Porphyry Basin, Colorado is accessed via a narrow, steep 4WD road off of US550 between Ouray and Silverton.
My oldest son drove us up the road to the basin in July, 2020. On the way up the mountainside, we passed a canvas tent with a stove pipe jutting from the top. It was obvious that someone had set up that tent for a long term camp. Upon arriving at the end of the 4WD road at an old mine site, it became apparent who was living in that heavy duty tent. First we saw a large flock of sheep spread across the high mountain meadow, then a horse staked out nearby the roadway, two sheep dogs, and a lone shepherd watching over the sheep.
Sheep, Porphyry Basin, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 50mm (before crop), f/11, 1/200s, ISO 320. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Nik Color Effects Pro 4.Sheep, Porphyry Basin, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm (before crop), f/11, 1/160s, ISO 200. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Nik Color Effects Pro 4.Sheep, Porphyry Basin, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, f/16, 1/80s, ISO 250. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Nik Color Effects Pro 4.
We wandered around the old mine site with its collapsed wooden structure and other scattered debris, being careful to not step on old rusty nails or other potentially harmful items lying around on the ground.
K Marks The Spot, Porphyry Basin, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1/320s, ISO 320. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Nik Color Effects Pro 4.
The basin is beautiful with an abundance of wildflowers, a mountain stream and a waterfall. It was bright daylight so I hand held my Nikon D850, shooting with a fast shutter speed to freeze the motion of the flowers. It was too bright to get a long exposure of the waterfall for that silky, flowing water effect.
Wildflowers and Waterfall, Porphyry Basin, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1/320s, ISO 320. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Nik Color Effects Pro 4.Waterfall, Stream and Sheep in Porphyry Basin, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/16, 1/200s, ISO 320. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Nik Color Effects Pro 4.Waterfall and Stream, Porphyry Basin, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/16, 1/200s, ISO 320. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Nik Color Effects Pro 4.Waterfall and Stream in Porphyry Basin, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/16, 1/250s, ISO 500. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Nik Color Effects Pro 4.An iPhone image of wildflowers in Porphyry Basin, Colorado. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Nik Color Effects Pro 4.
Higher resolution images can be viewed on my Flickr page by clicking on the images in this post.
As usual, I was all alone in the north Bisti parking area overnight. After returning from my early morning shoot, a few people came and went during the mid-day hours.
A young German couple, Tobias and Daniela, parked next to me and we chatted for a few minutes before they headed out into the wilderness area. They were in the US for 4 weeks, traveling via automobile from Phoenix to Pittsburg, seeing sites along the way. The couple returned before 6PM, stopping by to show me a few photos of various places that they had visited so far on their current trip to the US, giving me ideas of other places to visit. Daniela’s blog site is Daniela’s Urlaubs Blog.
I am always amazed at how much international travel the Europeans do. I know traveling between countries in Europe is easy, but many travel outside Europe on a regular basis. I have met numerous Europeans who are on extended vacations, spanning weeks. I know that their labor laws assure their citizens of liberal holiday time, but they must budget a lot for their travels, even if they take advantage of cheap airfare, motels, car rentals, etc. Still, it makes sense to me that if one is traveling so far, taking a long vacation is justified.
During the afternoon, there were dark, heavy clouds all around the area and I could see distant rainfall in numerous directions. Some of those rainfall events seemed to be heading directly towards my location, but it did not rain on me.
Bisti Panorama with storm clouds. iPhone photograph with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I made the panoramic shot above with my iPhone from atop a hill just inside the Bisti Wilderness and just north of the parking area. This hilltop is the nearest place, where I could get a weak cell signal for making calls, getting e-mails and checking the weather, if the weak, intermittent signal lasted long enough to do so. This shot is to the south, showing the massive cloud cover, which might not bode well for a sunset shoot. The Sportsmobile is just a little rectangular blob near the center left edge of this image.
I made preparations to go out for sunset photography, although it was very cloudy in the west and the wind was increasing in intensity. I stuffed my rain shell into my backpack before heading out, just in case of rain.
I hiked to a place, which I had previously scouted for sunset photography, high up on a hard rock platform, overlooking a large array of hoodoos with a wide vista over the desert area.
North Bisti Hoodoos. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I made a number of test shots with my iPhone and DSLR of several compositions about an hour before sunset, as I waited and prepared for the warm sunset light. These shots and my observations of the light indicated that the golden sunset light would be very limited today. With this in mind, I carefully walked around on top of my perch area to determine how and where to quickly set up the tripod and camera, during the brief time that I would have to shoot at sunset. Some of my chosen setup locations required carefully planned steps to safely get into position and care in setting the tripod, so I wanted to practice my moves.
North Bisti Hoodoos. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.North Bisti Hoodoos. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.North Bisti Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I was excited about the possibilities for shooting here. Unfortunately, a large mass of clouds on the western horizon obscured the sun at sunset time. This is such a great place to shoot sunset that I will have to try again tomorrow evening, which will be my final chance to shoot here on this trip. At least I have a few iPhone and DSLR images, just in case tomorrow’s sunset light is no better.
North Bisti Scene near sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 52mm, f/16, 8.0s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.North Bisti Hoodoos and Valley near sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 48mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 9 images.North Bisti scene near sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, f/16, 1/4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
At the time I made these shots, there would have been golden hour light on the two large features on the left of the above image and on the mass of hoodoos in the image below, if the clouds on the western horizon had not blocked the direct rays of sunlight.
North Bisti Scene. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 42mm, f/16, 0.4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.North Bisti Hoodoos near sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 52mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Helicon focus stack of 9 images.
The DSLR images in this post have embedded links to the photos on Flickr, where these can be viewed in higher resolution.
I like these compositions and views, but the light that I had anticipated was not realized. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.
This post is a continuation of experiences and photography during a July 2019 road trip in Colorado.
From the Gates of Lodore in Dinosaur National Monument my oldest son and I continued on to Echo Park, also in Dinosaur National Monument. To get to Echo Park one must travel 13 miles down a narrow, steep, rocky, high clearance vehicle road. The road is not an extreme 4 wheel drive, at least not when dry and going into the area is mostly downhill; but 4 wheel drive vehicles are recommended for this road. There are some narrow intervals, where it is not possible for two vehicles to pass each other.
There is a sizable campground in Echo Park, but sites are on a first come basis, so there is no guarantee that one will find a campsite after the drive down. We were fortunate that a number of campsites were available, when we arrived, and two of those sites had good shade, which we really needed, since the daytime temperatures were in the mid 90s (F). The shade only protected us during the morning and part of mid-day. In the afternoons there was no avoiding the sun. Since we were out in the early morning and late day for photography, we were mostly resting around the campsite during the day. The summer heat can make it difficult to be entirely comfortable in the vehicle during the day and the insects with mosquitos made it undesirable to be outdoors. This is one of those times, when an outdoor, screen shelter would be useful. However, a nearby couple with such a shelter said the insects and mosquitos got into the shelter, anyway. The mosquitos also got into our vehicle each time we opened a door, so we spent some time trying to eliminate them. I have since acquired a couple of battery powered bug zappers to test during a future trip.
The Sportsmobile in Echo Park Camp Site. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Steamboat Rock in my window. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Echo Park Campground view from my window. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The setting for the campground is very nice with views of Steamboat Rock on one side and views of high cliffs all around. From our campsite we only had to walk a very short distance through woods to the river and good views of Steamboat Rock and the Yampa River.
Steamboat Rock in Echo Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.A panoramic view of the Yampa River going around Steamboat Rock. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
During the mid-day hours, we made a couple of exploratory hikes looking for good places for sunrise and sunset photography.
An old dead tree along a trail in Echo Park. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
Even though the NPS website says there are no trails in Echo Park, there is at least one created by frequent visitors and it appears to go on along the river for quite a way.
A trail through Echo Park. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
Hiking along this trail, we found a large, open grassy park with scattered rocks that would be useful as foreground, with the canyon walls in the background.
Echo Park with rock foreground and starburst. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The bank of the river near this area is steep, but we found a way down into the channel. If hiking here, be aware that the river bank is undercut in numerous places, where it could give way without warning, so be very careful walking near the river bank.
Yampa River Channel. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
We think we can get good photos in the river channel at both sunrise and sunset.
Yampa River at its confluence with the Green River. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The confluence of the Yampa and Green Rivers cannot be seen in these photographs, as it is hidden behind the vegetation and rocks near the center of the the image above and that below.
Yampa River near the confluence with the Green River. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.The Yampa River and Canyon in Echo Park. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Yampa River and canyon walls near sunset. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
Several of these iPhone images were actually made during sunrise or sunset shoots.
DSLR sunset and sunrise photography here will be the subject of subsequent posts.
This is the third and final post of iPhone scouting photographs on the south side of the Bisti Wilderness in New Mexico during my May 2019 visit. Daniel and I continued our exploration of portions of south Bisti in an area with many large hoodoos and interesting rock formations.
Large Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Isolating these features against the blue sky with the clouds makes for good compositions.
Large Wing Hoodoo, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Daniel in a Valley of Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The photo above gives some indication of the massive quantity of hoodoos in this area with Daniel as a scale. The following photos indicate the large variety of rock forms and hoodoos seen in this area.
Many Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoo Wall, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Eventually erosion will turn this wall of hoodoos into a line of separate hoodoos, but probably not in my lifetime.
Large Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Some of these features look like something one might see in a science fiction movie set on another planet. Maybe it is places like this that stimulate the imagination for such movies.
Many Hoodoo Styles, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.So Many Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoo Vista, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoos and Sky, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I like these images looking up at the hoodoos set against the blue sky and clouds. I think these would work well for star trail or Milky Way foreground images and many are in positions to look great in the golden hours of either sunrise or sunset.
Large Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Delicate Balance, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Comparing the image above to that below, one can see how getting low below the hoodoo on the left will yield a nice image of it against the sky. Although, in the image below, I wanted to give an indication of the setting of these features.
Delicate Balance, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoo Vista, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Wavy Rock, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Even though this is only an iPhone photo at mid-day, I really like the composition of the image above. It would probably look awesome in golden hour light.
Hoodoo Window, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I wanted to get a lower angle shot of the feature above, but I could not get a perspective that showed off the window in the rock very well. I like the shape of this hoodoo and it would be great to isolate it a bit better.
Bisti Arch, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Eventually, Daniel and I began to work our way towards the south parking area, where Daniel had parked his rental vehicle. We passed by the arch seen in these last few images. I had seen this arch on previous visits, but these are difficult to shoot at the best time of the day and there is not much else in the immediate vicinity to make it worth while to be here for golden hour photography, so I really do not have any better photos here other than these iPhone shots.
Bisti Arch, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
However, I think these simple mid-day images are not bad.
Bisti Arch, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
On our way to the parking area, we passed a number of novice visitors on their way into the area. We gave general directions to them to areas we though they might like. It is not uncommon to be asked for directions to “the wings”. I suspect those visitors have seen images of some of the larger wing like features and it is difficult to give directions based upon such generalizations. An older couple (older?, probable younger than me!) were one such ones to ask for directions. Daniel and I noted that they did not even appear to have any water with them. That is really not good, even though it was relatively cool today. Please, if you are going to hike anywhere, be prepared with water and snacks.
Daniel gave me a ride from the south parking area back to my vehicle on the north side. We had lunch and made plans for a sunset shoot. So stay tuned to see how that worked out.
This is a continuation of the mid-day scouting on day 4 of my May 2019 visit to the Bisti Wilderness. Accompanied by Daniel, the Frenchman, whom I had met while shooting sunrise photographs on the north side of Bisti, I made many iPhone photographs for future reference, hoping to return to some locations on some future visit at a better time for photography.
Hoodoo Nook, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
One of the first places we stopped by on the south side was the nook, as I called it, where there is a long petrified log (see the previous post, if you missed this) and other interesting features.
Hoodoo Nook, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoo Hillside, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
We continued hiking to the east, heading towards other features that Daniel wanted to show me, stopping to shoot reference photos along the way.
Bisti Panorama, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
One of the places, that I had seen referenced in other posts, is a Ferruginous Hawk’s nest. That nest is on the ledge below the topmost portion of the tall rock formation in the photo above. The nest is best seen in this photograph by viewing this image on Flickr and clicking on the Flickr image to see it enlarged. It is also apparent in the zoomed in image below:
Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Judging by the size of the twigs that make up the nest, those hawks must be fairly large. According to a local Navaho that I spoke with earlier during my visit here, the hawks that built this nest no longer frequent this area.
Daniel & Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
First Daniel hiked up the steep hillside at the hawk’s nest, then I followed, after getting a few images from below.
Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Daniel @ Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
After joining Daniel on the hillside here, I got a shot towards the west from that saddle like area between the two large rock formations at the top of the hillside
A view from hillside below the hawk’s nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
and a close up shot of that rock feature on the northerly end of the hillside.
Bisti Rock Formation, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Continuing towards the northeast, we found another hawk’s nest on the top of a nearby rock formation. That nest is in the top middle of this photo:
Another Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
From far away, Daniel had pointed out the large rock formation that looked like a Wizard’s hat. I got a number of images of that feature from various view points.
Wizard’s Hat, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Bisti Wizard’s Hat rock formation, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The one above is my favorite. The clouds that seem to be emanating from the “hat” make this look magical.
Bisti Wizard’s Hat rock formation, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I also got some wide area views with the “hat” and nearby the hat.
Bisti and Sky Vista, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
We walked around the nearby area finding many large and interesting hoodoos.
Long Neck Hoodoo, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The hoodoo above reminds me of a giraffe.
Large Bisti Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
There were so many large, interesting hoodoos in this area that it is difficult to convey how impressive this area is.
Slim One, Thick One, Fallen One, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I think that is enough for this post. To be continued,
After breakfast, Daniel and I hiked from the north Bisti parking area to the southern portion of Bisti. Along the way, I made many iPhone scouting photographs for future reference. In fact, I have so many scouting photos from this mid-day outing, that I will break this subject into several separate posts.
Bisti Wings or Flats, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The sky with many clouds adds to the interest in these iPhone photographs. While these images are not intended to be great photography, they will serve to show what one may see in Bisti and give an indication of the type photographs that a mid-day visitor might obtain with a simple point and shoot camera. Please note, though, that these images have been post processed with photo editing software.
Bisti Flat or Wing Hoodoo with hole, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Most, but possibly not all, of these image are posted to Flickr. Clicking on an image with an embedded link will take one to that image on Flickr, where a higher resolution image can more easily be viewed.
Bisti hoodoos on a hillside, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.A passage through tall Bisti Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The hike from the north side to the south side required navigating through badlands, up and down hills, through washes, etc., passing many interesting rock formations. There are no trails in this wilderness and many ways to get from one place to another, so each trip can be a new adventure.
Hoodoo with Window, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Unstable, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.One Remaining of Three, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoos on wash wall, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Bisti Flat Hoodoo with Window, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Hoodoo Wash, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Assorted Hoodoo Shapes, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I had shown Daniel around the northern area in the morning and now Daniel wanted to show me places he had visited in the southern area on the previous day. I have been to the southern area a number of times, but I had never gotten as far out into it as Daniel, so I was eager to see what he had to show me.
South Bisti Petrified Log, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
This long petrified log may be one of the most photographed ones in Bisti. I had previously obtained GPS coordinates for its location, but until today, I had never gotten to it. The long petrified log had many other interesting features nearby.
South Bisti Scene, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Duck Hoodoo, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Bisti Hikers, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
We saw only a few people on this portion of our hike, but these two are heading back towards the south parking area.
Daniel in the Hoodoo Den, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Petrified Log, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Two other petrified log sections with orange lichen near the longer log are shown in these two images.
Petrified Log & Tall Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Most of these features and petrified logs are within what I called a nook, a somewhat confined area mostly surrounded by hills.
Petrified Log, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The petrified log in the image above looks so real that it could be mistaken for real wood.
At the end of our stay in the Liberty, Kentucky area, we decided to modify our plans and make a stop over at Cumberland Falls State Resort, Kentucky. We were only a couple of hours away and the online literature made this look like an interesting place to see.
It was much too early in the fall for the best fall color here, but our schedule dictated that we be here now. I went out late in the day of our arrival, primarily to scout, but I put my camera in our vehicle trunk just in case I decided conditions merited DSLR photographs.
Scouting along the river just above the falls, I noted a sign that prohibited one from going any further along the river above the falls, much to my dismay. I knew I could safely get closer to the top of the falls, but I heeded the sign. The top edge of falls are frequently not very interesting to photograph anyway.
Cumberland Falls. iPhone photograph with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
This is a tourist attraction and there are railings set up at various view points with warnings not to cross the rails, which of course I really wanted to do, since I was sure I could get better compositions beyond the rails, exercising caution not to fall off of a cliff in the process. Nevertheless, I heeded the prohibitions.
Cumberland Falls. iPhone photograph with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
As usual in the afternoon hours, there were numerous visitors out and about, with one group being escorted by a young park ranger. This time of the year there were not large crowds of visitors, as there are in the summer months. In fact most of the visitors were older people with no children. There were a few younger people, who either had no kids or only pre-school kids.
Cumberland Falls. iPhone photograph with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
It was an overcast afternoon and, even though earlier than I would normally shoot at sunset, it was obvious that there would be no sunset light this day. So I decided to go back to my vehicle, get my camera gear and shoot anyway. As I began to get out the camera gear, rain began. I initially sat in the vehicle for a while, then decided to give up for the day. Of course, by the time I drove back to our cottage, the rain had stopped. At least I got a few iPhone images, just in case something happened to prevent me from returning in the morning, when the rain was predicted to have passed by.
Tomorrow I will try to get some long exposures of the waterfall for that silky flowing water effect.
From Irish Canyon, we traveled to the Gates of Lodore campsite in Dinosaur National Monument, checking out Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge first. We decided that Browns Park would not be an easy place to photograph without having a second vehicle, since it was too far from the campsites to the most photogenic scenes. This is one downside to traveling in a camper type vehicle, as it takes a while to prepare the vehicle for travel after camping in it.
When we arrived at the Gates of Lodore campground, there were plenty of available campsites, but the one nearest the trailhead to the Gates of Lodore and with good shade (it was hot) had a car parked in it, even though the site did not have a reserved tag on it. We thought it possible that the car’s occupants had walked to the kiosk to fill out the reservation form, so we chose the next closest site that also had good shade. We were not initially sure that we would stay in that site, so we were just sitting around discussing options, when a volunteer park ranger stopped by and provided much useful information about the park. One of our concerns was the bear activity sign warning posted at each campsite. There were bear vaults provided for storing food and anything with an odor that might attract bears. We had lots of such items and it would be much trouble to move everything into a bear vault and retrieve it as we needed it. The ranger assured us that there had not been any recent bear activity, so we did not need to bother with the vaults. We also asked about mountain lion activity, but there had not been any sighting anywhere nearby, even though they are known to be around somewhere. Mountain lions and bears are always a concern when hiking trails in their territory.
At least a half hour went by and no one returned to the vehicle in our preferred campsite, so we assumed hikers were parked there, where they should not be, if they were not camping. So we paid for the site we were in and shortly afterwards the car’s occupants returned and departed. Other campers soon came along and claimed that campsite.
After setting up the Sportsmobile for camping, we applied sunscreen over our insect repellant or vice versa and hiked to the Gates of Lodore.
Bleached animal bones along the Gates of Lodore trail. iPhone photo, with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Along the trail we spotted a number of bleached animal bones, possibly remnants of a wild animal’s meal.
The trail we were on went far into the back country, but we only checked out view points for photographing the Gates of Lodore, which is a canyon through which the Green River flows.
Gates of Lodore, Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and Dxo Nik modules.
The first few overlooks we checked out had much distracting vegetation in the foreground. My son found a very nice place off of the trail from which to photograph.
We returned to camp, had a meal and returned to the trail prior to sunset. I initially tried to shoot near the view point in the scouting photo above, but I soon abandoned that, since I was not pleased with any composition I could make there. I went back along the trail and set up near my son, so I’m sure we ended up with very similar photos, although he somehow manages to get more appealing compositions than I, even in the same location.
Gates of Lodore at sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 20mm, f/11, 1/13s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Dxo Nik modules.
I made numerous shots as the sun went lower into the sky, varying my compositions a little. Shooting down river into the canyon at this location presents the frequent lighting restrictions as most canyons. The canyon walls go into shadow well before sunset, so the typical golden hour light is not really attained. There was some good light on the foreground vegetation from time to time and there was some colorful vegetation mixed with various shades of green.
Gates of Lodore at sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 20mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 640. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Dxo Nik modules.
Even though these first two images are the same composition, the light on the foreground is different in each.
One can see the shadow moving quickly up the canyon wall on the left of these next two photos.
Gates of Lodore at sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 22mm, f/11, 1/250s, ISO 800. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Dxo Nik modules.
I alternated from landscape to vertical trying to get some variation in the compositions.
Gates of Lodore at sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 22mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 800. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Dxo Nik modules.
One can see how the light is changing on the foreground and the canyon walls.
Gates of Lodore at sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 15mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 800. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Dxo Nik modules.
I varied the composition to get either more or less of the foreground boulders and/or the rock outcrop along the near canyon edge.
Gates of Lodore at sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 15mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 800. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Dxo Nik modules.Gates of Lodore at sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 15mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 1000. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Dxo Nik modules.
Soon the light on the canyon wall was totally gone and only the clouds in the sky were varying in the images.
After this shoot we thought maybe sunrise would be a better time to shoot here. So we will come back in the morning.
From Vaughan Lake we traveled to Irish Canyon, Colorado.
A sign near the entrance to Irish Canyon, Colorado. iPhone photo.
Near the canyon entrance are boulders with early Native American (Fremont) petroglyph etchings.
Native American Petroglyphs in Irish Canyon. iPhone photo.
These iPhone photos of the petroglyphs have been edited more heavily than normal to bring out the petroglyphs, which are faint in the unedited images, so the colors are enhanced beyond what one might see in bright sun light.
Native American petroglyphs in Irish Canyon. iPhone photo.Native American petroglyphs in Irish Canyon. iPhone photo.
This area is on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) public land. There is a nice campground just a short distance into the canyon. There is a typical, but well maintained, pit toilet in the campground. There is no water available, but there was at least one trash can near the pit toilet.
An informational sign at the Irish Canyon campground. iPhone photo.Irish Canyon Campground. iPhone photo.
When we arrived, there was only one other camper in the camping spot most removed from the roadway and a couple of motorcycle riders in the front most campsite. We drove through the campground and picked the most level looking of the remaining campsites.
We walked around and talked to the motorcyclists, who were retired uranium miners from Wyoming. It turned out that they were just taking a break in the campsite, so when they moved on, we moved into that campsite, since it was more level than the others and had a picnic table with better shade (and it was a warm day).
Campsite in Irish Canyon. iPhone photo.
There was not enough shade in which to park the Sportsmobile, but it was a breezy day, so leaving the vehicle open helped keep the temperature from getting excessively high inside.
Irish Canyon Campsite. iPhone photo.
The setting of the campsite provided very good scenery and we walked around to scout possible photographic compositions for sunset and/or sunrise.
Irish Canyon Roadway at Irish Canyon Campground. iPhone photo.
The roadway in the canyon could be used as a leading line.
Irish Canyon scene. iPhone photo.
This old dead tree might be a suitable foreground for a sunset photo.
Irish Canyon scene. iPhone photo.
This big boulder might be useful as foreground in a composition, but it was right at the edge of the trees and slope near the canyon wall, so it might be difficult to get a clean composition here.
Irish Canyon Campsite in late evening. iPhone photo courtesy of Sean Kemp – WildOpenLandscapes.com
My mid-day scouting activity proved really useful for learning my way around in the northern part of the Bisti Wilderness as well as for determining good places for either sunrise and/or sunset landscape photography. I also began to make written notes, rather than relying upon my memory, since I’m seeing so much variation here that my brain cannot reliably recall some details, especially a few days after the fact.
Today my primary destination was the plateau area with a couple of significantly large hoodoos that I had first seen during my March 2019 visit with my oldest son. I wanted to get a better fix on the best route to these features and a better idea of how much time to allow for hiking there from the north parking area.
I would then explore more in that area.
I followed a general route that I had already found, but explored a slight deviation as I was climbing up out of a valley/wash near a previously found exit point.
Instead of going straight up a somewhat steep, red rock strewn exit, I turned to the right, up another short incline to see where that took me. I entered into a smallish, enclosed area, which I initially thought might be a dead end route.
Looking around the little nook, I spotted this small hoodoo on the wall near where I had entered:
Small Sentinel. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
It looked like a hoodoo sentinel standing guard over the little nook.
On the opposite side from where I came in, I could see that it would be possible to climb out there, so I went up the hill and entered into a large, flat area, which I recognized as being just east of an area my son and I had exited into from another direction during our March visit. We had come into that area via a much more difficult route.
Now I was actually on the plateau of my destination, so I began to walk to the south, which I recalled was where the large hoodoos and other features were located.
Hoodoo Plateau. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
In a blog post from the March visit, I included scouting photographs of the large pedestal like hoodoos in the above image. We did not get back here on that visit. Looking around, I realized that this area would be good for either sunrise or sunset shoots.
I continued exploring this area to the west and south. Finding areas that were familiar from the March 2019 and March 2011 visits:
Many Hoodoos in a Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.Many Hoodoos in a Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
There are a number of deep canyons or washes crisscrossing this badlands area with many hoodoos lining the walls of the washes.
Hoodoos and Wide Vista. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.A deep wash lined with hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I explored along the top edge of the deep washes finding many interesting features.
Resting Hoodoo. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.Hoodoo Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Can you see the leading lines in these photos:?
Hoodoo Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.Hoodoo Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I recall photographing in this area in 2011 during my first visit to Bisti and I still have a few photos of the features in this image:
Hoodoo Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I also found features that make good abstract photographs, like this one:
Abstract. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Wandering through a hodgepodge of rocks along the edge of a deep wash I found the fish like hoodoo at the right end of the line of hoodoos:
Fish Tank. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.The Fish. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
And this scary looking rock:
Demon Head. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Just behind the fish hoodoo:
The Pterodactyl. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
On the way out of this area:
Piling on. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I could see these large wing like hoodoos on the far side of a deep wash:
Across the Deep Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I did not know how to access those far away wing hoodoos at this time; but later I found a way down into the wash and a way to hike up near those wings.
