We returned to the southern portion of Capitol Reef National Park to photograph Strike Valley in the late afternoon with the intention of photographing from somewhere along the switchbacks (numerous sharp turns on the roadway as it climbs steeply from the valley). There were no safe and suitable places to park along the switchbacks, so we settled for shooting from an area above the switchbacks.
Strike Valley View, above the Burr Trail Road Switchbacks, Capitol Reef National Park, UtahStrike Valley View, above the Burr Trail Road Switchbacks, Capitol Reef National Park, UtahStrike Valley View, above the Burr Trail Road Switchbacks, Capitol Reef National Park, UtahStrike Valley View, above the Burr Trail Road Switchbacks, Capitol Reef National Park, UtahStrike Valley and BeyondStrike Valley View, above the Burr Trail Road Switchbacks, Capitol Reef National Park, UtahStrike Valley View, above the Burr Trail Road Switchbacks, Capitol Reef National Park, UtahTwisted 1Twisted 2
In viewing some of these photographs now, I’m thinking some could benefit from cropping portions of the sky, but when I edited these, I was wanting to show the big open sky. Maybe that was a mistake, but I’m not going to change these now.
In late March of 2022, I drove to my oldest son’s home north of Denver, Colorado and we drove together to Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. We lodged in the small town of Torrey, just west of the park.
Since we arrived late in the day, we only got out for a brief visit to the park visitor center and a stop at a nearby overlook trail, where we shot a few handheld images.
Past PrimeMonochrome Tree
The sky was overcast, the light well suited for muted monochrome images.
Rock TreesAbstract (Rock Texture)Old and GnarlyTruncated
This old tree stump looked different, depending upon the angle of view.
Dancing among the Rocks
The color image of this old tree stump with this angle of view reminded me of a dancer’s torso, but when I showed this one to my grandson, he saw two dogs back to back. I have to admit that I had a similar initial interpretation, but only seeing one blunt snout dog with long ears trailing behind it. I still prefer the dancer interpretation.
80% ExpendedLife on the Edge
I have not had time to go through all of my photos from this trip and just barely got time to write this initial post, more will follow; but I may not be able to keep up with my preferred schedule of two posts per week. (Every trip leads to much to do to catch up at home).
There is a remote playa in Death Valley National Park nicknamed “The Racetrack“. On this broad, flat, mud playa rocks move and leave trails in the mud. I visited The Racetrack with two of my sons in March, 2013. At that time no one knew how the rocks moved and no one had ever seen them move. I often wondered why someone had not put up video cameras to monitor the playa and observe the movement. I suppose the remoteness of the area, the lack of continuous power for a camera system and park regulations had prevented this. But, eventually, researchers did just that and finally discovered the secret of how the rocks moved in December, 2013, two years after the study began.
The most prevailing theory of how the rocks moved, prior to that research, was that strong winds moved these heavy rocks across the playa, when it was wet, since the mud is very slippery after a rain. This seemed like a stretch, but winds can be very strong in the wide open valley where the playa is located.
The details of the experiment that revealed the secret of the rocks’ movement can be found on the NPS website.
The experiment also revealed why there are track with no rocks at their ends. Previously, everyone thought that rocks had been removed by visitors from such tracks. Be sure to visit the NPS website via the link above to read about this experiment and the discovery of the real way the rocks move. This might serve to illustrate that scientific theories are not always correct and have to be verified by actual experimentation and observation. So whenever you hear those famous words “scientific consensus is that…”, please bear in mind that until there is actual proof, a theory or consensus of thought is just speculation.
One of the rocks and its trail left in the playa at Death Valley’s Racetrack.A large rock and its trail on the playa at Death Valley’s Racetrack.Another view of rocks and their trails in the playa at Death Valley’s Racetrack.A long exposure night image of intersecting trails of moving rocks on the playa at Death Valley’s Racetrack.
If you visit this area, please heed the warning on the NPS website, regarding the long drive to get here, safety precautions and do not venture onto the playa when it is muddy. We saw evidence of people disregarding these warnings and prohibitions. There were footprints and tire trails, obviously made when it was muddy, in the playa. These defacing scars will last for a very long time in the desert, ruining the natural appeal of this area.
