MAY-2010
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Horseshoe Bend
Friday, May 7th we headed south and then west toward Page, Arizona and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Around mid day we visited the Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River overlook. We stayed the night in Page, Arizona.
Here is a photograph of the Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River. The best way to take this photograph is to crawl out to the edge of the cliff on your stomach and hold the camera out over the edge of the cliff. The location is not for those that have a fear of heights
07-MAY-2010
Upper Antelope Canyon
Mid afternoon we took a tour of the Upper Antelope Canyon slot canyon. The Upper Antelope Canyon tours are offered only in a group, but you have enough time to take some great shots.
Here is one of the many photographs that we took during our tour of Upper Antelope Canyon. All of the photographs taken in the slot canyon were time exposure on a tripod with a shutter release cord and no flash.
08-MAY-2010
Lake Powell Boat Trip and Rainbow Bridge
On Saturday May 8th we took the Lake Powell Boat Tour to Rainbow Bridge National Monument in Utah. Rainbow Bridge is the world's largest known natural bridge with a span of 234 feet and a height of 290 feet. The top of the bridge is 42 feet thick and 33 feet wide.
Here is a photograph of Rainbow Bridge.
08-MAY-2010
California Condor and Returning Home
Saturday afternoon, after the Lake Powell boat tour, we spent a few hours in Marble Canyon on the old Navajo Bridge and were rewarded with sightings of three California Condors that a part of a group that have been released into that area. One of three California Condor’s that we photographed resting on the bridge was #88. We had photographed #88 earlier in out trip on the morning of May 2nd. Number 88 was observed in a farm field eating a calf carcass soon after we exited Zion National Park. The two locations are about 75 miles apart as the Condor flies.
We returned to Las Vegas, NV very late on Saturday night and flew back home on Sunday, May 9th. It was a great trip to see an area of the United States that we had not yet visited. It provided a lot of photographic challenges during the week concentrating on mostly landscapes and scenic opportunities, versus our normal wildlife adventures, with weather ranging from the 20 degrees and snowing to 80 degrees and bright sun.
Here is a photograph of a California Condor (#73) sitting on the bridge span in Marble Canyon.
