Day 4: Recovery & Redirection

I was still bothered by my problems with the electrical system, and I was anxious to get back to the “mainland” with real paved roads and such.  But, I also had a mission to capture some additional images of “the tree” at Dance Rock Hall (DHR). 

Needless to say, but I woke early with a myriad of thoughts swirling around in my head: How am I going to fix the solar charging system?  Do I need to call the owner, and will I need to head back to Salt Lake City?  How long will it take me to get back to the main road?  Where should I go next for photos? What should I have for breakfast?

 

Looking out the window, I saw that the moon was still up.  Okay, that might make for some cool photos of the tree at DHR, I thought.  I quick hopped out of bed, got dressed, and headed out.  I drove extra, extra slow to prevent the batteries from shifting again.  The van headlights actually helped illuminate the contours in the road so I could pick the path of least “turbulence”.  I was literally chasing the moon as it was going to set pretty soon, but I didn’t want to drive too fast.  

 

I arrived at DHR and got my gear ready.  It was rather chilly, and there was a modest breeze, so I grabbed a knit hat and gloves in addition to my headlamp and flashlight.  Thank goodness I had recorded the hike since it’s unlikely I would have found it.  Even in the bright moonlight, all the rocks looked alike!  I quickly found the spot and fired off some shots.  The moon soon set, and I took a bunch more with my Lume Cube.  Wow!  This is not the shot I envisioned, but it may be even better!  Thank you photography gods!  

 

“The Tree”

The sun was now starting to rise.  I debated whether to hang around, but I was cold and anxious to split.  I hiked back to van and started the arduous drive back to Escalante. As before, I was going extra, extra slow.  If I was lucky I got up to 11-12 mph, but if the road was really band, it was 7 or 8 mph.  Do the math: how long would it take for me to go 36 miles at that rate?  The trip was agonizing, and I absolutely couldn’t wait for it to end.  Finally it did, and I literally cheered.  The answer: over 3-1/2 hours!

 

They have these things all over the place.  Utah is largely free range for cattle, but they won’t walk across these, generally confining them to one large area.

I pulled into a Do It Center hardware that I had previously noticed in Escalante.  If they had alligator clips in the right size, I’d replace the ones for the solar panel charging controller.  They didn’t, but an idea had occurred to me in my fitful sleep: c-clamps!  I bought a couple small ones and a roll of electrical tape just in case.  It took a little finagling, but I managed to clamp the clip onto the battery terminal post.  I looked at the controller panel, and it no longer had an error message.  It said 12V, meaning it was charging!!  You go, MacGyver!  (By the way, the next day it was showing a full battery, so it was definitely back in business.)

 

Gaffer’s tape & multi-tool

C-clamp on bent alligator clip (red arrow)

Now that I had successfully recovered from my problem, what next?  Traveling down & back Hole-in-the-Rock Road (aka, the road from hell) had cost me AT LEAST a half-day.  I originally planned to visit Wahweap Hoodoos next, but this was a long drive and involved about 4-hour hike out and back, plus shooting time, so that was out.  Darn it!  Well, I had to travel west anyway for my Sunday planned shoot, which would take right by Bryce Canyon National Park (or BCNP).  Why not?  I had a few “third tier” locations on my list, so might as well.  And boy am I glad I did!  It was late in the day, and sun literally made the hoodoos in the amphitheater glow.  Wow!

 

A couple ginormous solar panels at the visitor center

Some hoodoos as you approach the park

I found a very nice dispersed campsite just outside of BCNP (in the Dixie National Forest again).  It didn’t know yet what I was doing the next day, but this redirection was actually part of the adventure.

The sun setting at the campsite.  Every day so far has been cloud-free!

This came up my phone.  Utah, especially the Salt LakeCity area, is a COVID-19 hot spot.  Idont think it’ll affect my travel back, but one never knows.  Fingers crossed.

By the way, if you click on an image, you will see a bigger, higher resolution image!

Day 3: The Road from Hell

Got your attention, didn’t I?  Well hold on.  First things first!!  😜

 

I woke again early.  Just can’t seem to shake that jet lag, but that’s ok since I want to be up in time for sunrise most days.  The extra time also allows me to work on the previous day’s blog.  As I mentioned in the previous post, I wanted to capture sunrise on Factory Butte.  I was literally looking straight at “FB” so it was simply a matter of setting up my tripod and taking some shots.

 

Interesting rock formation in foreground

The Butte!

Close-up of eroding sandstone - black & white

Another close-up of eroding sandstone

I went back into Hanksville to get gas.  I was headed for Escalante, which even though was 57 miles away as the crow flies, the Garmin said it would take over 2 hours.  What the heck, that can’t be right!  Well it was…there’s no direct route, and the roads are very curvy such that you can’t go more than 25-35 mph in places.  On the way I went through Capital Reef National Park.  I didn’t stop for pictures this time, but wow, what incredible scenery!  Next I went through Dixie National Forest.  This is also incredibly scenic as you drive up into the mountains and above the alpine line (summit was 9300 ft. above sea level, if I recall).  I did make a couple stops here for pictures. 

 

Bare trees with white bark and branches.  Aspen?

Bare trees intermingled with pine trees - black & white

I finally entered Grand Staircases Escalante National Monument and was rewarded with some amazing views.  Why this is only a national monument and not a national park is beyond me.  My first destination was the Escalante Interagency Center to get a camping permit (which is free), but to my surprise it was closed (I checked online before I left and they were supposedly open).  Oh well, I guess I didn’t need a permit anyway (what’s the worse they could do, right?).  So, I topped off with gas, got some ice, and headed down Hole-in-the-rock Road (I previously called this Dance Hall Rock road.  I knew it had “rock” in the name 😬).

 

Whoa Nelly!

This road was literally on top of a ridge line - note the lack of guardrails!  Yikes!!

This is where the “fun” began.  This road was perhaps one of the worst I had ever experienced.  I knew I was in trouble when the Garmin said it would take about an hour-and-a-half to go 25 miles.  Whaaaat?  I debated whether to bag it, but one of the photo spots was high on my list so I decided to go for it.   

 

The speed limit was 35 mph, but I was lucky to hit 25, and many times I was going less than 10.  The road was rocky, bumpy, uneven and worst of all, badly washboarded.  I can take most of the other stuff, but washboarding drives me crazy.  Everything in the van rattled, and on couple occasions when I drove over some unseen potholes or dips (you know, the kind where the whole vehicle rocks violently from side to side), things in the van flew about and onto the floor.  I was trying to go slow, but other people (some in only small SUV’s) were flying by me.  Maybe faster is better, right?  Nope…tried that.

 

You know it’s bad when see mufflers, hub caps and other car parts!

View of the road

Look at the washboarded road I just drove over!

I planned to hit another slot canyon but it was already late in the day. And, I really wanted to get Dance Hall Rock, which another hour drive on the same crappy road!  I kept going and finally got to “DHR” (I’m continuing with the abbreviations).  DHR is actually a historic site associated with Mormon migration in the late 1800’s (https://www.blm.gov/visit/dance-hall-rock-historic-site).  The amphitheater, which is the most prominent feature of DHR, is rather uninteresting, IMO.  What is more interesting are the many potholes in rocks behind the amphitheater in which various vegetation amazingly grows, including cottonwood trees. There was one in particular I was looking for based on photos I had seen. Eventually I found it.  I took a bunch of pictures, but my goal was to come back when it was dark for some night shots.  I marked the location and the path back to the parking area with my AllTrails app so I could easily find it later (in the dark).

 

The amphitheater

THE tree!

Cool rock patterns - black & white

My campsite was only 4 miles away, but that took 20 minutes (the road conditions just seemed to keep deteriorating)!  Once I parked the van, I got in the back to start cooking dinner.  Oddly, only one set of lights came on.  I looked in the rear of the van where the two 12V batteries and solar panel charging system was located, hoping it was just a simple fix. I first noticed that the batteries seem to have shifted towards the front of the van and were at odd angles.  Then I noticed the REAL problem: one of the power cables had completely pulled out its connecting lug.  When I touched the wire to the lug the lights worked.  But how to fix?  I suddenly remembered that I had the foresight to stick a multi-tool in my bag, and I also had what’s called “gaffer’s tape” in my camera backpack, which would serve as electrical tape.  I did the best I could to repair the connection (and another broken one I found), as well as tighten a few loose nuts.  OK, now we’re back in business!  But wait….what’s that bent alligator clip hanging there?  It was coming from the solar panel controller, which had a error message “E102” and a flashing dead battery symbol on the display.  This CAN’T be good!  I assumed this meant it wasn’t charging the batteries.  I tried to clip it back on the battery terminal, but it wouldn’t stay on because one side was bent.  I tried to bend it back, but the thin metal just kept bending.  Well, I would just have to deal with that tomorrow when I reached civilization.  At least I had power for the lights and water pump (at least until the batteries went dead, of course).  Long story short: time for a beer!

The campervan at the campsite...with the lights working!

Day 2: Wowoowwwwww

That’s a direct quote from Alexandra (my daughter) after I shared a video of my last stop today, Moonscape Overlook.  And that really sums up my day.  I went to three primary photo locations today, and each one was amazing.  I kept thinking, “Wow, this place is incredible.  This is going to be tough to beat.”

As I mentioned in the previous post, I got up very early.  I hadn’t yet written my blog for Day 1, so I headed back to Hanksville (about 26 miles) where I could get cell service. I parked at a gas station, and worked on the blog.  However, I didn’t get to finish it as I wanted to be at my first photo op, Little Egypt, at sunrise.  

 

The sun was just below the horizon as I parked the van in the parking area. I was getting my camera gear together, and I happened to turn around and saw that the sun had just broke the horizon, illuminating this small valley with incredible golden light.  I quickly finished getting my gear together and immediately started capturing images.

 

Little Egypt (I have no idea why it’s called that) is an area with very unique geologic structures, as you can see from the photos.  It is supposedly similar to Goblin Valley State Park which is just north of Hanksville, but smaller and less visited.  This chilly morning I had the place all to myself. 

 

Next stop was Leprechaun Canyon, which was down the road a few miles.  Leprechaun Canyon is a slot canyon, of which there are many in southern Utah.  Slot canyons are narrow canyons that are carved out of the rock by wind and water over the centuries. Some are so narrow that special skills or gear is required (not to mention being thin and not claustrophobic).  Some are not even passable at all.

 

Dead tree at start of hike into the slot canyon

I didn’t get too far in this slot canyon. The first obstacle was a rather large boulder that had wedged itself smack dab in the middle of the path.  I was able to navigate past this, but I had to put my camera backpack on the top of the rock and literally crawl underneath the rock.  The next obstacle was when the canyon narrowed at my shoulders.  The only way to advance was to “walk” on my knees, which I did.  Now the canyon was getting extremely narrow.  It appeared I wouldn’t be able to go any further unless I dropped my backpack and left it.  Even then, I probably wouldn’t get very far without some really crazy antics (remember that “being thin” thing?).  So that was it.  Nonetheless, I got some amazing pictures at this spot in particular, and I’m looking forward to hiking another slot canyon.

 

Inside the slot canyon - black & white

Inside the slot canyon (looking up)

Narrow passage

The rock I had crawl under!

But the pièce de résistance was yet to come: Moonscape Overlook.  Moonscape Overlook, or Skyline View as it is sometimes called, is not far from Hanksville.  It’s accessible via a gravel road, part of which was a semi-rough two-track (I discovered later there was a better, albeit longer, gravel road I could’ve used…of course there was!).  I had seen pictures of Moonscape Overlook (which I’ll abbreviate as MO to save time), but I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to see in person.  WOW!!!  Or in my daughter, Samantha’s words: “Holy Mackerel!! That’s amazeballs!”

The 2-track road (a good section)

One of the annoying Asian dudes (actually one of the landscape photographers I follow often puts a person in his photos to provide a sense of scale)

The deep shadows of MO

MO is so named because of the moon-like geologic features made of bluish-gray rock.  When I arrived at about 3:30, the shadows were starting to get long, making for some cool compositions, so I took a bunch of shots.  Since sunset was still a couple hours off, I decided to grab a folding chair (and a beer) and soak it all in.  The sun was warm, there was no wind, and aside from the occasional chatter of a couple other photographers some distance away, there was absolutely no sound!  Truly spiritual!!

 

As the sun dropped further, the shadows became much longer, and eventually the valley far below was completely in shadow, creating that moon-like landscape I was waiting.  While I would have liked some clouds to get some textures and colors in the sky, it was still an incredibly beautiful sunset.  All told, I took over 500 photos of MO! 

 

By the way, I mentioned the two photographers.  There were actually a number of other people that showed up at MO (including two annoying Asian dudes with a drone who were obsessed with taking pictures of themselves), which really surprised me considering the place is not that easy to get to and not that well known.

Sunset at MO (note the moon).  I took this with my iPhone, but it turned out remarkably well.

Anyway, I headed to my camping spot near Factory Butte, which was nearby, so I could grab some sunrise shots of the butte (or “FB”).  After dinner I grabbed a few night images. I wasn’t able to capture the Milky Way because of the nearly full moon, but the moon illuminated the landscape almost like daytime.  Very cool!

The campervan under the moon.

Interesting ricks near where I camped.

Sorry for the long post this time.  Next up: FB followed by the adventures down Dance Hall Rock Road!

Day 1: I made it!

It was a looong day, but I finally made it to Utah and my first campsite.  Except for some pictures with my iPhone, this was pretty much a travel day.

Mary Jo drove me to the Detroit airport where I caught a direct flight to Salt Lake City.  I knew there wouldn’t be many people in the airport, which made going through security extremely quick, but I was actually surprised how empty the airport was. I had read that airline travel is slowly picking up, but it sure didn’t look like it here!

Empty airport

Selfie while waiting to board

My flight on the other hand was full, which was also surprising even considering that Delta leaves all the middle seats open.  I felt very comfortable on the plane from a Covid-19 standpoint: everyone wore their masks religiously, and overall I was impressed how Delta manages the issue.  I was a little apprehensive about wearing a mask for 4 hours on the plane (my glasses fog up easily).  However, it wasn’t too bad, and I actually got used to it.

 

For most of the flight I watched a couple movies, but as we got closer, I opened the window shade to check out the view. I’m not a big fan of pictures taken out airplane windows, but the sky was incredibly clear and the views were amazing — I couldn’t resist.  So, I took a bunch of shots with my iPhone.

 

On approach into Salt Lake City (SLC).  Rocky Mountains are in distance. 

Interesting feature along Great Salt Lake (which is ginormous)

The Great Salt Lake

On approach into SLC...more interesting scenery

On approach into SLC...amazing mountains!

Mountains along the Great Salt Lake, in black & white

Somewhere in the middle of Iowa

Alexandra from the campervan company met me at passenger pick-up after I collected my checked bag (by the way, the Salt Lake City airport was much busier than Detroit...not sure why, though it was later in the day).  I expected that we would drive somewhere where she could go over things in the van, like how to turn on the heater or stove, but she just mentioned a couple things very quickly — and I mean quickly — and said the keys are in the van! 

 

I headed off to buy food and other supplies, which included stops at Costco, Walmart, and a couple dollar stores (I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on certain things, like condiments and paper towels).  This took WAY longer than I had wanted, and I didn’t actually hit the road south until about 4:30.  This put me smack dab in the middle of rush hour traffic (aren’t people working from home here too?), which was compounded by construction an two accidents.  Ugh!

 

The traffic jam on I-15

There are not many dispersed camping areas until you get far, far away from Salt Lake City, but I had hoped to find something that left me with less than a 2-hour drive in the morning to my first photo spot.  However, it got dark quick, which made it hard to spot any turnoffs that might be BLM roads and potential camping spots.  Eventually I decided to just drive all the way to the campsite near my first photo spot.  Consequently I didn’t get in until very late.

 

I took me a little bit to figure out how to operate the heater (remember, there was no real tutorial), but once I did, I grabbed a quick bite to eat (and a beer) and hit the sack.  It got very chilly in the night (I’m writing this the next morning), but zero degree sleeping bag worked awesome!  Unfortunately I woke up early, likely due to jet lag and other factors.  So, it was time to start the day!