Tuesday, my last full day in Utah made up for the previous day...and then some! All in all, a great way to end a great trip.
I had nearly forgotten that I had several spots in and around Arches and Canyonlands National Parks (ANP & CNP) identified, including a couple that were in the “must visit” category. One of them was the Green River Overlook in CNP. As I have done every day during the trip, I awoke early, and I thought it would be good to try and capture the overlook under a little moonlight and during the blue hour*. The view itself was amazing, and I was not disappointed with the lighting.
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Green River Overlook, CNP, during Blue Hour & Moonlight
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The sun hadn’t come up yet, and I thought maybe I could catch it at Mesa Arch, which was just a short drive away. Mesa Arch is a popular spot, not only because it is very accessible, but also because photos of it at sunrise are ubiquitous, showing up in travel brochures, magazines, screen savers and even billboards throughout Utah. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was already full of cars & campers. I quick grabbed my gear and hustled to the arch. There were a dozen-plus people lined up right in front of the arch ready to catch that iconic moment when the sun breaks the horizon. I grabbed a couple shots of that moment too, but I wanted to capture some unique perspectives, if I could. After the sun came up, many (though not all) of the people and photographers left, thinking they had “gotten the shot”. Unfortunately for them, it only got better: as the sun continued to rise, it illuminated the underside of the arch, giving it a bright orange glow. Fabulous!
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This is what happens when a spot becomes popular and is readily accessible
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Essentially the shot most everyone was after
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This is how Mesa Arch looked after the sun continued to come up!
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And another...Amazing!
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I didn’t have anything else specific in CNP that I wanted to shoot. However, I was still on mission to do another slot canyon since my other places didn’t pan out. There was a short, easy one in CNP, but the description I found said it was “at the end” of a certain trail. Well, which end? This was important here because the trail in particular was 6.1 miles one way and rated as strenuous. I found the trail and headed out. I hiked for about 15 minutes or so and didn’t see anything that looked like it might be a slot canyon. I concluded it must be on the other end of the trail, which unfortunately is accessible by only by 4WD (or hiking). Rats!
As I was preparing to leave, I noticed a storm brewing to the southwest. Hmm, I wonder what the Green River Overlook would look like now? I was close-by and went to check it out. The colors were now more reddish, but the partially overcast sky and dark clouds beyond made for some great compositions.
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Green River Overlook w/storm brewing - Black & White
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Green River Overlook Detail - Black & White
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Green River Overlook Detail - Black & White
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Green River Overlook later in day
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I was still looking for slot canyons, and there was one on the other (East) side of ANP. I thought about going there next, but the cloudy/stormy skies could make for a good backdrop for the arches in ANP, so I head there instead.
By the way, I was very impressed with CNP, or Island in the Sky as it also called. There are lots of fantastic canyon-type views that rival the Grand Canyon IMO, along with many hiking trails.
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Hazy Canyon View
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| Unknown rocks w/storm brewing in distance |
ANP is a quick drive from CNP. We had briefly stopped at ANP on our way to Arizona last winter, and I knew I wanted to come back. There were a few arches on my list that I wanted to visit, in fact, such as Windows Arch, Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch. While the skies didn’t come into play quite as much as I had hoped, I still feel I got some decent shots.
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The Three Gossips, Arches National Park
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A twisted tree along path to Landscape Arch
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Landscape Arch
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North Windows Arch
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Turret Arch with storm clouds in background
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Weathered tree detail - Black & White
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By the way, all of the arches are readily accessible, but they all require a little hiking, especially if you want get up close. When I was shooting Windows Arch (there are actually two Windows Arches, a north and a south), I wanted to see what the composition might look like from the other side, so I climbed down the rocks (not too difficult). Then I noticed a trail to other Windows Arch. I wandered over and noticed a family with young kids climbing down from underneath the arch. It looked a little more challenging, but I thought if the young kids can do it, I can. And, going up is often easier than going down (I literally said said this to myself). My decision to climb up under the arch assumed there was another, easier way down on the other side. Wrong! Unless you’re a rock climber, getting down from the other side was virtually impossible. So I had to go back the way I came. Not overly difficult — I just had to take it slow and think about the best route (don’t worry mom, I was very careful! 😜).
Ok, I was done! It was getting late in the day, and I had shot everything I wanted or was able to. It was too early to go to a campsite, and since Moab had a pretty decent brewery, I decided that a well-deserved beer might be in order!
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Cheers!
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*While not always 60 minutes in duration, the “blue hour” is that period of time before sunrise and after sunset where the residual light takes on a bluish cast. (This is in contrast to the “golden hour” with its characteristic yellows and oranges.) The blue hour is favored by many landscape photographers due to its low contrast and somber mood.
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