Moab Day 5

It was so nice to have sun all day, right from the get go! And with no wind, the early morning shoot was much more pleasant than yesterday. About an hour from Moab is the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. Our first stop was the iconic Mesa Arch. We knew it was popular but we were not prepared for how many other people would be there at that time of day too. Eventually they cleared away and we were able to get some shots of the sun shining on the arch with a view of the peaks underneath. It’s so nice when the weather and lighting conditions are perfect!

Next was a stop at the Green River Overlook. The Green River joins up with the bigger Colorado River and the view was tremendous.

We stopped to shoot another viewpoint where we could see a winding gravel road below. It looked like quite an adventure to drive that road!

Our last stop of the morning was the Visitor’s Center where we saw another well-done short film. There was a terrific viewpoint right across the road. Where I stood made some people nervous but I was well back from the edge, really I was!

After lunch and a rest, the group drove out to Arches again and we split into two parties. One group went on a hike to Delicate Arch. The other group, which I joined, did a variety of stops. We saw an original cabin of one of the early settlers.

Some more petroglyphs were nearby.

We were able to photograph Delicate Arch from quite a distance away. We could see dozens and dozens of people at the top and along the trail and were glad we had not done the hike to such a popular and over-crowded spot.

We did a short hike in between some ‘fins’ where there was a cool arch.

Our sunset spot was Skyline Arch and we had the place to ourselves. The moon was practically full again. The quality of light at that time of day makes the already red rocks, even more so!

Moab Day 4

Off again at 5:55 AM for breakfast. Our sunrise photo location was Deadhorse State Park. It is a high point of land with the Colorado River 2,000 feet below. It was quite cool because of the wind and there were quite a few clouds in the sky.

 It was still amazingly beautiful though, and the sun tried to shine through. The place reminded me a lot of the Grand Canyon and there were lots of wonderful gnarled trees for foreground.

We made a brief stop at the Visitor Center then left the park.

After another turn-off we headed along the Colorado River again to look at ancient petroglyphs. They were quite high up the canyon wall which prevented vandalism.

Further down the road was Jug Handle Arch. It was not as spectacular as other arches but we were close to it.

We ate lunch together at a different local restaurant, then took a break until 3:30 PM. At that time, we drove back to Arches National Park for a one-way hike along “Park Avenue” trail. 1,000 foot towers of red sandstone line the trail on both sides, like the skyscrapers of New York. I must say, this Park Avenue was much more spectacular.

It was difficult getting very far without stopping for a photo. I could have spent triple our allotted time there.

Our sunset location was the iconic Balanced Rock with the beautiful La Sal Mountains in the background. The sun stayed behind the clouds and the wind was bitterly cold. But there was a short break in the clouds just before the sun dipped below the horizon and we were rewarded with 5 minutes of beautiful light.

We put so much into a day, it hardly feels like we’ve only been on tour 2 days. I can hardly wait to have a better look at my photos when I get home. I am sure I will have some prize winners!

Moab Day 3

Our first day photographing was a long one and a great one. I was up and at it at 5:25 AM – not my normal wake-up time by any stretch of the imagination! At 5:55 AM we piled aboard 2 vans and headed to the Moab Diner for brekie. The food was good, fast and plentiful. I know now what their portion sizes are like and will change my order accordingly tomorrow!

We headed out of town to Arches National Park, now open despite the US government shutdown. The state of Utah is paying operating costs out of its own budget. Thank goodness! The early morning was quite cool and I regretted not bringing the gloves I had packed. The view at the LaSal Mountains and Courthouse Towers Overlook was nice but the light was unspectacular and rather overcast. I was disappointed that we were going to have a cloudy day.

 

It brightened up nicely when we walked to the famous Landscape Arch, a photo used on many Moab and Utah publications. There were many photo opportunities along the trail but I didn’t want to tarry too long on the way to the main attraction. Landscape Arch is only 6 feet thick at its narrowest point. A chunk of it fell down a few years ago and it will all completely come crashing down one of these days.

 

We returned to town but first made a stop at the visitor center where we saw an interesting 15 minute movie on the park and the formation of the arches. After the film, I found some great views behind the building and I was happy to see the sun came out.

We dined together for lunch then went our separate ways. I picked up polarizer at a local camera shop downtown. I'm told it will have a good effect on my photos.

At 3:30 we headed out again, this time to the east. We stopped at a spot where the cottonwood trees were showing some fall color. In the background were the snow-capped LaSal mountains.

Then we stopped by the side of the road and photographed a nice band in the Colorado River.

The final stop of the day was the dramatic Fisher Towers. There were few tourists there, only hikers and rock climbers. We watched a young woman climb up one of the monoliths and photographed her as she made her way to the top.

 It was sunset by then and the light was gorgeous.

 

When it got too dark to take any more pictures, we headed back to town and were given a bag lunch to eat in our rooms. That was fine with me as I was dead tired. My blog won't be posted tonight as I am beat and it is past my bedtime. 5:30 AM will be here before you know it!