Tag: Desert

Southern Utah March 2025 – Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch, Part 1

Wire Pass is a narrow slot canyon, about 3/4 mile long that feeds into Buckskin Gulch, reportedly the longest slot canyon in the world. The trailhead for Wire Pass is about a 45 minutes drive, if the road conditions are good, from White House Campground.

This is a fee area, requiring a small fee for day use. The first time we came here in 2009, the parking lot was small. This area is much better known and much more visited now than it was back then. Now the parking lot is much larger and fenced with a metal bar/pipe type fence. This parking lot is also for the trailhead to The Wave, which requires a permit for access. Permits for The Wave are awarded via a lottery. I have registered for this lottery numerous times, in person and online, over the years, including for this trip, and I’ve never been successful at obtaining a permit.

For photography, the best time to be in the canyon is around mid-morning to maybe mid afternoon. So we did not need to get here super early, but we did want to beat the crowds, so we arrived in time to hike the mile in the sandy creek bed to the entry to the slot by mid-morning. There were already quite a few folks out, but not a big crowd.

It was a cold, but sunny morning. There had been snow fall the previous day, but the dirt road, going south from highway 89 was in fair condition. This road is impassable when it is really wet.

Wire Pass Slot Canyon Entry
The First Obstacle

Just into the entry point, the first obstacle, a twisted, broken tree trunk spans across the slot, requiring either crawling underneath or climbing over. I went under one part and over the other. I don’t remember in which order.

Wedged Tree Trunk

This wedged in tree trunk was high enough on the wall to walk beneath and is an indication of why one does not want to go into such a canyon, when there is a chance of a flash flood.

Wire Pass 1

Wire Pass is a typical slot canyon with varying widths through which to pass, but is never extremely narrow. But it is narrow enough that folks have to stand aside to allow others to pass.

Wire Pass 2
Wire Pass 3
Wire Pass 4

Many years of flash flooding have eroded the walls into nicely contoured features and shapes. Light, which varies through out the daylight hours, from the top of the canyon provides varying color to the rock walls.

To be continued,

Ken

 

Southern Utah March 2025 – The Nautilus

We were informed about a rock feature not far from our White House Campground by another visitor. So one afternoon we hiked to that feature from our campsite.

The hike was fairly short and relatively easy, requiring about 2/10 – 3/10 of a mile hike on the road into the campground, then another 1/4 mile or so in a sandy, dry creek bed.

The Nautilus

This rock feature is called The Nautilus, due to its twisting opening through a rock. That slope at the base of the hiker is much steeper than it looks in this image and the loose sand in it makes it a bit treacherous to walk up. Then there is another climb out on the other side that is not as steep. [This first image was chosen for Flickr’s Explore Page].

The Nautilus, Lower End
The Nautilus, Looking down the lower slope

This image gives a better indication of the narrowness of the lower section. Climbing up the narrow channel and making the sharp turn can be a little tricky with the slippery sand on the rock. At least this is true for adults. Small kids can easily and quickly navigate the slope and turn. It is easier and safer for us old kids to go around to the top, rather than going through the crevice; but I went through, anyway. I’m told by others that small kids like to slide down through this feature. Old kids might accidentally slide down and through, if they are not careful.

The Nautilus, Lower Wall Details
The Nautilus, View Through

Hugging the wall on the left, it is possible to get a view through to the other side of this twisted rock crevice.

The Nautilus, View from the top side
Island

‘Island’ is a small scene along the dry wash hike to The Nautilus.

Ancients

‘Ancients’ is another image made along the hike to The Nautilus.

Companions

‘Companions’ is an iPhone image of rock features in the walk in tent camping area of White House Campground.

This is the end of this short adventure. Stay tuned for more Utah rocks and landscapes.

Ken

 

White House Campground and Trailhead

Base camp for my spring 2025 photo outing was White House Trailhead and Campground. This site is on BLM land south of Highway 89, near Big Water, Utah, west of Page, Arizona.

I don’t know why the name “White House”. Maybe it is because of the white rocks at the campsite and all around this area.

When choosing a campsite, I use online apps and websites with reviews and photos from the campsites. I’m nearly always disappointed in the photos. It seems most campers and RVers mostly like to photograph their tents and RVs in a campsite, maybe the facilities and signs, but often don’t photograph much of the area around the campsite.

The White House Campground is not a large one, with only a few sites suitable for RVs; but it is in a beautiful location with massive rock features. There are more walk in tent sites past the end of the road at the campground. The pit toilets are well maintained, too. The campsites are on a first come, first serve basis, but there were plenty of open sites, when I arrived. Payment for the campsites is via an automated kiosk at the site. No need for a check or cash, as in the old days. Now a credit card is all that is accepted and discount cards such as Senior Passes for the National Parks and Public Lands are honored.

Sportsmobile in Campsite

After setting up in my chosen site, I walked around with my iPhone to capture a few images of the area.

Desert Vegetation and Rock Back Drop, White House Campground Area
Tree and Dimpled Rock, White House Campground Area
Curls, White House Campground Area
Long Wall, White House Campground Area
Rock Curves and Layers, White House Campground Area
Boulders from Above?, White House Campground Area
White House Campground Area, Day Use Parking Area in Background
Sand Dune at Base of Cliff, White House Campground Area
Bent Tree, White House Campground
Rock Wall at White House Trail Head and Campground

As one can see this is a scenic area, especially for those with an interest in geology.

This site is a trailhead for a hike to and into Buckskin Gulch, the longest slot canyon in the world.

Stay tuned for more Utah landscape photos,

Ken

Sedona, Arizona – Part 4

On my final afternoon in Sedona in August, 2024, I decided to go back to Bell Rock and to take the trail up Bell Rock to shoot at sunset.

There were still tourist about, but not so many as during the middle of the day.  I’m guessing most tourist had been out during the middle of the day and were back in town for dinner at this late time of the day.

The Bell Rock trail is a wide, gently sloped, gravely path at the beginning and becomes more rocky and steep fairly quickly.  Yet, it is mostly easy, with a few big steps, with one notable exception.

I got to one point, where I was not sure where the official trail went.  There was a big rock in front of me with an obvious trail marker on top of the rock.  There were a couple of young, female hikers, sitting on a rock there, enjoying a late day meal.  I asked them about the trail and they indicated that it had to continue on top of the big rock, but they could see no safe way they could continue.  One either had to somehow climb the rock, which had a step like rock at its base or navigate a narrow crevice on the other side of the rock.  They said it was their first day in this area and they did not want to risk an injury and not be able to enjoy the rest of their stay here, so they stopped at this point.

I considered my options and decided I agreed with them about the risk of continuing on the officially marked route.  I looked around, considered and ruled out another option, before deciding I saw a possible route that I could access by backtracking a little.

That alternate route was still not as easy as it looked from a distance.  It involved climbing up onto two rock ledges.  I laid my tripod and camera up upon each of those ledges in turn and climbed up on my hands and knees (and those hard rocks hurt old knees).  After a little more navigation, I got back onto the official trail.  Now I had to hope that I could safely get back down.

 

Panorama at Bell Rock

I shot this panorama with my iPhone.  The rock features from right to left are: Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, Lee Mountain and unidentified ones on the far left.

Bell Rock

Upon getting as high up on the Bell Rock slope as I could safely do, it was still well before sunset, yet most of Bell Rock was already in the shade of features to the west.  It was obvious that the light illuminating the very peak of Bell Rock was the best “Golden Hour Light” that I would get today.  So I made a couple of images and moved around on the rock ledge below this feature to photography the other local features.

Courthouse Butte
Lee Mountain – As seen from the slope of Bell Rock
Late Day View from Bell Rock
Lee Mountain (Left) and Courthouse Butte (Right)

This wraps up my photography in the area around Sedona, Arizona in August of 2024.

Thanks for following,

Ken

P.S.  Obviously, I made it back down safely, otherwise this post would not exist. I took the official trail down, sliding down that big rock on my rear end until my feet reached the step rock at its base.

 

 

Sedona, Arizona – Part 2

I had a limited time in Sedona and I had never been here previously, so I figured it best to visit the “easy” photographic targets, which were also popular ones.

I had visited the Bell Rock area on my first outing.  Today, I planned an early morning shoot at Cathedral Rock.  “Planned” is used very loosely.  I had not scouted here, other than to drive through the parking lot one day.  So I knew how to find the parking lot, but I had no idea about what was involved in hiking the trail nor did I have a scouted location from which to shoot.

There was only one other vehicle in the Cathedral Rock Trail parking lot, when I arrived in early morning dark.  I could see lights on the slope at the base of the rock feature, so I figured there were early morning hikers out or maybe even one or more early morning photographers.

I had a quick snack, finished the cup of coffee I had brought from the motel, gathered my camera, tripod, headlamp and began walking through the parking lot, looking for the trailhead.  In the dark, I walked past the trailhead, went into an adjacent parking area, where I encountered a small group of young people getting out of their vehicles.  They greeted me in a friendly manner and I asked about the trailhead.  They told me that I had just walked past it and where to find it.  They also said I could follow them as they were headed that way.  But I went ahead, just getting on the trail, when they quickly came in behind me.  Seeing that they were experienced on this trail, had bright headlamps and were likely to be much faster hikers than me, I let them pass and fell in behind.

The trail was well defined, but rugged and a little steep as it headed uphill. After getting out of the forest on the lower slope of the trail,  it became light enough that I did not need the headlamp and the young, energetic hikers rapidly gained ground ahead of me.

It was a warm, humid morning and I worked up a sweat before arriving at an open area beneath the Cathedral Rock feature.  It was well before sunrise and I had a wide open view across the landscape to the east.

Pre-Sunrise Arizona Sky

There were plentiful clouds in the sky and daylight was beginning to show in the distance.  I made a few images of the pre-sunrise sky, then scouted around for a good place from which to shoot Cathedral Rock.  I was disappointed at the views I had, looking up at that feature.  The young hikers were nowhere to be seen and I assumed they had continued along the trail.

Cathedral Rock – My Initial View

I began to work my way up a dry drainage, trying to get to a better vantage point, taking time to check out various locations off to the side of the drainage, up the steep slope, where ever I could safely do so.

Cathedral Rock, Sedona, AZ
Cathedral Rock, Sedona, Arizona

I never succeeded in getting a really good, open view of the most attractive portions of the unique rock features, but being well off of the beaten path, maybe I got views that other have not.  Setting up for these shots was not easy either, at times I had to abandon my tripod and shoot handheld.

Cathedral Rock at Sunrise 1

Golden hour came suddenly and I was not where I wanted to be, but shot anyway and I like this image:

Cathedral Rock at Sunrise 2

As I was shooting from well below these rock features, I kept hearing voices, which I hoped were not just in my head.  Eventually, I realized the voices were coming from those young people I had followed part of the way up the trail and they were rock climbers, not just hikers.  I could occasionally just barely make out one or two up on the rocks.  That is when I realized that in the dim light, I had missed a junction in the trail that would have taken me to the base of these rocks.  This is why knowledge of the area is important, when planning an effective photo shoot.  So, someday maybe I will get back here and I will know where to go.  But I can’t deny that I enjoyed the experience and challenge of exploring in the off trail area below the main feature.

Cathedral Rock – A wider view

If memory serves me correctly, I think I shot this image sitting on a narrow, slope ledge that I was able to pick my way onto above the dry drainage.  The early morning clouds abbreviated the golden hour, which lasted for only a few minutes this morning.

To be continued,

Ken

Sedona, Arizona – Part 1

Sedona, Arizona is in a picturesque setting with massive, colorful rock formations all around.  It is also a popular tourist city with all the trappings of such a city, many shops, restaurants and art galleries.

In the outlying areas there are many popular hiking trails, scenic destinations and places popular with rock climbers.

My wife and I drove around the local area around the city to check out the scenery.  I made mental notes about possible places to return to at sunrise or sunset to engage in my photography hobby.

My first chosen destination, Bell Rock, for a sunset shoot is just off of a major road and is a popular tourist draw.  As I left our motel in Sedona, an afternoon thunderstorm erupted with lots of lightening and heavy rain.  The local rock features that are visible from the city streets were surrounded by clouds with intermittent breaks in the clouds allowing sunlight to illuminate those features for a short while.  There would have been great photographic opportunities during the storm, if only there had been a place to safely pull over out of the heavy late day traffic and not be exposed to the heavy rain and possible lightening.  I could only observe and admire the views, wishing I were able to photograph the storm.

I hoped that there would still be some of the storm around when I arrived at the Bell Rock parking area, but the storm had moved on into the far distance by the time that I arrived.  The nearby sky was mostly clear, but the distant storm clouds were still visible.

There are a number of hiking trails around and near Bell Rock.  Most tourists opt to hike up the slope towards Bell Rock.  I decided to hike the less popular trail that went around behind Bell Rock towards other rock features nearby.  I only recall encountering two or three others on this trail.  The parking lot was not nearly as full, this late in the day, as it had been during my scouting pass through it earlier in the day.

Red Rocks against a Dark Sky
Red Rocks against a Dark Sky 2

As these first two images reveal, the distant clouds caused the light to constantly vary from entire shade to partial shade and the sky to vary from dark to light.

The Gold at Rainbow End

I made numerous, not so interesting, photographs of the distant rock outcrops as the late day light changed.  While the distant storm clouds added interest, it was not until I noted a faint rainbow appear that I began to hope for something more interesting.  Indeed, as I watched the scene that rainbow became brighter and a double rainbow appeared, seemingly terminating on the rocks with a golden glow from the late day sunlight.

Veneration

As I prepared to photograph this old, majestic tree skeleton (old trees like this are one of my favorite subjects), the clouds in the sky began to glow with the golden color of sunset light.  The golden cloud was perfectly positioned above the tree, as if forming a crown of honor and remembrance for the old tree.

Veneration 2

This is not the same tree as in Veneration, but it is nearby, with more of the local environment in the background.

Arizona Sunset Sky

As I walked the trail back towards the parking lot, after my late day shoot, I had to stop to capture these colorful, post sunset clouds with the silhouette of rock formations in the foreground.

After Sunset

When I turned to look back at this rock feature, I noted that the color was a deeper red just after sunset.  In researching this area, I had seen information that said these rocks looked best for photography just after sunset sunset.  My observation confirms that statement.

Until next time,

Ken

Death Valley – Brief Visit and iPhone Photos

My son and I made a trip into Death Valley from Lone Pine, thinking we might return for more serious photography, but the distance and the timing difficulty steered us away from that idea.

Yet it was good to see Badwater Basin with the shallow lake created by the recent heavy rains.  It appears that this unusual event attracted others, too.  there were lots of people, more than I had seen there in previous visits, in the park.

Badwater Basin
Long Walk

The road to Devil’s Golf Course was closed, requiring a long walk to see that feature.

Death Valley Salt
Death Valley Salt 2
Brown and White

Shallow water covers the salt that appears brown and the salt protruding above the water is white.

Death Valley Salt 3

The salt is showing indications of forming geometrical patterns typical of this salt as it dries.  The heavy rains have destroyed or muted such patterns.

Salt Walker
Rugged Salt

We stopped a little short of the turn in the road, which goes by the traditional Devil’s Golf Course, but this rugged salt is what we would expect to see there.  The rains have muted some of the sharp features that I recall from previous visits.

The Long Walk Back
Beer and Pizza Time

Back in Lone Pine, we had Pizza and Beer for dinner.  This IPA seemed a fitting choice after our time in Death Valley.

Until next time,

Ken

 

Alabama Hills, California – Part 4 -Photographic Scouting

After hiking the Mobius Arch Loop, we continued our photographic scouting in Alabama Hills, seeking out the better known features first.

Boot Arch, Alabama Hills, California, March 17, 2024

This arch is so named because it is supposed to look like a boot.  Maybe the base looks a little like a boot, but I’m not quite seeing this strongly enough to have it so named.

Alabama Hills, Broad Valley, California, March 17, 2024
Cyclops Arch, Alabama Hills, California, March 17, 2024

I can partly see the naming of this arch, but I’m thinking another name like “Lobster” or “Crayfish” might be more suitable, especially when other view points are considered.

Cyclops Arch Frontal View, Alabama Hills, California, March 17, 2024

Those foreground rock features look more like lobster claws to me.

Cyclops Arch and Moody Sky, Alabama Hills, California, March 17, 2024
Cyclops Arch – Wider view of the setting,  Alabama Hills, California, March 17, 2024

After today’s scouting, we have several possibilities for returning to at sunset and sunrise.

Until then,

Ken

Cuervo, New Mexico, March 2023, Part 6

Cuervo Ghost Town 31
Cuervo Ghost Town 32
Cuervo Ghost Town – Openness
Cuervo Ghost Town -Target Object

In rural U.S. it is not unusual to see bullet holes in abandoned objects and road signs.  This is perhaps a sign of the U.S. love affair with guns.  Shooting at such objects as this abandoned vehicle could put other in danger, since there are still a few people in this area and many vehicles pass through on I-40.

Cuervo Ghost Town – Abandoned Automobile

One can see in the image above an indication of the traffic along I-40 through Cuervo.  I usually tried to wait until there was no traffic in the background of my shots, but sometime that required more time than I had the patience for.

Cuervo Ghost Town – Abandoned Automobile
Cuervo Ghost Town 32

I made the shot of the kitchen area of this abandoned house through an open window, I think (or doorway, I don’t recall which).

Cuervo Ghost Town – Parting Shot

I made this last shot as I walked back towards my vehicle.

This concludes this series on the mostly abandoned community of Cuervo, New Mexico.  More history of this ghost town can be found here.

Thanks for following,

Ken

Cuervo, New Mexico, March 2023, Part 5

Cuervo Ghost Town 25
Cuervo Ghost Town 26
Cuervo Ghost Town 27
Cuervo Ghost Town 28
Cuervo Ghost Town 29
Cuervo Ghost Town 30

To be continued,

Ken