New Horizons in Old Haunts

The gentle morning breeze vibrates the regal towers of soft purple, the air crisp with the smell of petrichor. Two white birch trees stand defiant amongst the rolling hills of velvet flowers. No sound but the songs of birds and the clicking of tripod legs locking. A quiet quintessential mountain dawn approaches as the night gives way to the soft ambience of a simpler life. Summer is coming and the final days of these cool mornings are at their end and these flowers are all that stand in its way. One last gasp of spring before the season nears its conclusion.

After an anxious morning of packing up the car with our tent and endless supplies we sat in the parking lot of an apartment building waiting for the landlord to show up. It was time to look at a new place after living in our first apartment for nearly 11 years. The memories we had there had their ups and downs, from all the years of Thanksgiving blunders and early morning Christmas presents. Our first two cats finally having a place to call home and the immense pain when one of them passed away. A new kitten to keep our oldest one company and the ensuing terror he has become. With inconsiderate and loud neighbors making us lose sleep for the past year its time to leave it behind and start fresh. This new place is double the size of our old one though much more pricey. After seeing in person we had to take it so we signed the new lease and made our deposit and headed on to our weekend camping trip.

Only a short distance of two hours away we headed into the mountains for our annual pilgrimage to shoot some purple lupines that blanket the fields of a small town in amethyst beauty. We made a quick detour to a few areas to scout out for future visits and took in the much needed quiet and solitude we can never get at home lately. Standing at the edge of a calm pound watching the low clouds from a light rain storm heading in pass over the trees and peaks of the mountain before us was worth the possibility of getting wet. With that out of the way we drove on down the winding mountain roads towards our campsite. Arriving in time to set up we made quick work of the tent and sleeping pads before the sun was going to set and set off to one of our favorite fields. The clouds were becoming dark and gloomy with rain as we parked near a field of lupines with an old gnarly tree in the center, a guardian of these fragile flowers. The sun managed to peak through the clouds and side light some of the purple towers and I managed to get a quick shot before the light was overtaken.

The sunsets last light on a lone lupine.

From there we decided it was time for dinner so we drove thirty minutes away for some really delicious naan tacos we discovered on a past camping trip. Now each time we visit the area we make sure to stop and get some. With full stomachs we headed back to camp for the night and fell asleep to the quiet rustling of leaves and the tiny patter of light rain drops tapping the rain fly of our tent. In the morning we drove to a new area I had found on a map months before. An off the beaten path field with some nice trees sparsely dotting the field of lupines with no one around but us. It seems the hordes of visitors haven’t discovered this area yet and it helps its on private property. We stood at the dirt roadside and attached our telephoto lenses on to not trespass and be respectful of the people who owned this field. An overcast sky was a unfortunate at sunrise so the prospects of some nice morning light was out of the question. Finding a couple compositions regardless of the light I managed to find something I was happy with. The soft even light of the clouds made it a little difficult to create depth so some careful dodging and burning was used to help break up the flat image.

A bonded group of birch trees in a field of flowers.

A fine dining meal of frosted blueberry Pop Tarts and a fruity energy drink woke us up enough to go explore some new to us areas. We are always on the look out for black bears and moose on these ventures though its rare that we actual see anything. Still with bear spray at my side just in case our cowardly bears decide to be not so cowardly we parked at an empty trail head of a fairly newly established trail. I read online that the trail features a beautiful tree tunnel and after seeing the ones from our exotic last trip I was curious to see what one closer to home was like. My wife and I walked the short switch back and almost immediately came to the tunnel, an overgrown tangle of grass and various species of pines gave off that familiar pine scented candle aroma we love. It didn’t take long to find a composition with my 100-400mm lens as the early morning mist started to dissipate.

A mysterious tunnel of trees guiding us into the mist.

After being chewed alive by mosquitoes we quickly walked back to the car and spent the afternoon driving around and checking out some little spots we hadn’t seen before. Hidden roadside waterfalls, rivers babbling along their rocky paths and our favorite candy store led us back to get more tacos as the rain made itself known off and on all day. Once we finished eating we went to the evenings sunset spot not far from camp and cloud cover was still not going to produce any brilliant sunsets. Deciding to walk around the little trail nearby to kill time was a nice alternative to being disappointed. As we pulled out of the parking lot I turned to look for incoming cars and noticed a stopped line of traffic not far to my left. Reason being was a very large bull moose was meandering across the street. I carefully turned back into the parking lot as if disappeared into the trees down toward the river as a few other photographers appeared as if teleported into reality. The said it walked down the bank and vanished, though something that big doesn’t just vanish. I made a brief scan of the area from the road and figured it probably was gone and we made our way back to our car a short distance away. As we reached the car we saw the pond that we had just been walking around 5 minutes before was now the bath to the beautiful creature. Having been to many National Parks and having just a modicum of common sense we know to respect the wildlife and keep a good distance to not disturb it. Not to mention a full grown moose can easily break your body with very little effort. The other photographers though don’t have such “hidden knowledge” and started chasing it. Before they chased it away I did manage a quick shot as it took its brief dip in the mountain waters.

A large moose takes a quick drip in a pond with its duck friend.

We watched as it calmly walked away from the double digit IQ grown children and chose to walk down the highway ripping branches of leaves off trees as it went before disappearing into the forest. With less faith in humanity in hand we settled back in at our tent for the last night of our camping trip with heavy hearts from the experience and knowing we had to go back to our now unwanted old apartment. I didn’t sleep much that night due to the cold air gripping my feet and the anxiety of knowing what awaited us back home.

The next morning we tried one last time for a nice sunrise, only now the clouds had all petered out and only blue bird skies remained. Deciding to drive down the road a little ways and take advantage of the misty water and fog of a small pond I pass all the time we set up our cameras. Waiting for just the right amount of light and mist to mix together and form a spooky atmosphere we stood by the roadside trying to keep warm and wake up a bit. Finally the elements lined up for us and I shot a couple of dead lichen covered pines that reflected in the mirror of water below. I checked my email once I had service to find the new apartment finalized the lease and payment we signed and we were excited to get back and start packing to start a new journey.

The morning mist leaving a roadside pond.

We broke down the tent with renewed hope that the future would hold a much better life for us. The new apartment is a much nicer place and the current neighbors seem to have more respect for others around them and wont be blasting machine gun sounds at 3am or stomping around all day while talking loudly on speaker phone. With that we set out back home to our cats who we were also excited for and stopped to buy moving boxes. The trip almost appeared as a metaphor for our life together up until this point. Starting out with excitement after moving in together, the gloomy skies of losing our best friend and his partner in crime, the troublesome people with no regard for anyone but themselves, and the new brighter skies burning away the shadows to reveal a new horizon.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

Entangled in Moss

Silence sits on a lake as the sun makes way below the horizon. A barely perceptible breeze causes the mossy curtains to dance in the arms of the branches they cling to. A few frogs break the evening air in their song as a lone alligator glide through the water in search for dinner. The boardwalk we stand on lightly creaks in the rocking of the ripples of the lake. The forest in the water catching the last light of the day whispers its beckoning call to my attention and the quiet is sliced with the sound of a single shutter click.

To celebrate our ten year wedding anniversary my wife and I decided on a road trip down to the state we had our honeymoon in. Though this time around is wasn’t the lands of fantasy or the large eared talking mouse that we were interested in. Since taking up photography as a hobby we have grown out of most of the typical tourist attractions and have delved into the nature aspect of different places. After a day of driving and a visit to an aquarium and zoo we found ourselves at a lake in the middle of nowhere. Tall cypress trees covered in long hanging moss rise out of the water and create an ethereal beauty that is haunting in its own way. As if a ghost ridden mansion made of living flora rests in the middle of a moat filled with alligators. There are not many places where you can shoot these types of trees without getting in a kayak so I was excited to see them without the fear of a prehistoric reptile attacking. A small fishing boardwalk juts out from the shoreline offering a slightly closer look and my wife and I were joined by only a man and his mighty guard Chihuahua. Searching for a composition we heard his thick drawl call out “hey ya’ll are pointing in the wrong direction, you wanna see a gator?” We turn and see him pointing at a lone alligator swimming along close to the boardwalk and would have missed it if not for the kindness of the man. It swam silently along barely making any ripples and we watched it for a brief time while we waited for the sun to set a little more.

After shooting the scene at the top of this entry I noticed a smaller tree sitting alone that resembled a bonsai tree. The light was filtering through the moss and the trees almost appeared to glow. With this last shot and an 8 hour drive in the morning we packed up our gear and headed to our hotel for the night.

A natural bonsai tree rebels against the uniformity of those around it.

Not much photography was to be had in the following days as we made our way to the southern coast. A couple brief stops revealed a plethora of wildlife. A boardwalk surrounded by crystal clear water showed an ecosystem teaming with parrot fish, needle nosed fish, small jellyfish and a few orange headed lizards. Another spot a few hours away had us watching wild manatees cruising around a dock and making bubbles as they swam along. I found a spot before leaving home that sometimes had an elusive animal that’s uncommon for the United States. We scanned the banks across the river while standing on a cement slab 7 feet above the water and were met with only roots and dirt. Just before leaving I made a brief glance to my right and sleeping there in the ocean river was a massive crocodile. Far larger than any alligator I had seen in the wild and much closer than I liked. From there we drove north again to visit a theme park and do some shopping for some much needed food.

The next morning we left early to visit a state park known for its sapphire pools. Being an extremely early riser (to my wife’s dismay) we were the only ones in the park. A short walk brought us to the blue waters of this swimming hole frequented by those trying to escape the hot humid air and alligators who have no problem relaxing in the very same water. As we waited for the sun to rise a little more and create some soft light a few large turtle floated in the pool feeding on the large amount of algae and plant light beneath the surface. Once the light was just about to become too harsh I shot this scene below.

Blue pools reflecting the trees of the morning.

Deciding on a short walk through this jungle-esque park we spotted large alien looking insects that if the size of cats would be pure nightmares. Our walk lead us to a long rickety wooden boardwalk that sat elevated above the swampy forest floor. A few small alligators lay in wait on the banks of the water was large cranes and egrets fished in the morning sun. At the end of the boardwalk is a welcoming shaded overhang. A large splash caught my peripheral vision as something breached the river. We stood for a while hoping to see what it could have been and only saw it twice more out of the corner of our sight. Later we found out they were sturgeons around 4+ feet in length and weighing around 200 pounds. Just before leaving I managed to capture this image below of a specter like tree grimly lurking on the shoreline.

Ghostly moss hangs from the forest branches.

Another four hour drive later we found ourselves on a beach littered with the remains of trees. Their skeletal roots and trunks polished smooth from the salty air and warm ocean tides. Blue bird skies above in the mid day light offered no inspiration for both of us so we headed back to the parking lot as a never ending army of mosquitoes attempted to drain every last drop of blood from us and leave us like the trees back on the beach. Just before getting back to the safety of the car I spotted a twisted canopy of tree branches entangled among themselves across the street and shot this image before succumbing to the ravenous air demons.

A twisted cluster of branches shaped by years of ocean wind.

With our trip coming close to its end we made for one of our last hotels for some much needed air conditioning and refuge from the flying parasites. We left in the dark the next morning to search for a long dirt road I had found while endlessly searching for less popular places back home. A quiet road sits nestled among very old trees that create a perfect tree tunnel as their trunks and branches stretch over to the other side. The smell of humidity and petrichor filled the air after a short overnight rain storm. Black flies filled the morning air and bit my hands as I set up a composition. After finding something that worked I threw my hood on and shoved my hand in my pockets so cover as much skin as possible to protect against the flying beasts. As the sun crept through the nearly impenetrable canopy I dared to reach for the shutter and shot this last image of the trip before running back to the car.

Morning light seeps through the ivy and moss covered trees.

A brief drive later brought us to our last stop before heading back home. A lesser visited park was almost completely empty of visitors. We walked around the forest on yet another boardwalk taking in the quiet sounds. Reaching a river we saw a couple people looking at something in the water. Laying on the branches of a fallen tree sat the biggest alligator we saw on the trip. At least 8 feet in length and a head the size of my torso we were glad it was in the water and not on the pathway. As we made our way back to the car we passed more turtles and thousands of caterpillars clinging to the wooden railings. The peaceful sounds of nature would fall away as we made our way back to the highway and on to our journey home where the sounds of busy people and annoying neighbors await. A short escape from reality and some peaceful nights sleep behind us made the yearn for another adventure all the more wanted. Until next time, thanks for reading.

Southwest Sights

Far from the eastern shores, past the wavering fields of crops in the Midwest and over the vast range of mountains from visits past, lies the desolate lands of rock and sand. Where lizards scurry from bush to bush in evasive maneuvers from predatory birds circling high. A place of unforgiving landscapes and deadly temperatures. A venomous snake winds its way through the sand dunes in search of mice, a tumbleweed blows in the wind spreading its seeds in the dry desert soil. Standing in the sweltering heat of the high sun overheard, two photographers stand in awe of the red rocks and canyons of the American Southwest.

After a three day ride along the highways of the Appalachia, the great plains and mountain ranges of last years trip my wife and I make it to the first visit on this trip. Shutting the doors to our rental car about two hours from sunrise we make our first steps along the trail of our first spot. Red dust wisps around our boots as we trek up the hill as towering pillars of stone surround us. Local lizards scurry as our long shadows pass over them in the fading sunlight. We take a few photos of the towers before us with blue bird skies in the backdrop. Our first night is not a productive one but after a long drive we are just happy to be out of the car. Tomorrow marks the official first day of fun so we head back to the car and make our way into town where we rest up for the next morning.

My alarm goes off in the dark hotel room as we excitedly get dressed for our nighttime hike. Careful to make sure we don’t wake the other guests we quietly make our way to the car and begin our short drive to the trail head. Absolute darkness lay before us as we drive up the winding roads of the park that our headlights struggle to pierce. We pass popular parking spots for other famous views as I dodged near suicidal jack rabbits darting out in front of us. I haven’t killed an animal on a trip and I don’t intend to start now. After parking in the lot and shutting the lights off, the darkness and stars is so disorienting for a moment that I felt dizzy like I was floating in space. Once it passes we grabbed our camera bags from the back seat, turn on our flashlights and begin our hike in the dark. We passed dry bushes and smooth sheets of rock as we walked along the sandy trail. To my wife’s annoyance I repeatedly scanned the area with my flashlight all around in search of potential mountain lions and cliff edges. Over paranoid as always I didn’t want to start our trip by falling to my death. After a short while we finally make it to the Google Maps spot I had found for sunrise here. It was blue hour and the vast expanse of the valley below us was more reminiscent of the moon than Earth. As we stood at the edge of the cliff in awe of the scene 1,200 feet below us, we set up our tripods. I was looking for a foreground subject that would work with the canyon and mountain range when the sun was just starting to rise. No clouds in the sky I decided to take a shot regardless of the lack of color. With a scene like this I was just happy to be seeing this in person after a long years wait. Once the sun crested the horizon and lit up the foreground bush I took this photo.

Sun kisses the rims edge leaving the canyon in shadow.

From there my wife and I wandered around the cliffs edge just taking in the morning while a raven croaked in a nearby dry tree. Carefully climbing back up the orange rock formations to make sure we didn’t step on any precious plant life we made our way back to the car. We briefly visited the lookouts along the main road of the park to get a feel for the land for sunset before heading to our next spot outside the park. My wife is a big fan of all things dinosaurs so I found an easy hike that brings you to a slab of rock in the middle of no where that holds the fossilized footprints of dinosaurs from millions of years ago. After that we decided to get a snack at the local grocery store and settled on some muffins. As the long hot afternoon raged on we hid in the cool comforts of our hotel room to rest up for tonight’s attempt at sunset. Time finally came so we headed back to a viewpoint we visited early in the morning. Another canyon similar to the one from the sunrise shot we ended up not taking many photos since the sky was still boring and uninspiring. The next morning was more eventful however.

Again we left in the dark to try to be the first ones at this parks most popular attraction. But even arriving 2 hours before sunset there was still a small group of people at the famous arch. Our small group started to grow a little as we stood in the dark beneath the brilliant sea of stars above us. One guy squeezed in next to me with an annoyed sigh that he would have to share this spot with other people. A faint glow began to spread on the horizon as we all got excited for what was coming. When the sun rises here it reflects off the cliff wall under the natural stone arch and creates a beautiful orange glow on the underside of it. Most people here were interested in shooting a sun star but I’m the odd one out that was more happy with the eerie glow we were getting before the sun officially rose. By now our small crowd had grown to nearly 50 people as we all stood shoulder to shoulder like sardines in a can. Just as the sun peaked its way out that entitled guy from earlier decided he had waited long enough and pushed passed the crowd and set up his tripod along the cliff edge ruining everyone’s shot who had waited 2 hours for. With shouts and curses from many of the respectful photographers and pompous comments from the self proclaimed King of the Arch he gave up as he was 1 against an army of angry photographers and slunk back behind the crowd. After the exciting near brawl everyone departed and my wife and I hung back to soak in the wondrous view before us.

A warm glow emerges just bore the sun rises.

With a few hours drive ahead of us we packed up the car and continued on our way. Speeding along the highway at 80mph (the posted speed limit) we spotted the exit for our next park. The road wound its way around rock formations and rocky plateaus like the many venomous snakes in this region. Lava rocks peppered the hills and flat expanse from long dead volcanic activity. Passing tomorrows sunrise spot we crossed into the park boundaries and the welcome sign. It was 11am and already the main park road was full of cars. The added construction of crews repaving the road didn’t help the crowds but still we pressed on in search of a spot to get out an explore. After an hour of searching we see one remaining parking spot far from the initial crowds. Gathering our gear and a small snack we sat on a stone wall while a habituated chipmunk sat near our feet begging for our trail mix. We let him down and didn’t feed him since its not good idea and against the rules to feed the wildlife. Over time they become dependent on humans and our food puts them and the visitors at risk. Eventually it gave up and disappeared into its ground den when we finished eating. Stowing our wrappers in our bags we made our way down the pathway of a long dried riverbed. This land used to be under a shallow sea millions of years ago and evidence still remains. The smooth towering rock walls on either side of the trail a pocked with hundreds of holes like those in a coral reef in todays oceans. Only now small hardy trees and bushes somehow survive in this dry harsh environment. The smooth rock formations at the base of the canyons are strange and unlike anything we’ve seen before. Like stepping back into the times of dinosaurs, whose fossils lie hidden in the landscape that we stood in. As we round a bend in the path I spotted a cluster of hole filled rocks and vegetation that made me stop on my tracks. I ended up walking about 10 feet after taking the first image and noticed the scene looks completely different so I shot a second image.

Reef like rocks are home to strong trees.

A few feet to the left reveals a whole new scene.

Skipping sunset for the night we decided to just hang out in the hotel and eat our freeze dried meals in the air conditioned room. Before bed we wandered around the property and watched some cows in the fields behind the hotel as the sun began to set behind the backdrop of mountains the cows get to enjoy.

Following the easy day we had the next morning brought us to the massive plateau we passed on the way into the park. Pulling off onto the unpaved road we carefully drove along in the dark towards the ever looming natural stone monument. Getting closer and closer to it and further and further away from modern roads I stopped short as the headlights illuminated the road, or what was left of it. Recent strong rains had damaged many parts of the places we were visiting this trip and a large chunk of the road was mostly gone. Not wanting to break anything on the rental car we decided to park and pull out our zoom lenses to photograph the plateau from a distance. The sun was a little ways from rising so I set up the tripod and noticed something odd. With no wind at all there was no sound to be heard at all, no birds or bugs, cars or airplanes, nothing. The phrase “deafening silence” was more reality here as I strained to hear anything at all. All I could manage to get was my own pulse in my ears. Even with my wife beside me I had never felt so alone and this desolate before. Thats when I noticed what the rains had left in the ground in the ditch beside the road, every nature photographers dream. Mudcracks. As we waited for the sun to come up more we shot the mud and the white rocks it engulfed until the rays of morning lit hit the martian like ripples in the base of the plateau. The way the warm light hit the cool tones of the textured rock was beautiful and I shot a panorama of the scene before getting back in the car to head towards our next hike.

The famous mud cracks of the south west.

Panorama of the base of a towering plateau.

Parking along the previously packed trailhead we passed the day before we were lucky to be the second ones there. A dry riverbed was todays plan for exploration. Similar to the day before the path curved through towering stone walls and more ocean like rocks filled with holes. Almost expecting to see eels hidden inside them we passed by green trees and bushes just about to start turning into their warm hues of autumn. A week too early for fall color meant the cool tones stuck out amongst the pale orangey pinks of the boulders and walls around them. We walked along for a couple miles as the sun reflected soft light on a particular rock formation and tree that I knew I had to shoot. A warm glow resided under the tall overhang above it. The trees roots exposed yet surviving strong in the pink dirt. A couple hours passed while we shot the holes in the smooth sandstone. I found one group of holes that looked to me like some alien skull that had long sat here for millions of years before turning into stone itself. We set our for our next park just as the sun was beginning to make the cool temperatures of the morning turn to harsh unwelcoming heat

A persistent tree stands tall against the odds.

An alien face peers our from the sandstone wall.

Our drive brought us away from the ancient red rocks to familiar looking sights from last years adventure in the mountains. Ascending the long winding road gave us views of miles and miles of untouched desert landscape. Aspens had begun their fall transition to golden yellow tones along the bypass as we reached the peak of the mountain. We paused to walk around them to enjoy their shade and reminisce of our previous trip to see their kind. Descending down the mountain a cloud of red dust hung in the air just above the tree line as I rounded a blind curve in the road. Hitting my brakes we found the source of the dust cloud, a very large herd of cows was being led down the mountain pass by two ranchers on horseback. Donned in their cowboy hats with one in front of the herd and one in the back with our car in the middle we very slowly crawled along as black cows trotted along all around us. Not knowing what to do we continued like this for twenty minutes until the cows started leaving the road for the gate they were being corralled to. With a wave from the cowboy and open road ahead of us we pressed on with a unique memory of the time we became part of the herd for a brief while. With all my planning, something like that was a pleasant spontaneous moment we will never forget. As was the sights on the road we were about to come to. The mountain slopes fell away along with most of the land in general. Only the road remained as we entered this amazing area of white stone. The narrow road was nearly 9,000’ above the rolling canyons on each side of it. White knuckling the steering wheel we drove down and down into the canyon with no protection for you and careening over the edge into the deep depths below. Marking in our heads as a place to return to for a future trip we made our way to our little log cabin we had booked for the night. We made a brief visit to the park to scout out locations for tomorrows sunrise.

As we drove along the alpine looking trees and grassy fields it was hard to imagine that just beyond them was the deep gorge of red pillars we were here to see. Prairie dogs waddled through the tall grass as the foraged for the coming winter as their lookouts stood tall searching for danger. We drove to the farthest spot and worked our way back, the harsh sun creating not so flattering light in the area. Amazed by the size of these stone columns we finally found a spot for the sunrise. The crowds were large and obnoxious and it was way too windy to enjoy some peace and quiet so we headed back to the cabin for some dinner and much needed rest.

Trees dot the distant hillside.

The next morning brought us to the parking lot 7,600’ in elevation. This time around neither of us got altitude sickness but breathing was still difficult as we hiked up the steep slope to the spot we had picked out the day before to set up. Icy air and blue light ensnared us as we stood slightly shivering in the early morning hours. The rock formations below stood eerily below like a boneyard in some long forgotten realm. The dark gloomy visuals of the soft light creeping into the gorge had me spotting this one particular group of towers and I shot those and the surrounding ones as the sun spilled in creating a warm pinkish hue on the sides of each tower. Like a scene out of Lord of the Rings we gazed on the unique structures before us as the dark shadows fell away into light. On the way back to the warm car and gourmet breakfast of pop tarts a lone deer stood and silently watched us along the edge of the parking lot. A short hike later and a brief viewing of more prairie dogs we headed out.

A stone chimney sits in wait for the morning sun.

Pillars create a ritual circle.

Wider scene of the stone chimney and its surrounding walls.

Our next stop was a couple hours away and we made our way past more mountainous areas as we reached the next park. Much more vegetation lived here with all shades of lush greens and yellows lined the twisted road in. We passed giant checkerboard looking rock formations, tall stone walls and tunnels that took us into the very walls of the canyon we descended into. The growing number of cars around us fell away as we descended deeper and deeper towards the canyon floor. Wanting to take in the sights we pulled off the road and gawked at just how steep and looming the sedimentary rock walls were. Turning around in a circle our eyes were greeted by frozen giants and us the ants below. The light reflected off their might and onto a small scene across the road so I took the opportunity to shoot this image.

A small scene by the roadside.

The day and crowds were already taking their mental toll so we checked in to our next hotel early and got an alert on our phones to seek shelter and higher ground. A flash flood was coming straight for where we just were in the park and when that happens a dry riverbed will quickly turn into a deadly rush of debris and water. Deciding safety over risk of injury we skipped going back for the day and drove to the western seldom visited portion of the park where there wasn’t a cloud in sight. Good for us but bad for photographing the sunset. We sat at the road side and watched as the last days light fell away into shadow on the mountain ridge in front of us as birds quieted down for the evening. Tomorrow we had to get to the parking lot to take the shuttle into the most popular part of the park and the lots filled by 6am so we headed back and slept for the night.

They weren’t kidding about the crowds. Feeling much more like Disney World than a nature park we found a spot and headed to the long line of people waiting for the days first shuttle which we just managed to be one. Packed in like sardines with dozens of others we sat squished against our seats and bags as the shuttle made its way down the quiet road as dawn slowly crept into the canyon floor. Our driver giving us facts and jokes as he drove to the first stop as he occasionally stopped to let deer cross the road. Getting out was a relief to our claustrophobia and social anxiety and we let the crowd of people get ahead of us before heading down the trail ourselves. We watched as a small group of deer grazed on the grass by the path, enjoyed the sound of the light river that had quieted down from yesterdays flash flood and decided to not follow the crowds and return to the shuttle to head to a non busy area. Sitting in the second shuttle with just us and the driver was a much better experience and we got off at the next stop to explore the tree filled area below. Small animal prints made their impression in the purple hued mud as we walked along the path being serenaded by more ravens. The sounds of the road were gone and all was quiet when I spotted a tree singled our from the ones around it. With 2,000’ sandstone walls on all side of us we were more enthralled in the little trees on the canyon floor. We noticed some pines growing in the rock walls which baffled us but shot those as well since their green needles were a nice contrast against the pink stone walls.

Twisted trees grow in the bottom of the canyon.

Trees growing out of the rock walls of the canyon.

With our last stop in the state we cross the borders of the next to an area far from the rushing cars on the highway and deep into the desolation we always crave. The temperature was blazing like the fire this place was named after as we walked around stone piles and hole filled rocks. This place felt more like Mars than anything we’d seen so far. rock formations that almost looked created by another intelligent species looking to honor their gods. The stone all looked like they were heated so much from the sun high above that they melted together and then cooled at night. Erosion created overhangs deep in each formation and we looked on in silence as we heard a scrapping sound coming from one of them. At the top of the smaller formations in front of us, a large black lizard emerged from hiding to sun itself and keep an eye on us, cautiously posed to escape should we come closer. Though we never would. Stopping at the visitor center for some much needed AC we found a chocolate bar that boasted having the flavor of cactus fruit. We grabbed one to try since it was so weird we had to try it. I’m not sure if it was from the heat or not eating normal food for a while but it was the most delicious chocolate we ever tasted, even though it had started to melt from the 50 yard walk back to the car. Finishing that we drove along towards the parking lot for a slot canyon we were there to see. Though with the heat and lack of shade bearing down on us we looked at each other about 100 feet down the trail and said “nah”. I did however spot a strange rock that had this vein like texture wrapping around it like it may have been alive at some point in the distant past.

Veins line a unique rock in a harsh environment.

We left for the next hotel but not before stopping to buy more cactus chocolate and some cactus flavored taffy. Staying on the outskirts of the gambling capital of the world we slept in the quiet room until 2am the next morning.

Driving far into the desert in the darkness we half expected to be beamed up into a UFO since the famous incident at Roswell happened not too far away. Our destination was the valley of death, known for its extreme heat and near inhospitable land. Parking at the lot we made our way to our sunrise spot in the already 90 degree temps in the dark. Knowing this area rarely gets clouds or rain we had our sights set on the martian like landscape on the mountains around the valley. The colors all mixing together created this almost melted ice cream look and I shot this wide panorama of the scene just as the sun came up behind us.

Panorama of the rolling hills above the valley.

We wanted to explore as much as we could before the temperatures became too much so we headed down the road to go to the summit of the mountain view. Far below the barren valley lay with the haze from the heat already rippling in the distance. Though the air was much cooler up here, the wind was fierce and we head back down to go into that very valley. Just before reaching the oasis of town a lone coyote stood in the middle of the road watching our stopped car for a moment before continuing on whatever mission it had. Endless views of dried salt beds sit at the valley floor as the sun blasts away making the air dry and harsh. Sweat dries off your skin immediately after leaving your pores. In last remaining shade we took a short drive to see the colorful volcanic deposits in the hills that appear as a melted sundae that we desperately wanted at that point.

Volcanic tones rest amongst the mountainside.

After taking a few photos we had to escape the heat and drove to the visitor center where their sign read 107 degrees at 8am. Being 282’ below sea level makes the area deadly if exposed for too long. Grabbing a magnet as a souvenir as we do at every place we visit we left and headed to the hotel in hopes we could check in early. With a stroke of luck it was ready and we could get away from the inferno that was outside. Our hotel sat in the little town oasis with palm trees and a small fountain at its center. An ice cream parlor and gift shops fill the small structures around it making you forget you’re in the center of nowhere. Time passed as we sat inside watching TV until a couple of hours before sunset. It was time to head back out into the arid desert. As we passed more flat open wasteland we finally see what we are going to shoot. Rolling hills of sand like waves of the ocean sit, ever changing in the winds that whip through this valley. Tiny footprints from nigh time beetles and brave mice dot the sand with long sweeping trails from rattlesnakes not too far behind. A small struggle is left in the sand with only the snakes impressions leaving, another death for the valley. Our boots sink into the sand as we make our way up the never ending hills until we are far enough out that that parking lot disappears and only the sand is visible. Its easy to get lost in here but we carry on as the sun hangs low in the sky. With a glowing light falling over the dunes I found myself pointing my camera in every direction picking out distant curves and patterns with my 100-400.

A gentle S curve in the sand dunes.

Ripples formed in the dry sand from the wind.

With the sun just past the mountain range in the distance, an ethereal glow hangs in the sky. On the way back to the car and my wife who hung back closer to safety I spotted a small patch of grass buried in sand with waves behind its falling away to the mountains on the horizon. After walking a few more minutes I came across a little bush with wonderful textures created by the wind and came away with some photos I was very happy with. We headed back for the night with returning here in the morning as our plan.

A glow on the horizon lit this section of sand.

Ripples stretch out into the distance.

Sticking close to the road this time with the 100-400 still on my camera I decided to shoot the dunes from a distance rather than fill my boots with sand again. The sun rose and a soft light fell on the dunes and the mountains behind them making them appear much small than they really are. I stood like a tiny insect on the lower edges the night before, my foot prints washed away from the overnight wind.

Massive dunes appear small beneath the mountains.

With one last stop in the valley before heading to cooler temperatures we wanted to visit an area very much like the scenes in Star Wars where Luke meets Obi Wan. The remnants of an old road from long ago sits broken and forgotten in this slot canyon and light gently spilled into the scene creating a beautiful mix of warm and cool tones in the creepy crevice. On the way out of the park the same coyote from the day before sat on the side of the road and watched cars go by bidding us farewell.

A creepy old road hiding in the mountain.

Not many photos were to be had for the next two days as we drove high into mountains to see the oldest trees on the planet, outrunning heavy thunderstorms in the car and visiting more other worldly rock formations on the other side of the mountains we had come from before. Our journey home was starting and this time we were a little glad to be heading back after the long hot days in the desert. We still had a few more parks to visit however and this next one was filled with one of my wife’s favorite plants. Cacti. The drive in is very strange, one minutes your passing flat brown sights and the next there are thousands of tall green cacti sweeping off into the hills beyond. Standing 40 feet tall and covered in thick needle like spikes these cacti are home to all sorts of wildlife. Other species of cacti and unique flora live among their towering arms. While walking the trails here I took out my 35mm film camera and snapped this black and white image.

A duo of cacti catch the last rays of the day.

The next morning brought us outside a missile testing site to the roll white sands of the park. Much different to the dunes we had visited a few days ago, these were much easier to walk on and had a pale off white color that is unique to the area with small grassy bushes protruding from them. The park opens at sunrise so it was a race to find a composition before the first morning light faded away. Of course today there was a colorful vibrant sky after over a week of blue skies. I rushed a composition that I wasn’t happy with so while waiting for my wife to finish her photos I captured this small scene as the rain in the distance lit up in the rising sun light.

Rain is lit from the mornings sunrise while grass grows from the white sand.

From there we headed to the next park through the mountains and green pines we are more used to seeing. Enjoying a small taste of home mixed with last years trip we passed farms, turkeys and arrived back in the brown desolation we have been seeing so far. Driving up the hill to the one parking lot we entered the visitor center with reservations in hand for what hid far below the surface. My nerves were getting the best of me since I’m sensitive to motion due to inner ear troubles from childhood. I almost chickened out but resolved myself to enter the elevator that would take us over 700’ below the earth surface, The ride down wasn’t too fun as it moves rather quickly and gave me the sensation of free falling. When we reached the bottom and I ran off the small elevator we were met with enormous caverns. Forgetting we were so far underground we forgot about being claustrophobic. The immense size of these caverns was awe inspiring. Deep in the dark small lights guide you along the path passed dripping stalagmites and stalactites as bats sleep nestled high above in the ceiling. We had agreed to leave our cameras in the car since the path is pretty narrow and didn’t want to be a bother to other guests with tripods and pausing so often. I did however use my phone to the best of tits abilities and managed these 2 shots. From there we left and the elevator ride back up was much easier on me.

A deep cavern within the caverns.

A party of dripping stalagmites and stalactites.

As the last day of fun was halfway over we went to another nearby park and quickly enjoyed the tall mountains of the region before setting off to the last park 5 hours away. Flat open nothing for most of the drive was pretty boring as a rain storm sat high over the distant mountains creating rainbows for us to see, all alone in the middle of nowhere. We reached the park just as the sun was setting and were stuck behind a very slow driver on the single lane road all the way to the hotel so unfortunately we didn’t have time take photos there. Though it was beautiful and we may return at some point in the future for a dedicated trip.

Then we began our long 3 day journey home early the next morning passing into the final three states we hadn’t visited in the lower 48. Passing through the southern states was more beautiful than I expected. Much more life existed here than the nearly barren wastelands we spent our time with the past 2 weeks. Hitting major traffic in our neighboring state as usual we finally made it back. Back to our cats and home, back to real food and our own bed and back to normalcy. Another trip in the books and more photos to edit as the autumn color begins to call me back out into closer reaches of home.

By the Bay

This past weekend my wife and I were finally able to travel over the border after the long restrictions due to Covid. We have been meaning to go visit my grandpa’s grave for a while and kept thinking oh we have time and kept pushing the trip off thinking “there’s always next year”. Well there wasn’t a next year until 3 years later thanks to Covid.

The trip had a dual purpose. To visit the grave site and of course to take photos of the areas my grandpa visited all the time before I was born. He would always mention it and I being a stubborn kid would always think “whats the big deal its not that special”. Well as an adult I can safely say I was wrong.

We started the three day weekend by leaving at 2 am and driving the 10 hours it took to get to our first location. On the way the highway was filled with the spring blooms of purple lupines and returning green leaves that were finally awakened after a long winter. After crossing the border I started to realize my expectations about the first area were completely wrong. It wasn’t just like New England like I thought. There were rolling hills and deep forests that fell away to very steep cliffs at the oceans edge. It was amazing how just half a day away the difference of only 10 miles (or 16 km to these parts) made in terms of scenery change. Then came the part I was dreading. Driving over the ocean.

I have a fear of water and heights. Water because of an incident with a bully when I was a kid mixed with not knowing how to swim and heights because I suffer from vertigo and balance problems quite often since the age of 8. So the idea of driving over a bridge that takes 15 minutes to cross high over the ocean with no way of turning around or stopping made my anxiety spike. Turns out it wasn’t that bad and we made it over just fine to the island.

This island was not something I expected to enjoy as much as I did. Rolling hills of green fields, frequent sightings of bald eagles and foxes made for a nice drive to the beach we were headed to. Unfortunately the wind was vicious that afternoon so we only spent a short time there before heading to our next spot. Some interesting red sandstone cliffs. Again since it was really windy and mid day the light, it wasn’t worth shooting any photos. But the visit was nice to see the effects of what erosion and time will do to the whole island far into the distant future. We then drove into the town to try some authentic poutine and the local chocolate store nearby. I know this is blasphemy to the locals but we didn’t really enjoy the poutine. But the burgers we had that night for dinner we honestly the best we ever had. So after inhaling those we were pretty tired from driving and went to bed.

The following morning we got up early for sunrise at a lighthouse not far away. Of course my luck kicked in and there was a cement barrier blocking the dirt road to the lighthouse. Thankfully I expect everything to go wrong and over plan everything. I found another less beautiful lighthouse just down the road as a back up before we left. After getting out and realizing the clouds were almost none existent we still shot the scene. It was quite windy and cold still so we tried to hunker down in a short sand dune to block the wind from us and our cameras. Sunlight finally started to peak above the horizon and lit the front side of the lighthouse creating a warm glow that looked like this.

A lonely lighthouse sitting in grassy fields.

After that my wife and I tried looking for sand textures in the sand and I found really interesting patterns pictured at the top of this entry. The strong wind gusts had us retreating to our warm car to shovel down some pop tarts before heading to the grave site 3 hours away.

I can see now why my grandpa spoke highly about the drive to where he would later be buried. Even higher rolling hills and vast areas of no civilization save for the road was to be found. Eventually we made it to the small little town and the cemetery. Having never been here before we had to walk around the whole cemetery looking for his families headstone. When he was alive my grandpa was kind of a jokester and would do silly things to make us laugh so of course I guess his final joke for me was that high grave was actually right next to the road at the entrance to the cemetery and we had parked at the back end of it. He probably would have laughed and called me “turkey breath” that I didn’t think to start at the front. The site was really peaceful, a shiny black headstone sat beneath a very large old maple tree on a gentle hillside. The names of his parents and son carved on the front and his late wife on the back. I never got to meet any of them because they died before I was born. Kneeling there however I felt somewhat welcome and had a sense of familiarity. I’m not someone who believes in an afterlife or ghosts but it was weird to feel like I was gathered with family even though it was just my wife and I in an “empty” cemetery. I had brought a little antique Donald Duck statue that I had kept from his things when he died and laid it at the corner of the gravestone. Donald was always his favorite and I thought he would have liked to have it. It was time to leave so we got some gas, my wife’s favorite soda you can only buy there and some Aero chocolate that I now wish I never bought because its not sold in the US of course its delicious. So we then departed the small quite town and headed to our next photo location.

After a long drive we made it to the quaint little park and went straight to a rocky beach after purchasing our park pass. The smell of pine or cedar filled the air on the steep descending trail down to the beach. Not many people were visiting this park so it was really nice having it mostly to ourselves. Being low tide we were able to walk really far out and just enjoy the views since the wind still refused to let up. Had it been high tide the whole area would be feet under water. No photos were had here or at the covered bridge leftover from loggers next to the beach. I did however spot some tiny flowers next to our car in the parking lot that were ignored by everyone who had walked by and shot this photo.

Twin flowers sit by the parking lot.

From there we drove down the winding road through forests and came to the parking lot to the hike we had planned to do. Equipped with my 30lb camera bag and some bear spray we started the hike that I assumed would be easy. The hike started nice and flat, a skinny dirt path surrounded by trees and little bushes guided us past lots of owl pellets on the ground. Clearly someone was eating well in this area though we didnt get to see “hoo” (I’m not sorry for the pun). Then the hike revealed what the trees were hiding, my wife’s arch enemy: steep trails. Having long legs those are no problem for me, her little legs on the other hand make it really hard. So we kept on going despite the constant up and down trail that seemed to never end through mossy green forest floors and tall twisting branches contorted by years of strong coastal winds. The final stretch of the hike to the overlook we come to see was the worst in terms of steepness and rocks. Many assurances by me saying “its just up ahead” about 6 times got us there to see boring light and the strongest winds of the trip. All that effort wasn’t for nothing though, we did enjoy the fragrant scent of the forest that no balsam and cedar candle can replicate and we found a small snake on the way back. It is hard to remember that you can travel and have fun without taking photos. Just spending time together is more important than anything. The second most important thing is food, which we were both dying for. We found a pizza place not far from the park and decided that sounded perfect. I’m usually stubborn to try new things but they advertised something called donair which is basically shaved meat. So I thought “that sounds interesting” and ordered that with green peppers. Thanks to me being socially anxious I misspoke and ordered the Donair pizza which had a whole bunch of stuff I wouldn’t normally order together on a pizza. Donair, pepperoni, bacon, onions, tomatoes, a sweet white sauce and of course the green peppers topped it. I said too late to fix it and ate it anyway. I know what I’m about to say could get me punched living so close to and having tried pizza in Boston, but this was the best pizza I’ve had in my 32 years of being alive. I dream about that pizza and sometimes think maybe we should go for a weekend trip and drive the 8 hours there and get some more. After stuffing ourselves more than a Thanksgiving turkey we made the hour drive back to our hotel for the night.

The next morning we got up for sunrise at the same park and drove up the extremely steep roads to get there under my wife’s engines loud protest. There was a lot of cloud cover so I was expecting yet another let down in terms of photos. But as time went on as we stood in the dark with our tripods and cameras set up we noticed the wind had completely died. We could finally enjoy a nice quiet morning waiting for the sun to come up. But with no wind next to water and lots of bushes mean lots of mosquitoes. So after an annoying wait the sun finally started to illuminate the clouds with a beautiful pink light and I was able to shoot this panoramic shot of the monstrous cliff that lay before us.

Sunrise over the exposed sand beneath cliffs.

Finally something worked out the way we hoped. So with renewed enthusiasm we headed to a nearby trail to walk along a much easier trail, crossing boardwalks and gentle rivers to find this scene.

A waterfall sitting nestled in the gorge.

From there it was time for breakfast so we killed time by walking around the little town below the park and on the beach near the cliff we had just shot while we waited for the local bakery to open for some sticky buns. We eat really unhealthy on vacation I know but the miles of walking makes up for it right?…

We had one more stop on the long drive home to the mountain fields of lupines we visit every year followed by our favorite pancake place. We stayed overnight so we didn’t have to drive again at 2am the following morning and managed to have the lupine fields almost all to ourselves which never happens since the internet blew up their popularity. But here are the two images I got from that morning.

Panorama of the mountain range lays as a backdrop for the lupines.

PSA: Dont ruin the lupines by stepping on them or picking them. Just enjoy them from a distance and buy a zoom lens. Dont “do it for the gram” at the cost of destroying a little piece of beauty.

So with stomachs full of pancakes we made the short 2 hour drive home to our disapproving cats who were more than unhappy about the lack of Fancy Feast for 2 nights in a row.

All in all despite the strong winds and boring light for the first half of the little adventure we ended up learning not to assume anything about a place before you go there yourself, to cherish the time you have together while you still have it and that Donair pizza is the best food in the world.

Golden Groves

Crisp mountain air streams through dried leaves of gold. The gentle rattle as they graze each other is the only sound heard here. An ocher glow bathes the mossy forest floor in heavenly light. Damp earth emits a intoxicating smell. Autumn has arrived in the high reaches of this place, a place that only one word is needed to describe. Paradise.

Every year my wife and I travel to road trip across the United States to explore regions that are alien compared to the sights and sounds of home in the Northeast. This trip begins like every other. Packing clothes, cleaning camera gear and loading enough snacks and water to last more than the 2 weeks we’ll be gone. I plan these adventures long in advance, mostly years ahead of actually going on them. Spending hours researching and making maps to the point of obsession. We are both fortunate enough to have jobs that allow us to take the time off and save for each trip. So as we say goodbye to our two little mischievous cats we head out on this years journey.

This trip brings us through the winding roads of New York, through the vast expanse of corn in the Mid West and to the destination we have planned for this time. After 36 hours of driving in a little over 2 days we see them. The soaring peaks of the mountains in a haze on the horizon. With excitement in our hearts we finally make it to the little cabin at 7500’ we will be staying in for the next few days. Its not much, but we don’t require much. The whole point of these trips is to disconnect as much as we can from modern life. Not glued to a cell phone or entranced in the daily grind of work, eat, sleep, repeat. The cabin consists of about 180 square feet. A tiny bathroom, a bed and a small table are all we need. The little TV affixed to the wall is nice for winding down for the night while we watch Food Network. These trips have us eating snacks and dehydrated camping meals to save money and frustration trying to find somewhere to eat so the sight of real food on TV helps us cope with what we have.

That evening we set out down the road to the park right down the street to photograph sunset. A massive field lies at the bottom of a valley surrounded by immense mountains on all sides. The quiet river that runs through here gives life and water to the wildlife and flora that live here. A forest of coniferous trees create a natural fence around the field. The skies are clear of clouds which means a sunset is out of the question tonight. So we found a picnic table to set up our tripods and cameras. I used my 100-400mm lens to trying picking out small scenes and found 3 yellow aspens sitting among a vast forest of pines. The rebellious nature of them hits home to my past teenage self wanting to rebel against the norm while I listen to punk music.

A rebellious aspen breaks the conformity of the confers around it.

On the return walk to the car we see this areas iconic creature. With antlers tall and pointed and thick brown and tan fur he appears like a lone wanderer through a western town. A bull elk in search of mates walks near our car so we stop and give him the recommended 25 yards of space as to not annoy him. Its rutting season which means all the males are not in the best mood. We watched as he slowly walked into the tree line and stop. Turning his head to face us he let loose the eerie cry that we had only heard in movies. A sad yet beautiful screech bellowed as he called out to potential females. After that he crested the hill and walked out of sight leaving only another cry as evidence of his presence. We took that as a “welcome” and got back in the car and headed back to the cabin. When we got back a large hind foot print of a black bear was seven feet from our door which told us two things. We missed the neighbor and this was a much more wild place compared to home.

We woke up early the next morning to the sound of the bird call alarm on my phone in hopes of taking a beautiful sunrise. Driving up the steep mountain pass we arrived at the parking lot and made our way to the spot I found on Google Maps months beforehand. Stars filled the sky which meant one thing. No colorful sunrise today. Though with the scene before us it didn’t really matter if there were clouds or not because this was worth shooting anyways.

A small path leads towards mystery and wilderness.

At 9000’ in elevation the thin air was beginning to take a slight toll on our breathing so we headed back into town after exploring the area a little more. A small general store sat just a short ways from the cabin so we picked up some cheese and bagels to make some impromptu sandwiches. Better than nothing when all you’ve had for 4 days is pop tarts, jerky and dehydrated beef stew. Afterwards my wife and I took a nap. Well she did at least. Thanks to a lack of forethought I forgot that going from 3000’ to 9000’ in less than twenty four hours means that what I was starting to feel was altitude sickness. As my wife lay asleep next to me the room started spinning and wobbling. I suffer from vertigo often so thats nothing new but this was much more intense. Waves of nausea and lightheadedness washed over me as my heart pounded hard and fast in my chest. My throat felt tight and I was having difficulty breathing. Like the panic attacks I used to suffer from but much worse and much longer. After taking a Dramamine and debating with myself if we should drive to lower elevation to try to alleviate the symptoms they eventually got better.

I wasn’t about to let minor altitude sickness stop our trip so we spent the rest of the afternoon taking it easy before going to a nearby lake to try for sunset photos. A cloudless sky still plagued the area so we headed down a trail toward some aspens to shoot some smaller scenes of the changing foliage before heading back to the little cabin for some dehydrated chicken fajita bowl.

Twin leaves cling together before their time to fall away.

Orange leaves wrap around their trees trunk.

The next and last morning here we braved returning to 9000’ and made it to the parking lot in the total darkness that even our flashlights struggle to pierce. As we slowly made our way up the sloped lot gasping for air from each step feeling like twenty we made it to the trail. I’m a worry wart when it comes to being in a place at night knowing that large murder mitten having mountain lions could be laying it wait for lone hikers such as ourselves. You have a better chance of being struck by lightning than being dragged away or even seeing one of these beasts but still I annoy my wife with my constant vigilance. We set up on the edge of the calm quiet lake and noticed we didn’t see any stars but there was a faint glow behind the tree line on the horizon. That means a good sunrise is possible so we sat in the dark with our backs to whatever monsters hid in the trees and waited. A peaceful glow lit the blanket of clouds that lay just above the mountain peak reflected in the mirror of the lake and I shot this image that I was satisfied with for our last morning here.

Mirror like reflections show the quiet mountain landscape.

As we walked back to the car I overheard a ranger telling a woman about a moose that likes to take a morning dip in the lake we visited the night before so we went straight there in hopes to catch a glimpse of the giant. As our luck would have it, he wasn’t there. As crowds began to form already I spotted a small trail leading away from the noise of other visitors so we retreated to the waiting aspens . Not long into the hike we heard that familiar screech we heard two days ago and we stopped. Suddenly a herd of female elk came over the hill in front of us followed quickly by a male trying to catch up to them. We immediately turned around and carefully made our way back down the trail to give them plenty of space and privacy. From a distance we watched as the male made his way to each female like a desperate guy in a bar trying to hit on the women who have no interest. His growing frustration was evident as we watching him bugle and bellow his warm visible breath into the cold morning air. Swirling around in the glowing yellow light produced by the backlit yellow leaves overhead. After taking a couple photos we chose to leave them to their business and leave the park for out next destination of the trip.

A female elk nibbles on grass beneath a glowing canopy.

We drove for hours through winding mountain roads, past rivers and more aspens than we could imagine. All a vibrant yellow or orange these trees are why we came halfway across the country. Time didn’t allow for stopping at these groups of trees as we had a ways to the next place. Stopping at a rest stop beneath towering cliffs along the highway we spotted some binoculars used for looking at local bighorn sheep on the cliff sides. No sheep were out while we were there so we purchased a small stuff animal of one instead as a consolation prize. After driving more through valleys and open plains with mountains all around we checked into the hotel and took a brief rest before heading to our sunset spot. The spot has become popular thanks to people sharing the location on social media so now they require reservations. Months before I sat at my computer for the exact moment they went on sale and managed to get them before they quickly sold out minutes later. With high hopes of shooting this beautiful scene we were met with a rain storm that had moved in and covered the mountains in a dense fog and cloud. This wasn’t going to happen tonight. So with frustration we walked the paths around the lakeside and looked for some nice trees to shoot. As I was walking along a small group of deer appeared in front of me like ghosts and I froze. Wanting to give them their space I waited for them to move into the trees before setting up my camera to take a quick photo of them. I found my wife with her camera pointed up into a tree and looked at the back of her camera. A nice little composition that I waited to steal from her while she walked to another spot close by. From there we went back to the hotel to take shelter from the incoming rain. I lay awake frustrated at the bad weather and wondered why did we bother coming.

Spotted by the lookout as her friends inspect an itchy spot.

100% original non stolen composition…

Rain tattered the window of our hotel all night and into the morning when we got up. The sunrise wasn’t in the picture so we just decided to skip it and continue on our journey. Driving along more mountain roads with great views the rain followed us and chased us away each time we thought we out ran it. A looming mountain view, aspens in a cross hatch fence and an iconic view only lasted a few minutes before the loud cracks of thunder had us running back to the car and continuing on.

Finally after a few hours the rain went away as we were coming up to the road for the next park. A long extremely bumpy dirt road led us through flat open desolation until a small ranger station appeared ahead. A single trail next to a campsite was where we got out to hike. Passing by ground squirrels, strange birds and tiny cacti we reached the edge of an intimidating canyon. Nothing but a ratty old waist high fence stood between you and a 2700’ drop to the river below. My wife walked right up to it of course as I tried to fight my vertigo before getting the nerve to join her. A canyon that rivals the Grand Canyon, this fascinating place was carved over 2 and a half million years by the very river we saw far below the cliff edge. The walls featuring light colored lines in them like veiny rivers that stream along. The sun peaking out behind the clouds to gently kiss them in a warm light after the cold raw morning we just had.

White veins creep along the dark rocky canyon.

Saying goodbye to the vastly different area from the prior days we continued on to our sunset spot for the night. Only we weren’t alone when we arrived. The rainy fog had returned covering the whole scene in thick pillowy annoyance. Defeated we drove back to our next hotel. I spotted on the way a soft snowy peak on the roadside that rivaled a Bob Ross painting and managed to shoot this image.

A moody mountain sits in a blanket of clouds.

Stopping at the super market to pick up some comfort food. We drowned our sorrows in a cinnamon walnut danish before heading to bed. Skipping again the scene we tried last night due to the lingering fog I decided to lean into the bad weather and search for some trees that were visible though the morning mist. I got out while my wife did her make up and found a skeletal tree peeking out through the gloom and set up my tripod next to some large branches on the ground. After shooting for a few minutes my wife got out to join me and immediately blurted out “those are some legs”. I replied with a confused “uh thanks?”. Then I looked down at what she was staring at next to my feet. The branches I stood next to finally made their appearance strange. Branches don’t typically have fur, or hooves. These branches were severed elk legs. Just two elk legs lay on the gorund, no blood or signs of a struggle from a predator. Just the legs and my tripod next to them. I told my wife “you wanted breakfast didnt you?” which produced her favorite bird.

The skeletal remains of a tree peaks through the fog.

After leaving behind the gloom and visceral body parts behind we took a turn onto a dirt road that we were excited to visit. Meandering along open field the road passes ranches with old zig zag style wooden fences before creeping along into the woods. The steep and uneven road is not for the faint of heart or those with low clearance vehicles. Thankfully I plan every detail and rented an SUV with high clearance because of this road. As we left behind the loud sounds of the mountain bypass behind us we traveled on slowly and carefully down the steep hair pin turns until we reached the one of few parking spots. Surrounded by 14,000’ mountain peaks we breathed in the cool mountain air, finally used to the elevation. Nothing could be more beautiful in this area except the company I had with me. So we slowly walked up the road to the reason for stopping here. The famous aspen groves that are well known to this mountain pass. With yellow leaves quietly rustling above thick papery white trunks the magical light seeping into the shrubs and mossy forest floor was like walking into Middle Earth in the lands of the elves of Rivendell. So quiet that every foot step echoes through the dense forest. Keeping to the “Leave No Trace” principals we took photos from the roadside with longer lenses as to not disturb the vegetation. No photo is worth destroying the environment for. After about an hour of searching and shooting a sound was made that echoed around the silent grove. A sound we had never heard before, like a small child screaming but more primal, guttural and animal like. Having heard bears, coyotes, fishers, bobcats and foxes many times back home. We knew this noise was something big and something less than 300 yards away over the ridge line in front of us. With that we made a safe retreat back to the car with my hand on my bear spray ready for whatever might follow us. Before this I managed to shoot these couple images. Next we went into the perfect mountain town at the base of the mountain.

A scene out of Middle Earth hides among the mountain slopes.

A pine tree standing proud in a stand of aspens.

This little town that you imagine when you think of a mountain town is exactly what this looked like. Tightly packed homes and shops, lodgings for the nearby ski areas, and enormous mountains all around. We explored the town after checking in and found a little beaver pond and riverside trail to walk along as we enjoyed the afternoon together deciding to just take a breather from photography for the rest of the day. Overcast clouds had moved in and more rain and light snow was coming so we stopped by the local bakery and got way more goods than we should have and ate ourselves into a food coma in the hotel room. The next day was more of the same, exploring the town some more and relaxing in the hotel while the rain made everything dreary and cold. While bored I went on YouTube to investigate what that animal was that we heard the day before. Turns out I wasn’t being over paranoid days before and it was in fact a mountain lion cry.

As we left the little mountain town we headed to a very popular spot known for its curved aspen trees. We waited for the sun to rise a little as we waited in the dark before driving on this treacherous mountain pass since I was nervous about driving on it to begin with. Once it was light enough we drove up the steep narrow dirt pass until we reached a spot in the road I wasn’t about to risk breaking the car over and parked off to the side leaving enough room for anyone else who wanted to brave it. Walking up the steep road the rest of the way was tough as the thin air was still effecting us. We reached the stand of aspens and were happy to find we had the place to ourselves. Just before the sun came over the mountainside a few more people showed up and then a photo workshop. These trees are famous for a reason but that mixed with social media means a lot more foot traffic. More foot traffic means damage to the area with people being irresponsible and standing on the trees, trampling the ground beneath them, carving names into them and ruining a beautiful little group for their selfish needs. I spent over a year using different maps and software trying to find the secret trees and I’m glad I did before their inevitable destruction. I see why they are kept secret and bringing photo workshops there and earning money off their future destruction just rubs me the wrong way. So we left this temporary place probably for the last time and taking this shot from a distance as to not create more trampling. Its hypocritical in a way for me to visit them as well and I don’t have a viable solution to protect these trees other than to keep the secret in hopes others do as well and not bring large groups. Not everyone has the best intentions when visiting a popular site.

The delicate curve of a mutation creates a unique grove.

From there we wandered up the mountain pass on foot taking photos from the edge with our long lenses. The dense trees make for some peaceful atmosphere and the towering mountain beyond them became my favorite spot of the trip.

Clustered aspens stand in the sunlight.

Another sapling grows with its kin.

We spent about 45 minutes just shooting this majestic scene as the clouds and sun created a different look every few minutes or so. These mountains are what I miss when sitting here in the Northeast. While we do have some tall mountains, there’s nothing like a 14,000’ tall pointed mountain such as this. Feeling small and insignificant beneath this ancient giant is what I like to seek out on these trips. The reminder that my time here is short blip in comparison to these natural monuments helps put any problems that arise into perspective.

Peaking out from the clouds rises a most majestic peak.

After leaving behind the golden aspens, the towering snow capped peaks and deep canyons we made our way to the last leg of this trip. Seeing the landscape slowly change from alpine to more familiar scenes to flat open scrub lands produced a slight sadness in us as it became evident that our journey was nearing its end. Making a brief stop at a park known for its cliff side clay brick dwellings of past peoples and seeing wild horses roam the plains of the plateau we headed to the final spot of our adventure. The sand dunes of this area are an anomaly compared to scenes around it. Sitting at the base of last of the mountains are 750’ tall piles of natural sand that stick out like a sore thumb. Though they are indeed beautiful, they remain strange. Gently sloping down to the ground below they create waves and patterns like an ocean frozen in time. Not knowing where to begin I ended up not using a wide lens to capture their entirety but a zoom lens to create this cool toned image of the waves and small scrub bush living in them.

Blue toned sand waves are home to a small bush.

The next morning was our start to the long drive home. Passing by two male deer in a little battle on the roadside, I looked one last time in hopes of seeing the dunes in the absolute darkness to no avail. Thats when the sky lit up as it was almost daylight as a meteor blazed across the sky. I have never seen such an amazing sight before and it was a little scary. One moment it was black and the next it was as if a light switch turned on as the greenish white flash and ball of flame zipped past us. Lasting only a second and leaving a brief fiery trail in the atmosphere the last wonders of this tale was over. We stopped at some caves and some small mountains known for their “smoke”. I donated one of my shirts to a stray cat at our hotel to sleep on in his little house outside that the hotel built for him. Days passed as we got closer and closer to home. The cities and modern living grew more and more and gone were the western wilderness areas and isolation. We finally arrived home happy to see our cats but sad to be away from the mountain lion inhabited forests, the wondrous mountains and the peaceful silence. The memories we made were more than worth the rainy gloom and missed sunrises. And the time we shared together was worth more than any money can buy.

A mill sits hidden along a river.

Outside Lockdown

After months of uncertainty, world wide lock downs and shelves empty of toilet paper, A small slice of normalcy is on the horizon. This past year has been one devastation after another. Families torn apart by death, jobs lost and businesses shutting down permanently from the looming threat of Covid. Its been quite sickening to see the level of selfish behavior and blatant stupidity running rampant. Protests about pieces of cloth, hoarding food and a total lack of decency has left my wife and I feeling trapped in some alternate timeline. We felt the need to escape the crazed people and head into nature to get a much needed respite. Fortunate that where we live had no lock downs for neighboring states and low transmission levels we headed north away from the cities and where not many people were to be found.

After cancelling our trip this year to the southwest we figured a small trip where we wouldn’t be near anyone should be safe. Most of our travels are meant to be far away from people to begin with so we picked a spot we’ve been a few times before. We both got tested before leaving to make sure we weren’t spreading Covid or asymptomatic and with negative results in hand we began our journey.

We started our drive at 2am in hopes to make it to the first spot 5 hours away just before sunrise. Autumn had already begun to creep in as temperatures had started dropping and winter was approaching on its heels. Driving in the dark we made a quick stop for gas and a bathroom break. We masked up and spent as little time as possible inside before doing the hand sanitizer ritual in the car before moving on. We made it to the borders of the park just as the sun was cresting the horizon. We pulled in to the parking lot and got out into the perfect crisp fall air that my wife and I look forward to each year. No other cars in the lot meant we had this place all to ourselves. Yellow and orange leaves created a beautiful blanket in the canopy above. A raised boardwalk path guided us through the forest as the morning light started streaming through the dissipating mist. A group of birch trees on the right of the trail led to this photo.

Down the path a ways led to the main draw of this popular trail with not a soul in sight. The boardwalk curves a bit and creates a nice point of interest and a sort of tree tunnel so I took this photo as many others have before me.

As we continued on past the green and orange ferns as the rays of light dappled the area we came to a fork in the road. One way led to an open field, the other down a birch tree tunnel. In the gloomy shadows light was hitting the trees in an inviting way so we headed that way and stopped once we saw this beautiful scene.

As we shot the birch trees we could see movement in the field darting around in the tall grass. We quietly walked a short way past the birches and found the cause of the movent. A small group of deer were frolicking around in the warm sun as their breath tangled in the cool air. We had never seen deer play like this in person so it was a nice treat. After they calmed down a bit I picked out the lone doe of the group with my 100-400 and took this image.

We watched the deer from a distance for a while before leaving them to nibble on grass. We were in search of places we haven’t been to before on previous trips to the island. Sitting next to the roadside is a little museum with an arching white bridge. The fall color had fallen into the pond below and the water was calm creating a perfect reflection of everything. We parked nearby and I crouched under the road next to the pond to shoot this image.

Overcast clouds had moved in so we spent the rest of the afternoon scouting out areas for the days to come and walked around the little village area. Everyone was masked and following the guidelines up here which was nice compared to the area we live. Stopping at the local candy store has become a tradition and thankfully they were open so we got some delicious fudge. Once the time finally came we were able to check in to the little cabin we rented outside of the park and settle in for the night. With a banquet of Doritos, jerky and dehydrated chicken burrito bowl we watched TV until it was time for bed. We were excited for the sunrise in the morning and all my weather apps were predicting a colorful sunrise.

My alarm went off early the next morning so we quietly got ready as to not disturb the other cabin dwellers near us and headed towards the beach. Navigating the winding one way road of the park drove by steep cliffs, forests and the occasional rabbit in the dark before making it to the parking lot. The beach isn’t a traditional one in that there is no sand here but smooth rounded boulders. The ocean waves have created a stretch of these egg like rocks that lead to the pine covered cliff beyond them. We navigated our way down the rocks carefully to get close to the oceans edge, but not too close as the tide was slowly making its way back in. A popular spot for obvious reasons had us joined by a couple of people and a photo workshop. The clouds were thick but a gap on the horizon meant something special was coming. Blue hour faded and the warm pink glow in the clouds was a welcome sight sitting in the cold windy air. Once the sun peaked over the skyline and bathed the boulders, cliffs and clouds it was the perfect time to start shooting. After the first shot I moved closer to the water to catch the motion of the waves just as they broke over the alien looking rocks.

Now that the sun had risen it was now blocked by the thick canopy of clouds from an incoming rain storm. We thought now was the perfect time to check out one of the few waterfalls on the island so we left the beach and drove straight to the trailhead. No other cars in sight in the lot was an odd sight since this is another popular spot. Walking up the steep wide trail our footsteps were silent in the fallen orange pine needles. Closer and closer we got taking in the red maple leaves along the path wondering where the sound of the river and waterfall was. Arriving at the high stone bridge we figured out the reason for the quiet stream and empty lot, the waterfall was dry. All that walking wasn’t about to be for nothing so I made my way down the side trail under the bridge arching overhead and searched for a smaller subject. It didn’t take long before I spotted it, a small group of blood red leaves lay on top of the cool toned river rocks. (no I didn’t place them there).

As the hours passed we killed time by walking about a mile in solitude beneath a thick grove of red spruce and balsam trees breathing in their candle like aroma. We found a set of chairs at the edge of the forest facing the ocean and rocky coast before them so we sat and took a quick break. My wife had found this spot before we came and we were hoping to spot some seals that are frequently spotted here. I scanned the area with binoculars to no avail and let my wife have a try. Snoozing on a far away rock she spotted a harbor seal. We took turns watching it for a while before starting the hike back through the forest to head to our sunset spot for the night.

We finally found where all the visitors were in the park. It seemed everyone all had the same idea to visit the same pond that night. Managing to secure a parking spot we walked down the trail to the ponds edge and set up our tripods. Then waited, and waited as the sun got lower and most of the crowd filtered off back to their cars to go get dinner. Only a few people remained knowing what was coming. The clouds had dissipated a bit over the course of the day and some puffy ones were left over. I balanced on a couple rocks in the pond making sure I wasn’t going to be in anyone else’s shot and took this photo as the sun briefly lit up the clouds with a pinkish glow.

We were hungry and the coastline was not cloudless so we went back to the cabin for some more freeze dried meals as night quickly came. Something in my mind kept telling me to go back to the coast and after debating it I decided I should go. My wife opted to stay in the warm cabin and I went out in hopes of shooting something I rarely do. With no light pollution around here the sky is filled with more stars than one can imagine but still so dark that seeing your hand in front of your face isn’t an option. I walked in the middle of the abandoned park road listening for cars. Every snap in the woods had me expecting a Sasquatch to come bounding out of the woods toward me and my tiny flashlight. I reached an steep cliff edge and found two other photographers already set up in the tiny spot to set up. We said hello and they told me they were visiting from Illinois and hoping to shoot the stars. They saw me trying to squeeze in the small space beside them and offered to let me use their tripod for a few minutes which was surprising. I graciously accepted and took one single 25 second exposure and thanked them for their generosity. Hoping my shot was in focus and what I walked back to the car alone in the dark and went back to my wife waiting in the warm cabin. I knew a trip back to this cliff edge in the morning for sunrise was in order after reviewing my one shot one the back of the camera.

Our last morning of the little getaway from the Covid craziness back home was a great one. We did end up going back to the spot from the night before and were happy to find ourselves the only ones there. The wind was calm and the air not as cold so we snuggled our tripods together and set up our compositions waiting for the sun to come up. Far below us a beach of boulders similar to the other one sat as the waves gently crept over them. The big difference here is the large stone column I could hardly see in the dark the night before. A rock wall used to be here but over time the rocks eroded away and now only the pillar remained beside the remnants. A monument to the cove below it. The sun came and lit the sky in deep pinks and orange light and like the rocks of the southwest the pillar glowed in the same brilliant light. The only sounds to be heard to be heard were the quiet crashing waves below and a nearby cardinal making its morning song. I captured the last shot of the trip before we left for the 5 hour drive back to the pandemic.

Happy to find a spot to go to where the pandemic seemed to have spared, this was a much needed little getaway to refresh our mental health. Careful to avoid the few crowds up here and making sure to wear a mask in any indoor setting we managed to avoid getting sick. We tend to stay away from others on these trips to begin with so it wasn’t exactly a change of pace for us. We both came back with some photos we were happy with and a renewed sense of hope for the future where normalcy makes a return and new chapters can be made.

Have a Backup Plan

Textures in the Sand

I haven’t had much inspiration or drive to get out and shoot for two months. Every time my wife and I come back from a vacation or road trip from seeing new amazing things across the country, I get in this slump. Seeing beautiful moss covered trees, ten thousand foot tall mountains, mysterious forests and all these things I‘ve never seen and coming home to the same old locations is depressing to me. I find it hard to get excited about things I’ve shot over and over again and sometimes I mentally retire a place after I get a shot that I feel is as good as I’ll ever get there. New England is not home to the things I deep down want to shoot. Our mountains are nothing like those In Wyoming or Banff. Our forests are OK in the fall but lackluster compared to the ones in the Pacific Northwest. Even our coastline, while beautiful, are not the same as the west coasts sea stacks and warmer waters. So I get depressed once winter hits more when all our leaves are gone until about June and the bitter cold and snow make traveling sometimes difficult in a small sized car.

So the other day I thought, maybe a colorful sunrise will help me get back into the groove of things. I didn’t get much sleep the night before between my cats running marathons at midnight and worrying if the weather apps were right in the cloud cover forecast. Driving an hour or more at 4am only to find overcast or blue bird skies is something landscape photographer deal with a lot. Well I went to a familiar lighthouse in Maine and while the sunrise was colorful, the clouds were only near the horizon. The lighthouse had clear blue skies above and around it so getting a shot of that with those colorful skies was not going to happen. So I got in my car a little annoyed that I didn’t sleep and drove an hour and a half there for nothing, which is usually what happens and I’m sort of used to it. I still get disappointed though since I usually only get to go shooting on the weekend due to going to work before sunrise all week. Getting the weather to match up with the days off work are few and far between. I realize I’m just complaining here so I’ll get on with it.

As I was driving away from the lighthouse back towards the highway I looked over to the long sandy beach and the sun just popping over the horizon, I figured why not just go walk on the beach and enjoy the morning since I’m already here. A fellow photographer I follow online talked about finding patterns for close up photos if a wide shot just doesn’t work. I took my camera with me just in case and it didn’t take long to find some really nice textures and patterns in the sand. The way the water had created these deep ripples reminded me of the aerial shots you see of the sand dunes out west. So I set up my camera and took three shots of this section of the ripples and about two seconds after the last shot clicked, a rouge wave reached out and covered the sand and erased the patterns forever. If I hadn’t got out of the car or showed up just a few seconds later, this photo would have never existed. So in the end I guess from now on if my first idea for a shoot ends up in failure I will know to find some patterns for a close up photo instead. That simple and probably obvious idea opens up new possibilities and I think the drive to get out there is back and hopefully stays around for a while.

Thanks for reading,

Steve

Is this Heaven?

Dawn approaches as a group of silent deer stand at the roads edge. The sound of car doors closing followed by boots quietly crunching on dirt falls away into soft thuds. Watchful eyes of the deer track the couples movements through the dense trees as they disappear from sight. The moss clinging to the trees creates a haunting sight like the forests arms reaching out to pull the hikers into their dark tomb. Bright green ferns and fallen reddish logs act as a border of safety from the thick undergrowth, still in the mornings windless embrace. Noise is squelched in the deep grove of trees as sunlight tries in vain to penetrate the evergreen canopy. The smell of rich petrichor fills the air after a recent rainfall as the two spot the hidden waterfall in the distance. The suffocating eeriness to the forest offers one question for them…is this heaven?

Cutting a long story short of the previous beginnings of past trips through corn and flat wastelands, our first destination on this years trip was a brief roadside visit to a park named after the founder of the park service. What was once clear skies not long ago was now a gloomy overcast sky and something not expected this time of year for us. Snow. High winds whipped the frozen sting across our faces as we quickly took some cell phone shots and retreated back to the car to head to our hotel for the night. A long drive awaited the next day and we need rest after 3 twelve hour days in a row with a quick stop at one parks waterfall and another parks sand dunes bordering our neighbors to the north.

We set out the next morning hours before sunrise in hopes to spend some more time in the next park. Dodging deer and coyotes along the highway we took our exit into no mans lands. More deer greeted us at the stop sign and along the roadside with only their eyes glowing in the deep shadows of night. Gripping the wheel I drove us along the hills and curves of empty land as the sun finally rose. Thankfully it did or else we would have plowed right into the giant golden eagle feasting on some large animal in the middle of the road. Ten hours from leaving the hotel we arrived at the mighty peaks in the northern mountains. We were excited to finally be here to shoot our favorite type of scenes in a new place for both of us. Only our frustratingly bad luck had other plans, after driving along a quarter of the death defying mountain road we were greeted with what we thought was fog. Only fog isn’t this dense and white, because we were driving through clouds. A light storm front had moved in blanketing almost the entire park in very low clouds making visibility past 200 feet impossible. Stopping at the visitor center to grab our ritual fridge magnet we heard from a ranger that the clouds were going to be sticking around till the day after we had to leave.

We were pretty bummed to not be able to see anything so we very slowly drove down the cloud covered road as headlights appeared from the white blanket and panicked each time they passed. Our lodging for the night was a lakeside hotel surrounded by what was supposed to be tall wondrous peaks. With the expensive room already paid for we decided to just walk along the lakes edge to salvage some semblance of fun and I took this shot to document a mountain when the clouds briefly gave us a peek.

All that appeared in the low thick clouds.

The next day we had another drive ahead of us so we quickly hung around to try and see the biggest mountain outside our room to no avail before heading across the border to the north. The rain has picked up as we drove further and further past endless fence posts with dozens of large hawks miserably sitting on them trying to spread their wings to dry them. We reached the next hotel and visited the local MEC store where I bought a new black beanie and watched TV in our room till it was time for bed. A two hour drive for sunrise was waiting.

We left early the next day in hopes to get a nice sunrise at a lake with a popular mountain behind it. Only the low clouds were all the way up here as well. Instead we drove into town and waited for the park headquarters to open to purchase our park pass for the day and grab a coffee. Deciding that the woods were a good place to be when the sky was full of thick white cotton we hiked along a long path to a waterfall sitting deep in the canyon. This time we had bear spray with us so we felt much safer compared to last year. After our morning hike we drove around in hopes to see whatever was visible and passed under the wildlife bridges built in this area to prevent the animals from getting hit. A tall fence runs along the entire highway before an overpass full of vegetation and bushes breaks it up to encourage wildlife to cross there instead of the dangerous roadway. Its nice to see a country that cares about its local wildlife.

The two popular lakes here have parking lots that fill up almost immediately every day so we hung around killing time until the evening by hiking up a steep path to a wooden overlook. Below us ran a long range of mountains with a sapphire blue lake at its base. Something you expect to be faked for social media was indeed real and beautiful. With our lungs in overdrive after the steep hike up in high altitude we took a rest and sat taking it all in for a short while before heading back down the trail to try finding a spot in the probably full parking lot.

Our luck had seemingly turned around partially since there was actually some space now and the road was open for us to park our car and see this over popular lake in person. It didn’t take long for the same beautiful blue water from the other lake to make itself visible and the postcard mountains revealed themselves. My wife had enough hiking for the day and opted to stay the the lakeside while I climbed the rock pile that offers the same view everyone knows this lake for. I try to stay away from the same popular compositions on these trips in hopes for something vaguely more original but this scene is just too good to pass up. After finding a spot on the rocks away from the crowd and without tall pines blocking the shot I set up my tripod and camera and took this image. While some actual sunlight or color in the sky would have been nice, this was better than nothing and at least the whole scene wasn’t covered in clouds.

Blue waters fed from the glaciers in the mountains.

From there I climbed back down then rock pile and eventually found my wife and her new chipmunk friend by the lakeside. While I waited for her to finish up her shots I noticed a small rock in the water that sort of mimicked the mountains behind it so I carefully balanced on the two small rocks behind it and shot this photo.

Smaller cousin to the big brothers beyond.

Happy to have witness this cerulean wonder and to actually get photos of it we took one last inhale of cool mountain air and headed back to the car. We had a nice little log cabin waiting for us not far down the road and we were tired from the days grind. One last scene made itself known about 400 feet from the cabin driveway so we quickly pulled over as some actual sunlight was coming through the evening clouds. A mountain range that resembles a castle was getting some nice dappled lighting on its face and I quickly took a panorama of the vista before the light was snuffed out. After that we checked into our cabin, showered and ate our freeze dried beef stew that I’ve grown to loathe and started a fire in the small fireplace to keep warm under it was time to sleep. The smell of the cabin was a rustic earthly smell and the smokey fire added to the western frontier feel of the perfect little cabin. Of course I picked a not so perfect log for the fire and it created much more smoke than the rest my wife chose. After airing out the smoke we went to bed for another long 12 hour driving day.

A castle in the clouds.

The following morning we left the cabin in the cold dark morning at 3am and headed down the highway in search for a gas station. It seemed that the gas pumps in this area aren’t functional 24/7 like they are in the US, but thankfully the first 2 hours were mostly downhill and our quarter tank of gas was enough to get us to a pump that was on. We drove up and down the winding mountain roads and through some parks we wished we had time to stop and visit as Stellar Jays zipped across the road. Daylight was in full effect when we reached the continental divide and the high altitude made all our bags of snacks and chips inflate to the point of almost popping. Brief altitude sickness started to show itself just as we started the long decent down the other side of the divide. Hours of distant mountains gave way to flatter pine forests and cities and small towns as we approached the border. The border agent here was friendly enough and commented that we had nothing healthy in our car for food and said “welcome home”. Only we were technically 3200 miles from home and the deep green of the northwest made that exceptionally apparent.

We arrived at our hotel for the night just as the sun was setting and the distant 14,000 foot mountain we were going to visit in a few days loomed in the distance even being 150 miles away.

Early the next morning we ate the quick breakfast the hotel offered and saw a colorful sunrise over that mountain in the distance and wished we were there instead of the parking lot much further away. Today though we had a day planned to visit the rainforests of the northwest. We parked our car at an empty lot not far from the hotel and were amazed by the dense green forest with tree limbs draped in thick moss. Ferns nearly covering the forest floor and plant leaves twice the size of my hand. If Jurassic Park needed at fitting location, this would be it. As we walked down the path we spotted a small group of deer quietly nibbling on flora as they kept a close eye on us. Further on down the trail a small brook ran alongside us and a little wooden bridge guided us to what we could now hear in the distance. A hidden waterfall cascading down the rock wall enclosing this area laid nestled amongst the ancient trees and growth. A wooden fence kept unruly visitors from trampling the fragile soil around it so I stuck my lens through the slots and crouched down to get this photo.

Hidden waterfall in the lush green forest.

On the walk back I found my wife shooting near the little bridge and I spotted a fallen tree that would make a great foreground object and set up my tripod near it. The heavy moss and fern lead my eye into the scene towards the moss covered trees and forest beyond and really showed what this dark forest was like. Needless to say I took the shot.

Jurassic park or an ordinary northwest forest?

After that we went back to the car to the next lot of another popular waterfall, only this time we didn’t have the place to ourselves. Everyone we passed was friendly and looking around in awe like we were and after passing more giant leaves and endless green both high and low we reached the popular falls. Before setting up the same shot everyone else has taken we continued a short ways to the end of the path and I spotted a broken tree in the distance that looked like a great subject. The mossy branches on the left of it looked like they were reaching towards their half dead friend so I switched to my zoom lens and shot it. Going back to the obvious viewpoint of the triple waterfall I set up next to two other photographers that were getting the same shot and I came away with an unoriginal photo, which is fine by me.

Mossy hands trying to console their fallen friend.

Not very original but original to me.

As rain clouds started to move in we headed deeper into the park and down a dirt road leading to the rainforest area. It took quite a while to drive since I kept pulling over to shoot things here and there. Branches encased in soft velvety moss hung over the damp road and that eerie silence took over the forest. A scream would be muffled in this dense dark army of emerald ancients. We reached the packed rainforest parking lot just as the rain started to come down so we chose to just head back to the main road and skip that section. On the way back we stopped at a small little gift shop on the secluded road and bought a little stuffed bear to be our traveling mascot for the trip. Not too far from the gift I stopped again to shoot some branches that looked like fingers reaching across a small open section of forest. My wife stayed in the car to not get wet but the thick and lush canopy blocked most of the rain like a natural umbrella. A sudden wave of feeling like I was being watched from somewhere in the woods in front of me took over and I slowly made my way back to the car. Not sure if it was a deer, a mountain lion or Bigfoot but something was definitely out there.

Mossy fingers reach out to pull in innocent photographers.

The beach was our next stop and it was close to the park. Unfortunately the rain had picked up quite a bit so we donned some rainproof pants, jacket and umbrellas and trekked down the winding pathway to the beach. Sea stacks stood tall on the waters edge defiantly breaking the waves and the strong winds that were down here. The umbrellas became useless and the rain nearly horizontal made our “waterproof” clothing soaked and we quickly raced back to the car. Thankfully we brought towels and it was a rental because we had never been so wet. The ride to the hotel that night gave us a quick peek at that tall mountain from the morning where we were headed the next day. The hotel was a dry welcome comfort after the cold rainy afternoon and we ate our freeze dried chicken fajita bowl and went to bed for another early morning.

Leaving 2 hours before sunrise we drove up the curvy mountain roads passing quaint cabins and lodgings you see in movies and passed several deer by the roadside. Another intimidating forest greeted us as we drove on and on until reaching the sunrise spot for the day. A calm little lake known for its reflections of the mountain this new park was named after. Only there was no mountain. More clouds had followed us and everything in the area was nice and clear, except for the mountain we came to shoot. The morning before would have been a brilliant sunrise here and I was kicking myself for not seeing into the future and planning the whole trip 1 day earlier. Disappointed we decided to drive up to the mountains visitor center anyways. More steep winding roads and tall beautiful trees lay everywhere and that old ancient feeling loomed here like the day before. The calm quiet embraced us like crawling into a thick cool blanket as we reached the end of the road and a light fog lingered on the hillsides. Killing time for the visitor center to open we opted to take a short walk down a path and came across very large ground squirrels that looked more akin to our tiny chipmunks back home than a squirrel. Not too far down the path a doe and its fawn stood in our path. We stopped dead and watched them from a distance as the mother bound up the hill and out of sight. The baby hung back and we heard a sound of a deer crying out seemingly in pain. The fawn stood still and cried out in return and we feared the worst for its mother. We thought a bear or mountain lion had grabbed the doe leaving the fawn to die alone in the woods. Our lack of wildlife knowledge was a blessing because we saw about ten more deer where the mother had went and sound we heard was another fawn calling the one in front of us and the baby chased after it and reunited with its mother. Thankful we didn’t just hear a nature documentary in person we went back to the visitor center and on our way to a waterfall about two hours away.

Down a long dirt and treacherous road we finally found the parking lot for the trail. We set out thinking the hike was short after looking over the maps months in advance, only we found out the truth very quickly. What started as a nice easy trail gave way to a very steep nearly endless switch back trail. Not used to the higher elevations yet we were still out of breathe and my wife chose to sit on a log and let me go on ahead. I reluctantly did and gave her the bear spray just in case and continued what turned out to be a short way before reaching the falls. With my phone showing zero reception and no way to get back to her to tell her she’s almost there I took a quick shot to show her what she missed out on. Two towering falls stood high as water plunged down crashing into the small river below forming a small deep blue pool. Moss covered the walls of rock making a lush green life filled canyon. I jogged down the path to reach the log and found she had started slowly walking down the trail back to the car and got sidetracked by some ferns. I explained how she was almost to the falls but she was too tired to care now and didn’t feel like going back up the trail.

A thunderous column of water plunges into the pool below.

After getting to the car we drove another hour or so to reach another waterfall that I knew for certain this time was a short hike to. We both carefully made our way down the skinny path to a wooden boardwalk that brings you to a new overlook. Previously there used to be ways to get close to the water but thanks to irresponsible people, those trails were closed off due to damage and restoration. The cascading clear water fell over moss and rock in many small tendrils to the river below and was encased in dark green vegetation creating a prehistoric look. We took shots from the only vantage point and came away with this.

Waters creep down the cliff like a cat stalking its prey.

That night we grabbed some local pizza and truffle oil fries instead of our dehydrated meals and sat in a food coma in the hotel till morning. In the morning we stopped by a local diner for some quick pancakes and headed on to some more waterfalls along a popular corridor that had recently had a devastating forest fire. Most of the trails were closed from damage and we briefly stopped at two waterfalls before moving on to the beach. Two hours from the beach we both decided there wasn’t much point to visit on a weekend with blue bird skies and expect great photos so we ditched that idea and checked in early to the hotel. A friendly stray cat roamed the parking lot and we gave him plenty of pets and attention and a few small pieces of beef jerky. After he realized no more food was coming he meandered over to another couple whole pulled in to try flirting with them instead for food. A movie theater was close by and with nothing to do we went to see “It Part 2” and went back to rest at the hotel.

The next day we were pretty over the crowds of people and decided to make some quick visits to some waterfalls and another park. Rolling farmland and more lush forests took us to the first falls which turned out to be mostly dry and the second falls parking lot was full so that was also out. Hoping for better luck at the next park we drove on for hours until we entered the parked boundaries. Crowds of people filled all the turnouts and parking spots as we drove around the rim of a long dead and collapsed volcano. Nearly 8,000 years ago a 12,000 foot tall mountain stood here before erupting and collapsing in on itself to form the massive lake far below. A small island sits in this gargantuan body of water and people appear as ants all along the edge of the steep cliffs. With midday light we didn’t shoot any photos but were happy enough to just make a short visit before continuing on the days itinerary. A few hours later the trees started getting taller, thicker and redder. Winding roads with small boulders in them from rockfalls made the drive a slow one as we tried to beat the sunset and get to the hidden beach on time. We made a “fatal” error in timing and stopped off for very lackluster pizza and checking into the hotel. My wife wanted to stay behind and I raced to the beach in hopes of getting a nice sunset with the perfect type of clouds in the sky to make one. Four minutes before I reached the parking lot the most beautiful golden light I have ever seen appeared and quickly dipped out again. I parked the car and ran down the wet steep trail to the sea stacks and ocean waiting for me at the bottom. I set up as quickly as possible in hopes the golden light would come back or the clouds would light up. Only it never did. Mad that I wasted time on terrible pizza to miss the best light I had seen in the four years I’ve been shooting, I took this not so great image to at least show my wife the cool rock formations.

Consolation prize for a missed sunset.

When I got back to the hotel my wife had made a new friend. An injured seagull was sitting outside our beach side room staring into the glass slider at the pizza box on the table. Other than stray cats we don’t feed wildlife since its harmful and we felt bad that the seagull wouldn’t take the hint. What made matters worse is we noticed it was injured with a badly mangled foot as it flew away and probably couldn’t hunt very well on the beach and resorted to begging for food from hotel guests. Sometimes nature really sucks.

The next and last morning on the west coast brought us back to those trees from the day before and we found ourselves in the quiet grove with no other visitors. The trees were dripping with the rain we got overnight and only the sound of birds could be heard. This park is one of the most beautiful there is and we dreamed about being here since I was a little kid. Watching the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi live in these very forests made being here in person a dream come true. Expecting to see the small bear like creatures or a Stormtrooper zip by on a speeder bike was a nice boost to our imagination. The many ferns and fallen trees create a nice foreground leading into the vast grove of tall red trees. I found one tree in particular that led my eye to a small group and got nice and close to it to use as a leading line and foreground object. I took a quick shot of my wife looking even shorter than normal among these trees standing hundreds of feet high all around here and next to the car snapped one more mossy tree for the road.

A rich red trunk makes for a nice leading line.

Mist lingers among the moss covered trees.

My wife looking even shorter than normal.

Now began our long drive home. Four days of 12 hour sessions lay ahead of us and we quickly stopped at another park not long after leaving the redwoods behind. Volcanic activity in the past must have fed the soil with rich nutrients because the forests here were so lively in appearance and we were sad to not have time to explore them. We pressed one for two days driving through more forests which gave way to deserted byways. Mountains in the desert were our only company and no other cars passed us on whats known as America’s Loneliest Highway. Another quick stop and another park to see some ancient pine trees and more driving through desert wastelands led us past the city of Salt Lake and into more lonely areas.

Three stops remained on our trip and the first was home to a tower of rock. Deep in the middle of nowhere with flat landscapes all around stands a massive pillar of rock that looks like it was placed there as a scratching post for giant bears. 867 feet high this plateau of rare igneous rock breaks the horizon and left of wondering how exactly it got there. We took this shot from the nearby gift shops as hundreds of giant grasshoppers flew around our legs.

Scratch marks are what remains on the tower.

With that last photo from the trip we continued on and made our way to a certain mountain with dead presidents faces carved into them. Another with a famous Native American was much more impressive considering the bad history behind the whole area. Not far from there was another park we only had a short time to visit before heading to our cabin for the night. A large colony of prairie dogs live here and we were lucky to spend some time with them as they made their alarm calls in the distance to each other over our presence. Leaving the tunnel dwellers in peace we said goodbye to this area and headed to our cabin. Checking in we noticed the owner was a little strange and handed us our keys. When we opened the cabin door the small of death hit us in the face like a punch in the nose. Something was dead in or under the cabin and the smell was so bad and the Norman Bates vibes we got from the owner made us decide to spend the extra money and drive down the street to a Holiday Inn and pretend we checked out early from the cabin before the owner came back.

The next morning we left our safe non death scented hotel and drove to the last park of the trip to enjoy the strange rock formations in the dark. As we arrived and got out of the car, very alien looking structures broke up the view as the full moon above lit them in a pale sickly gray. Stars twinkled above the martian looking area and we stood there pretending like we had driven to another world to be the first and only visitors. The time had come to leave and the last destination of this years journey was now in our rear view mirror.

Home again with tired bodies and minds from the grueling drive with more memories in the mental bank. Visions of cloud covered mountains pushed away by the enchanting forests of green moss and red trunks. Waters falling into emerald covered forests floors were in our dreams and the missed opportunities were already forgotten with the time we shared together in the magical northwest.

Cold and wet from the soaked canopy above.

Smuggler's Camp

This past weekend a heat wave visited New England. Humidity and temperatures over 100 means its going to be very uncomfortable. So naturally my wife and I decided we should head north into new territory for us and go camping. Neither of us have really seen Vermont so we chose a new course and started the 3 hour drive into the mountains. But not before stopping off to get some muffins for breakfast.

The whole ride up we blasted the air conditioner and took in the rolling hills and far away mountains along the highway. Once we reached the area we were camping there’s a small stretch of road that is probably the scariest thing I’ve ever driven. Giant boulders jut out into the road that becomes so narrow that only a single car can navigate on a two way road. Combine that with a 16% grade incline and lot of blind turns and you get a head on collision waiting to happen. Luckily we only had to pull over for 2 cars and safely made it to camp. With the tent set up and hours before sunset we decided to not drive on that road again and just relaxed at our campsite for the day. After making are freeze dried meals we escaped the annoying tiger flies and played cards for a while until we fell asleep. But around 11pm I woke up to a slight rustling in the woods close by. A few moments later I heard our tent cover moving but I just assumed it was my wife moving her leg. Just as I was dozing off again a loud bark like growl noise right at the screen door of the tent made me bolt upright. I’ve heard that sound before and knew a raccoon had just peeked its little face into view of us and must have scared itself and run off after giving us a little scare. After that I didn’t sleep much and we both were wide awake around 3:30am and figured we should start packing up and go wait for more light to visit our first photo opportunity. We seem to have a magnet for animal encounters while camping together since the last time a fox ran at our tent in the middle of the night and two owls were hooting all night.

After we waited in the parking lot dining on our gourmet meal of Pop Tarts we set out to the first waterfall of the day. With only a half mile to the falls it seemed like an easy hike. Until we quickly realized it was a steep walk all the way down which meant a steep hike all the way back up. I saved my wife from suffering the worst part of it and told her she could wait in the middle while I went to the base of the falls. Once I got there I tried to find a composition that would work but there was really only once option with the water level in the river being about knee deep and moving pretty fast. Since I never learned to swim I chose to not risk falling or slipping over the small cliff edge and shot the image you see at the top of this post. With a 30 foot drop into a clear pool this waterfall was a real beauty. I only managed to get the one photo because it immediately started raining hard so I packed up my gear and made it back up to my wife and we hiked back up to the car with the trees blocking most of the water from getting us.

We skipped the next waterfall on our ride home since the rain was going to keep up for a while and we had a long drive home, but ended up choosing to go to the third waterfall since it was an hour south of the rain. Once we arrived the short walk from the parking lot led to a 68 foot tall cascade that fed into another pool of clear water before gently flowing into a small creek. This time I got more time to walk around and try out a few compositions. I didn’t really like what I was getting and started to get a little bummed out, but I saw these two logs resting among the river rocks that would make a great leading line. I chose a vertical composition to add to the lines leading straight at the falls. Using a polarizing filter I got this shot below and walked away in a better mood than when I was struggling. I ended up shooting two images and focus stacked them to get the waterfall and immediate logs all in focus.

On the last leg of our weekend getaway we drove to a place known to be one of the best breakfast places in the state. The parking lot was almost full by the time we got there an hour and a half after they opened, but the line moved quickly and we had some of the best pancakes before setting off home to our resentful cats that weren’t happy they didn’t get their wet food the night before. All in all I’m happy with the two images I got this time and even if I didnt get any, it was nice to get away even for a short time.

Grand Geysers

A man and a woman stand on an old dirt road. One thats been here for over a hundred years. Towering mountains loom in the distance as cotton like clouds lay strewn around them. Dawn approaches and the cold still spring air carries the sound of a pack of coyotes, their yips and barks bond them over a fresh kill. A broken silence of the wild beasts that roam here. The nearly untouched flat beside the road hosts a single barn. All that remains of the family that built their home here. A symbol of these lands, its beauty magnetized, draws the couple to the American prairie.

The night before our flight to the west had me unable to sleep. I hadn’t ridden in a plane in over 20 years. Back then I hadn’t developed balance issues and the anxiety disorder yet. I spent most of the night struggling to try and convince my wife to allow me to cancel the trip. The fear of the flight didn’t let me sleep and I had never been so worried in my life. After a quiet argument at 3am we were in the car and headed down the highway toward the airport. My stomach was in knots, my head was spinning and I couldn’t focus on anything but the impending flight. We parked the car in the over priced garage and headed in with our 2 carry on bags and our one checked bag. Tickets in hand we waited a short while and breezed through security, of course it was easy and not slow enough to stop us from going. Waiting for an hour at the gate for our flight time I sat with my wife as my leg bounced and I anxiously looked around. Fifteen minutes left and I figure its time to take some meds to prevent air sickness. My main fear of flying is from a phobia I’ve developed since an illness I had when I was 8. Emetophobia is the fear of vomiting and being around those who are ill with stomach problems. I took a Pepto tablet and a Dramamine in hopes to prevent myself from feeling nauseous on the flight. They call our rows to board and I dragged my feet to our seats, stowing my camera bag between my feet in front of me. Everyone boarded quickly and then began the take off. Speeding down the runway I had an immense urge to somehow stop the plane and let me off, but my social anxiety had me not wanting to be a bother to everyone else. Then it happened, the plane lifted off the ground and my body felt like it was falling. Even after leveling out high in the sky at cruising altitude I continued to have the sensation of free fall and my heart was beating over 120 BPM for the entire 5 hour flight according to my phones pulse reader. I couldn’t move my head or body the whole time since any movement made me feel much worse. We tried to distract my mind by watching Black Panther and some Liam Neeson movie on the in flight screens to no avail. Then we were finally approaching the runway as the plane turned almost ninety degrees to take us in while I gripped the seat in front of me tighter than I thought was possible.

Then as if a switch flipped, the plane touched the ground and all my senses felt normal again. I don’t even remember getting off the plane. One moment I was in my seat, the next I was waiting for my wife outside the bathroom in the airport. We grabbed our bag from the belt and picked up the mini van from the car rental place. On the way we grabbed a burger from In n Out for breakfast to try and help my nerves. My wife had a migraine from the flight but now I felt exhausted. We drove along the highway and I started to feel like I was nodding off behind the wheel so we stopped for a little bit to get a soda and wake me up. That did the trick and I felt almost normal again so we continued on.

Five hours of rolling barren hills and winding dirt roads lead us to our destination as dust billowed behind our car. We arrived in a town that looks like part of it hasn’t changed all that much when is was founded back in the early 1800’s. Saloons still stand in the log style buildings. General stores sell goods to visitors and little shops line the streets. We continued on down the road towards the park wondering where the mountains were. We drove the straight flat entry way and after rounding a hillside we saw them. Soaring into the air stood the mountain range with its nearly 14,000 foot height. A craggy formidable stretch of rock and snow surrounded by flat open prairie. Awe struck we took a side road towards a pull off so we could get out and take it all in. Feeling like ants we stood there staring at the snow snaking its was through the peaks and valleys of the mountains. It was time to break out the cameras and I walked down the road a bit to get more of the mountain in the composition when I noticed two birch trees standing in the field to my right. All alone with tall pines behind them they really stood out and I took a quick shot of them. Then I turned my camera 90 degrees and lined up another photo as the fading sun dappled the cliffs and walls of the tallest peak. A rocky start to the trip turned into two solid images. (puns intended).

Twin birches stand together as brothers.

The fading sun lights the mountainside.

With the light fading fast as sunset was approaching we went straight to the nearest lake in hopes of getting one last photo in. With a brisk walk we went down the path to the waters edge. A clear crystal blue lake laid still at the mountains base creating a nice scene. I realized I left my polarizing filter in the car and rushed back to get it. As I made my way back I stopped dead in my tracks as a lone red fox stood on the trail in front of me. We silently stood there watching each other before it decided to move on and continue on its way. Making it back to my wife just in time I lined up a hail mary shot and took the photo below.

Clear blue water sleeps beneath the looming mountains.

We sat for a while taking in the beautiful sight by the water, breathing in the cool fresh mountain air. Thats when we heard a small rustle behind us, a small pine martin ran behind us while we sat on the ground. Getting within about a foot of us we noticed a small mouse in its little jaws and it scurried by as if we weren’t even there. Clearly the wildlife here are not afraid of the many visitors this park receives. With that we headed to a near by parking lot just before it got dark to re create a famous Ansel Adams photo. Only now the trees have grown so tall that most of the snaking river is hidden behind them. Satisfied with our first evening in the park we headed to our hotel in town after stopping by a local restaurant for yet another cheeseburger. With our stomachs full we checked in to the hotel and fell right asleep after getting in the room.

Ansel Adams stood here and I tried in vain to capture a similar image.

The next day we got up early to take photos at sunrise at a famous barn in the park. We arrived in the blue hour light and were all alone in the cold morning temperatures. Not much sound could be heard except for the many bluebirds coming in and out of the old barn and the eerie yips of coyotes somewhere close by. Cloud cover was pretty low so most of the mountain range was hidden in their thicket. We didn’t care though, it was just great to be there and smell the freshest air we have ever experienced. Of course I took my camera out and waited any way as the sun turned the peaks and clouds a moody purple tone. The barn sat as a relic of the past settlers who lived here and it was all we needed to enjoy the morning.

An old barn sits quietly as a remnant of the past homestead here.

The rest of the overcast dreary day we didn’t end of shooting any photos. Driving around and stopping at pull offs to just look around was excitement all in its own. We spotted a moose drinking from the river that ran through the area, far off elk grazing in the fields and bison roaming their fenced off areas. Checking out the town and all the little shops was quite the experience as we felt very out of place being from the east coast. No shops sell taxidermy animals or huckleberry treats like they do around here. We ate some pizza from a local shop and walked the boarded walkways feeling like we stepped into western movie set. We spent the rest of the day napping in the hotel since a small rain storm had come in. Tomorrow was our last day here so we went to bed early to rest up.

More overcast light plagued the area so sunrise wasn’t an option. We wanted to check out another trail so we slowly pulled into the parking lot as a large marmot bolted away from the trash can it was feasting on. Without bear spray we made an agreement to turn around and head back to the car at the first sign of bear activity. Not 50 yards from the parking lot we looked down and saw a giant pile of bear poo and said “well that was a short walk” and went back. Today was our first day at the next park so we had to get going soon anyways. We began seeing snow on the sides of the road which was weird since we had just come from a melted green prairie and we weren’t gaining elevation. Small amounts turned quickly into 6 foot tall snowbanks lining the only road into the park. As we passed a lake I saw another mountain range with a boat launch and quickly pulled in.

The silvery blue light was creating a very moody scene and I shot a quick panorama of the wide range. We got back into the car and hoped the shots we got turned out well. Which is seen below.

Overcast skies hover over a lakeside range.

From there we continued north into the borders of the park where the drab overcast was still present. Passing more forests and small hillsides we reached the visitor center to view a very famous geyser. The very predictable water plume was set to go off in just ten minutes so we made it just in time. We gathered around the boardwalk with the other visitors and waited. Nothing but steam was rising from the hole in the ground when suddenly water started to spit up. The scalding hot water spurted more and more until a sudden gush of water shot straight up. Over the next few minutes over 5,000 gallons of boiling water soared over 100 feet up as we all just watched in silence until it just suddenly stopped as if someone turned the lever off. Everyone just sort of filed out after that seeming kinda disappointed as if we were all saying “thats what everyone makes a big deal about?”. While impressive, my wife and I were just underwhelmed by the whole thing. After checking out the near by general store and picking up some huckleberry soda we drove over to a trail that housed some thermal pool. The cold air made the beautiful sapphire waters more steamy than normal so visibility wasn’t all that great. We walked on the trail exploring the many different colored pools of water heated by the caldera deep underground before heading back to the car. Waiting for us beside it in the parking lot was a gigantic bison and sticking to the 25 yard distance the park requires we had to wait it out while the 1,200+ lb living tank grazed on the newly grown grass. Once it left we were able to get back to the car and continue on. Another massive spring of rainbow colors sat in the wide open area. A boardwalk took us close to its edge and keeping visitors off the extremely fragile soil around it. Spotting coyote prints in the ground we also saw many human shoe prints from foolish and selfish visitors who left their scar in the ground and damaging the fragile ecosystem.

Driving through the snake like road past dense forest that went as far as the eye could see we spotted a nice waterfall by the roadside and walked down to get a closer look from the short trail above it. While trying to take a photo together a very nice couple offered to take our picture so we each took turns getting a shot for each other. People seem more generous our there then back at home so we are always surprised by the kindness we run into. The afternoon was spent exploring more of the area passing by deep ravines, tall rocky hillsides and the random steaming cracks in the earth. In the distance ahead of us I spotted a beautiful snow capped mountain range with a rolling hill landscape at its base. While everyone else just drove by ignoring it we parked and took a few shots as the low clouds moved in to cover the scene shortly after we got there.

Looming clouds envelope the electric mountains.

Later on in the afternoon the clouds had cleared off a bit as we visited the parks hot springs. Sulfur scented pools dripped their water down the hill into the next pool creating a brown ice like appearance. Far from being cold the boiling water sort of freezes down the hill from the geothermal pools from the high amounts of calcium over thousands of years. Mixed hues of tan, white and brown make it all appear frozen in time while lava stirs beneath them. The air however smells like egg farts so my wife wasn’t in any rush to stick around very long. We got out the area and headed towards the valley where wildlife is known for its abundance. It didn’t take very long to see the many different animals roaming free in the wide open land. Bison, pronghorn, deer, elk, coyotes, grizzly bears and the seldom seen wolf are known to be here so we tried our hand at some wildlife photography. I’m not much of a wildlife photographer and the only experience I’ve had until this point was in local zoos. While we were stopped for the third time as herd of bison and their offspring crossed the road, a single adult found a large boulder and was using it as a scratch its neck so I grabbed my camera and shot this from the drivers seat.

A bison using a large boulder as a scratching post.

The solidified run off from the hot springs.

Further on down the road we spotted a large crowd gathered on the road watching a pair of coyotes search the river edge for food and we kept driving to try and escape the growing hordes of people. We eventually found solitude after passing large herds of bison when I saw a lone pronghorn walking along the valley floor. I kept my distance and zoomed in to my telephotos maximum and took this photo.

An old pronghorn wandering the valley.

The day was getting late and we were getting tired but wanted to press on in hopes of seeing a bear. A duo of guys had some spotting scopes set up and were pointing them towards some distant boulders so we parked behind them and I pulled out my little binoculars to see what they saw. One of them noticed me and asked if we wanted to look through his scope, more of that western kindness. We happily accepted and saw what the boulders really were. Two very large grizzly bears were digging in the dirt in search of food while a herd of bison stood cautiously nearby. The fact that these two bears looked like boulder from about 600 yards away really told how massive they were. We thanked the two gentlemen and drove a short ways down the street passing a large moose on a hillside and more deep ravines and mountains when we spotted a lone giant bison in the valley. Thankfully there was a pull off and no one else was around so I quietly got my camera out and zoomed in. The setting sun was just about to pass behind the mountains and light was hitting its side. It noticed me and we stared at each other for a while until I remembered to press the shutter button. After that it turned and walked off, disappearing behind the tall grass and hills. An icon of the area and one that was once almost driven to extinction now gets to live free and protected thanks to the park.

An icon of the west stares at me as I stare back.

The day was done so it was time to drive an hour to our little cabin that we rented. We passed a group of unruly visitors harassing a lone black bear up a hill getting way too close and scaring it. We wondered who the true animals were in that situation and wished people weren’t so brain dead. As we arrived to the little log style cabin we did our ritual of getting our stuff set up and searched for a place that was still open in the small town. The bar down the road offered the standard pub food that you would expect so we had yet another burger. Feeling out of place in the small town bar with its giant taxidermy bison in the middle of the restaurant, a sad white dog sat by our table outside staring at our food through the door window. Its owner was inside eating but his puppy dog eyes made us want to share our fries with him, though we didn’t. The next day was coming so payed our bill and we headed to bed.

The next morning we got up early in hopes of nice sunrise but heavy cloud cover had moved in overnight. Sticking with our luck I had received and alert on my phone that someone had stolen one of my credit card numbers and tried using it so I had the joy of sorting that out around 4am in the cabin. Not letting that ruin the last day of the trip we went out to shoot anyways. Our target was a monstrous waterfall in a deep canyon that fell 308 feet down into the river below. We found a perfect overlook giving us a clear iconic view of the falls and we were happy to be alone gazing at the vertigo inducing canyon lined with thousands of tall pines. With the boring light we opted to shoot a black and white shot of the scene and came away with my favorite photo from the whole trip.

Powerful waters crash far below into the canyon.

From there we walked back to the car just as a tour bus unloaded its many passengers and were glad at our good timing. Not far from the lot we spotted a small red fox trotting through the snow at the tree line, a bald eagle sitting on the ground looking grumpy by a rushing river and a single coyote in the snow. Watching the coyote stalk something we took shots of it as it crept along staring down with its head twisting side to side listening for the tiny scratching of its pray below. As I pressed the shutter it leaped into the air to drive its jaws into the snow and came back up with a small rodent in its mouth.

A coyote pouncing on unsuspecting prey.

We didn’t have much left to explore and it wasn’t even noon so we decided to head to a small animal sanctuary next to our cabin where they had some wildlife that had either been injured or abandoned as babies. Unable to be released into the wild they lived here, well fed and away from any dangers or hunters. Grizzly bears, wolves, owls and eagles sat behind fences and while we understood the reason for their captivity, the sightings of wild animals in their natural habitat the days before had ruined any enjoyment we used to have in zoos forever and we left shortly after. With nothing to do we were amazed to find an IMAX theater in the town of only 1,200 citizens. With overcast and rain on the forecast we chose to spend the last day here watching Avengers Infinity War before settling in for the last day of the trip. We decided that after our horrible experience on the plane that maybe we should eat the cost of the return flight and just drive home instead so we had an early morning ahead of us.

Driving in the frigid temperatures the next morning at 3am we made our way to the airport to return the rental car and pick up another one to take home. As the sun rose behind the mountains we shot days before we passed through a nice area and a very large statue of the states icon, a potato. With our new beat up rental car in hand we spent another 7 hours driving back across the country stopping at a rest stop along the way. As I waited for my wife to buy snacks a large group of ground squirrels populated the area and one came up and sniffed my shoe as I sat like a statue as to not scare it.

Two days passed as we drove through endless field of corn, torrential downpours and tornado warnings, more and more cities and into the original airport we left for my wife to pick up her car from the garage. Just in time for rush hour traffic we crept along taking 2 hours to get home when it took 45 minutes to get there the day we left. Exhausted and grumpy we safely made it home to our happy cats with relief. While reviewing my photos I came across this shot that I must have accidentally taken and ended up making a nice abstract of a bison.

A happy accident created a nice abstract.

Though the flight and credit card debacle was the worst we’ve experienced on our travels we were still glad to have seen the vast wilderness of mountains, valleys and geysers. The herds of bison and elk and the predators that hunt them, a man and his faithful dog. And smell of the trees, sounds of the frontier and the clear mountain air that filled our lungs that made us yearn for our next adventure.

Clouds create and eagle shape in the mountains.

Westbound Sign

For the first 28 years of my life I rarely left New England. The furthest away from home I had been was Florida on only 5 occasions. Twice with my wife, for our honeymoon and repeat trip, twice on vacation with family and the brief 8 months I lived there as a teenager only to move back north. The thought of driving across the whole country to California excited me and scared me at the same time. All I had know about the rest of the US was what I saw on TV. I’ve only been shooting for 2 years now and I felt under prepared to really take some decent photos of such a new place. This is a brief summary of our first time on a cross country road trip.

With the rental car all packed with various snacks and water, our camera gear and lots of miles ahead of us, we started out on our journey. The first day was a short 8 hour drive to get a jump start on the extremely long drive. Once leaving New England all the sights we were about to see were completely new to us. Rolling farm lands and cows sat among dilapidated barns and silos as we drove to our hotel. I almost backed out of the trip after seeing our two cats look at us with sad eyes knowing we were leaving for a while and we already felt home sick. The first night was a restless sleep thinking about them all alone in our little apartment with only brief visits from the cat sitter to keep them company.

The second day we left early long before the sun came up since today was our first twelve hour day of driving and I was not looking forward to it. More and more rolling farmlands turned to distant views of one of the Great Lakes. We noticed a large field of corn and were amazed at how much there was compared to the fields back home. Not knowing just how much corn we’d see that day made us seem naive in hindsight. The next two states were lots of cornfields and soy bean fields and it felt like we were driving in circles. After a long day we finally reached our hotel for the night next to the Mississippi River and were pretty disappointed to realize how brown and dirty it looked in person. In the small town we found an equally small pizza place and decided to try their Taco Pizza which turned out to be one of the best pizzas we have ever tasted. With our stomachs full we went to bed early for another 12 hour day coming.

To say there was a lot of corn would be an understatement. For a state about 6 times bigger than our home state to be primarily cornfields is hard to wrap your head around. Hours of driving yet all we saw was corn. The other thing we didn’t anticipate was the cops in this state to be either bored or really stingy on speeder since I got pulled over for going 4mph over the speed limit. The officer was nice enough to tell us right off the bat that we weren’t getting a ticket and that he just wanted to tell us we were going 4 over on the nearly abandoned highway. After checking our rental agreement he told us “enjoy a few more hours of corn” and let us go. Well he was right, after many more hours of corn we reached Denver and the landscape rapidly changed from flat boring fields to enormous mountains and winding roads. We had never seen such tall mountains before and felt more like grains of sand than people as we reached our hotel in the heart of them. That night the hotel check in woman told us to not keep any food in our car because bears had tried breaking into other guests vehicles the night before. So we dragged all our snacks inside and took a short walk at the near by lake to take in such a wild strange area. Home felt like a million miles away and we were only at the halfway point of the drive.

Early the next morning we head out again on a shorter 5 hour drive to our first photo spot of the trip. Speeding down the steepest road I’ve ever seen in the dark was pretty scary as the smell of burning brakes filled the air from the many eighteen wheelers all around us. We were sad that we didn’t have time to get out of the car and explore these beautiful and wondrous mountains. Passing skyscraper tall cliffs and driving through the mountain tunnels left us in awe of the sheer size of the range. After a few hours the mountains faded away and interesting rock formations and hills lined the highway. Looking like the surface of the moon it was driving home that we were really in a vastly different world. The moon like hills turned into even stranger tall plateaus as red as the terracotta shingles of old Italian homes. The rock formations made us feel like we were finally in the west and in the areas of the old western movies from before our time. Passing by pronghorn sheep and colonies of prairie dogs had us all excited to see some new wildlife. The most we get back home is squirrels, chipmunks and the occasional bear up north. We reached the first stop of our trip and entered the park known for its archways.

The first place we pulled off the road was not far from the entry gate as we had to get out and stare at the amazing stone formations. Soaring high above us was a column of red stone so intimidating that we felt as if it could crush us at any moment. I took out my wide angle lens and got low to the ground to emphasize the height and ironically turned it into a black and white.

A tower of immense rock.

Turning around I spotted another popular formation and switched to my telephoto to shoot another black and white.From there we managed to snag a parking spot in the almost full lot and took a short hike to see our first arches. The harsh sun above made for some not so great lighting but we were here and we took a few shots anyway. My wife spotted our first lizard scurrying among the rocks at our feet and she seemed more excited about that than the ancient arches above us.

Three sisters huddle together.

Two converging arches loom high above.

We spent the rest of the afternoon touring around the park and taking a break to fuel up on some healthy Doritos and beef jerky. My wife became enamored with an extremely small fuzzy spider and took macro shots of it as I watched looming rain clouds heading in hoping they would stay away just long enough for sunset. We had quite the hike ahead of us to get to the spot and didn’t want to be caught out in the open while it potentially down poured. Deciding to take the risk we started the hike up to the most popular arch not knowing just how deceptively steep the trail really is. About three quarters of the way there we were both extremely out of breath from the much higher elevation than we’re used to and needed a break. Watching small kids and some seniors passing us gave us enough will to continue on. My fear of heights was in over driver as the last stretch of the trail has a sheer drop down a cliff to your left and a rock wall to your right. The arch was packed full of people as expected and the wind was starting to whip up as we waited a short while for sunset. Timing my shot just right I managed to only need to clone out two people from under the arch as the rain fell on the horizon in the distance.

A delicate balance between dry desert and torrential rain.

With sand and drops of rain whipping our face we carefully made our way down the trail and back to our car and realized we should have stayed a little long as the sky started to light up with color. Not too worried about it after a long day of driving and hiking we drove to the hotel and crashed for the night.

The next morning we returned to the area with the double arches to an arch we skipped the day before just before the sky started lighting up. The rain clouds still hung in the sky and began lighting up in vibrant color as the red rocks and formations began to glow with the suns early rays. I took a couple wide angle shots of the rocky landscape before walking about 20 feet and shooting a side angle view of the arch just as the sun lit it up in a brilliant orange hue.

The sun peeks out above he horizon in the desert.

An archway catches the first morning light.

Now we had quite the drive ahead of us. Back home when I mapped out the whole trip, Google told me our route would take only 13 hours. With the ever so accurate site being wrong it turned out that it would really take 16 hours. With an enormous drive ahead of us we immediately left the park and started the grueling drive. Desolate wastelands of dirt and small scrub bushes went on for hours and hours and left us feeling more isolated and alone than we’ve ever felt. No houses, gas stations, or sign of people save for the highway were to be seen. Then all at once small towns popped up among the mountainy roads we reached and green trees and grass appeared along the one river far below us. A large city came into view and we realized it was Salt Lake City. Quickly passing through we began to notice a not so pleasant aroma in the air from the salt flats on either side of the highway. We made a short stop at the rest area at the end of the flats to walk out only to white crystalized ground and marveled at how dry the air felt. With that out of the way we continued on the long drive and reached another desolate state. More rolling brown hills and not a town in sight for hours, the occasional gas station being an oasis among the barren fields. The sun was starting to set as we reached the border of California and relief washed over us as we finally made it across the country. Only we still had a few more hours left to drive through more winding mountain roads. As my wife was asleep in the passenger seat I pulled off the highway to quell the sounds of my growling stomach and she woke up to the sight of the famous In n Out burger sign. We quickly inhaled the delicious burgers and fries and continued on with a little more energy than before. Only about an hour from the hotel was when we got stuck in gridlock traffic and we running on fumes both mentally and physically . Growing more and more frustrated the traffic thinned out and we had to cross my two greatest fears combined, heights and the ocean. A long 5.5 mile bridge took us over the San Fransisco bay in the dark as I gripped the steering wheel for dear life. Reaching the hotel at around midnight we passed right out before having to get up at 6am the next day for sunrise.

Thankfully the sunrise spot was a short drive away and when we reached the parking lot the whole area was covered in their famous fog so our subject was completely hidden. A sea of white was all that greeted us and after a short wait we decided to drive down back to the main road. Just after passing a curve in the road near a parking lot the famous bridge appeared through the fog as the sun lit up the whole area in a cotton candy like pink light. I quickly set up a composition with my zoom lens and swapped out for a wider shot as the sun bathed the bridge in a warm glow.

Not so golden and more purple.

The crimson tower appears from the pink fog.

Being a big fan of animals and zoos my wife and I crossed the bridge and into the city to visit the San Fransisco zoo. We got to see our first in person sight of koalas which was the highlight of the visit and we began yet another long drive to our hotel for the night that afternoon.

The next morning long before sunrise we set out on a 2 hour drive to the parking lot of our photo spot. We stopped along the way to let a little family of raccoons cross the road and continued on climbing the steep twisting road into the mountains. A popular spot in a park where Ansel Adams spent so much of his time in his career was quite the sight. A recent forest fire was still raging not far from here and the whole valley was blanketed in a layer of smoke and the smell of burning forests filled the air. Wanting to at least document the scene we shot a wide angle view of the valley as ravens croaked in the parking lot behind us. This scene was the main draw to come all the way across the country when I saw it on a nature documentary a few years before I met my wife. Its a shame that it was covered in smoke but more of a shame that a massive forest was now ashes.

A smoked out view of the valley.

At the valley floor the smoke was less visible and the popular cliff here made its appearance. To say I’ve never felt so small and insignificant would be the wrong words as I felt even less than that below this massive granite face that’s stood here for over 220 million years. Standing 3,000 feet high we felt like microscopic organisms on the back of a giant ancient creature as we shot close ups of the cliff. From there were made a short visit to the dry waterfall nearby before heading into the little town here to grab a snack and visit the Ansel Adams gallery where I purchased a small framed print of the smoked out scene he had shot many years ago in the winter. The park was already filling with people as we made short hikes around the valley floor and stopped by another popular spot beside the river to shoot a much clearer scene of the mountains.

On the way out of the park I wanted to make one last attempt at the sunrise spot and quickly shot a handheld shot now that the smoke was mostly clear and the crowds were becoming overwhelming.

An intimidating rock face.

Riverside view of the valley scene.

A clearer view of the mornings sights.

Along the road to the hotel we passed through where the forest fire has burned through the forest and I pulled over to take a document shot of the devastation. Stopping by a small gift shop half way to the hotel we took a short snack and bathroom break in the midst of the mountain forest. That night we checked in to our hotel that was under construction and grabbed a pizza from Domino’s before heading to bed for the next sunrise drive in the morning.

Not much is left but ashes after the recent fires.

Again we set out on a short drive in the dark to visit an ancient forest of the worlds largest trees. The air here was much cleaner and the forest fires made no impact on this cool crisp morning. We arrived to a small grove of enormous trees and walked along the path until we spotted a group of deer grazing on whatever they could find as they quietly kept an eye on us from a distance. This was the most fairy tale like forest one could imagine. Deer silently nibbling, birds chirping high above in the thick branches and the cool mountain air filling our lungs with no other people to be found.

Soaring trees sit in a quiet grove.

With only the morning to visit this park we continued on the the road to view sweeping views of mountains and more giant red trees as the stood defiantly on the roadside. Reaching another grove and a trail we got out to explore a calm beautiful grassy field with the towering sequoias all around. Another trail led us to the worlds biggest tree and we were amazed that something could be so large and old yet still be alive. I spotted the sun streaming through the thick canopy onto a tiny sapling as if to give it more light than the rest of the forest and took a final image before heading to our hotel for the night.

The sun kisses a sapling.

A burnt tree sits on the curving roadside.

Thankful that the next couple of days would have very little driving we left early to head to another zoo and quickly got stuck in the infamous Los Angeles traffic. Taking two hours to drive what should have taken 30 minutes was not much of a problem for us since we didn’t have to rush today. We still reached the LA Zoo before they opened and were the first in line to buy tickets. We managed to get a few shots of the animals this time and fed some of the giraffes. Just as the zoo was filling up we finished seeing everything and headed out to one of the main reason we were out here. To celebrate our 5 year anniversary and mark the milestone by visiting the western counterpart to our honeymoon. Disneyland.

A meerkat keeping watch.

A tiger marking its morning prowl.

A chimpanzee looks on as the troop plays on rocks.

To save money we stayed at a hotel only a fifteen minute walk from the park entrances rather than the overpriced ones not much closer. We walked through Downtown Disney and dined on delicious yet also overpriced spaghetti and meatballs like we did 5 years prior in Epcot. I managed to trick my wife into thinking I went to the bathroom but secretly bought her a gold necklace in a store in the shape of the castle in Disneyland. We were visiting the parks the next two days so this small taste of Disney was a nice appetizer for things to come.

The next day we went to Disneyland and brought our cameras along just in case. The day was spent waiting in long lines for rides, meeting characters from Disney and Star Wars, and ending the day with their fireworks show. Managing to take a couple shots we walked back to the hotel and found a small praying mantis that we tried pushing off the walkway to prevent someone stepping on it but it just attacked my shoe instead.

Reflections of a Disney castle.

Mr. Toad’s monical catches the setting sun.

The following day was more of the same. Endless lines, shopping, meeting Marvel characters like Spider-man and Groot, and watching the night time show on the lake with what felt like a million other people packed in around us. I managed to get one night time photo of the Ferris wheel and an empty boardwalk.

California Adventure’s ferris wheel lights up the lake.

Another short drive brought us to the last two days of our time in California with the San Diego zoo and Seaworld (which we now regret after watching Blackfish). At the zoo we were greeted to two grizzly bear brothers play fighting in the pond of their enclosure as the zookeeper told us this is their morning routine. We were really excited to finally see an orangutan in person and giant pandas.

Two grizzlies play fight.

Locking eyes with a male orangutan.

Later that night we headed to the nearby beach for sunset though the sky didn’t light up like we were hoping.A local couple asked where we were from due to our accent which was pretty strange since neither of us have that strong Boston accent that New Englanders are known for. After the lackluster sunset we found a place down the road that apparently stuffs loaves of Italian bread with different pasta dishes and that ended up being a delicious combination that we wished was closer to us. One can dream.

Evening begins in the coastal neighborhood.

Our final night in California brought us to another park and away from all the city life we were already sick of and back into where we felt at home. Nature. We made it just in time for sunset and we leaped out of the car for an impromptu composition of a strange rock formation sitting along in the barren desert of odd shaped trees. Just as the sun started its dip behind the mountain range on the horizon we found a rock that was shaped like some giant alien skull and captured one last image as the light was snuffed out.

The setting sun basks the rocks in a golden light.

An alien skull sits in the desert.

Sitting in our hotel room we debated whether or not we should go back out and try our hand at some milky way photography decided to go for it. Dodging mice and large jack rabbits on the silent roadway we found a pull off that had one of the famous trees close by and we set up our cameras. Not long into waiting for our 25 second exposures to finish up a large snap was heard not far from us in the darkness. Not knowing if it was a rabbit or a mountain lion we got out of there and back to the hotel for our journey back towards home the next morning.

The milky way is prominent our in the desert.

Leaving California behind and the desert park fading away in the rear view mirror we drove for a few hours before entering the next new state as large rocky plateaus dotted the landscape all around us. Our destination was a slightly famous canyon that attracts millions of visitors each year and causes the deaths of many people who chose to cross the safety barriers. We reached the park in the late afternoon and parked the car. Walking up to the fence at the rim of the canyon was a surreal sight. A chasm so deep and wide sits in the middle of nowhere carved from the river far below out of sight over the past 6 million years. Layers of rock create a stone cake like appearance and our first thoughts were that it all looks fake. Almost looking like the painted backdrops of old movie sets of Looney Tunes cartoons from Wiley Coyote, we tried shooting small formations in the middle of it all as the sun began to set.

A plateau catching the final rays of the day.

Our hotel for the night was not even 50 feet from the canyon rim. We decided to take a nighttime stroll a short ways to watch the stars. Back home the light pollution blots out most of the stars but here in the total darkness its like being swallowed up or floating in the middle of the galaxy as a sea of billions of tiny points of light flicker in the night sky. A really romantic sight, if not for the dozens of bats zipping by us and getting closer and closer to our heads. With night over we headed to bed to try for some sunrise shots in the morning.

I miscalculated the time to set my alarm so we raced over to a spot we found the day before and ran to the rim as the sun was just starting to light up the clouds. Setting up as fast as we could we quickly set up a composition that included the canyon below and the colorful sky above. After only waiting a few short minutes the sun spilled into the canyon and lit the rock formations in a memorizing warm light. With ravens creeping closer and closer to us to try begging for food we shot for a short while before heading to the car and starting the long drive home.

Sunrise bathes the canyon in a warm glow.

The first kiss of morning hits the rocky ridge.

With two days of 12 hour drives completed we made one last stop in Ohio for another zoo. From there it was one last 8 hour drive home to our eagerly awaiting cats who were very happy to see us again and to give them their long awaited wet food and be able to smother us in our sleep in bed again. The first cross country road trip was in the books and the amazing views of deserts, massive mountains, dense towering forests and isolated parks have us wanting more. Already we are excitedly picking out possible places to go next and can’t wait to see what the future holds and what photographs we will come home with.

Thank you for reading my mediocre attempt at my first journal entry. If you made it this far, well you’re very patient.