Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim, Arizona
Fri Jul 31, 2020
Once again it was time to leave the summer heat in Phoenix in my rear view mirror. This time its Grand Canyon National Park, north rim. The North Rim is much less crowded than the South Rim and being 1200 ft higher, cooler as well. Its remote location also lends itself to a quieter experience.
Soon after passing through the entrance gate at the park I came across a herd of buffalo, that I estimate to be about 150 animals. I stopped for a few minutes to watch them. I then went onto the main visitor area, where there was a lot of construction going on in the parking area, and the visitors center was closed (due to Covid-19). The lodge and other assorted business, including a place for a quick lunch, were open. It was a clear day, just a bit warm.
Herd of Buffalo, Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim, Arizona (Nikon Z7, Irix 150mm f2.8)
After leaving the main visitor area, I went to the Cape Royal viewing area, a 20 mile drive over a winding mountain road, and remained there for the remainder of the visit. I was primarily photographing Wotans Throne and the surrounding vistas.
After sunset it was time to return to Flagstaff, a 190 mile drive. On the way out, I almost hit a buffalo, not once but twice. The first place I saw them was expected, as they were in the same location as when I arrived. I stopped and waited for them to clear off the road. The second encounter was just outside the park entrance, and there were multiple animals in the road forcing me to brake quite heavily. The remainder of the drive saw multiple deer along the roadway, until I hit US-89 and smooth sailing back to Flagstaff (arriving after 1230 am).
Wupatki National Monument, Arizona
Thu Jul 23, 2020
I'm back at Wupatki National Monument, Arizona. This was not the original destination for this trip; I was on the way to Grand Canyon North Rim. When I arrived at Lee's Ferry, at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Northern Arizona, the weather was extremely volatile, with torrential rain, lightning and high winds. I decided to return to Wupatki near Flagstaff as it didn't look like the weather was going to clear until late. That's part of the life of a landscape photographer; you need to travel and visit at the edge of the weather, but sometimes, it results in long distances traveled without capturing any images.
Returning to Wupatki, I decided to spend the remainder of the day at Wukoki Pueblo ruins. The weather was still unsettled, but not as volatile as up north. I've not spent a lot of time at these particular ruins, and with the weather in such turmoil, I thought that I could come up with a dramatic image or two.
Wukoki Pueblo, Wupatki National Monument, Arizona (Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-70mm f/4 S)
Wupatki National Monument, Arizona
Thu Jul 02, 2020
The weather forecast for Flagstaff called for scattered thunderstorms and rain. In Phoenix, it was sunny and warm; as a photographer, it's all about the light. This made it an easy decision for a day trip. Wupatki National Monument was the destination to shoot the ruins of the Sinagua people who lived here hundreds of years ago.
Upon entering the park, I passed through a typical high desert rain storm. The air smelled crisp and clear. My favorite part of Wupatki National Monument is Lomaki Trail & Box Canyon Ruins area. The park itself is at the edge of the high desert, with the Painted Desert to the north and the volcanoes of Flagstaff to the south. For this trip, I didn't travel around the park, but stayed in this location to photograph the ruins against the surrounding storms.
Lomaki Ruins and Box Canyon and Thunderstorm, Wupatki National Monument, Arizona (Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 S)
Wupatki is nestled between the Painted Desert to the north and the volcanoes of San Francisco peaks near Flagstaff to the south.
Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
Fri Jun 19, 2020
Unfortunately, it seems that Europe is off the table for the majority of the year, so most of my travel is to locations I can reach in my truck.
Once again it was time for a road trip, this time to Petrified Forest National Park. Leaving Phoenix mid-morning, I traveled to the park for an afternoon photo shoot. While I normally try to get to my chosen location by sunrise, the park is only open from 0800 to 1700, well outside the bounds of the best lighting conditions. The weather was mild, in the mid 80s, with clear blue skies. By late afternoon, a high level of haze and smoke from the desert wildfires near Phoenix began to cover the park.
One of my favorite spots in the park is Blue Mesa trail, due to its patterns and tapestry of colors in the bentonite hills (a type of absorbent clay formed from volcanic ash - named after Fort Benton, WY, which has a lot of it) below the parking lot. You can read more about the Blue Mesa trail from a previous visit, in my article; Living Stone: in the Painted Desert.
Petrified National Park, Arizona, along the Blue Mesa Trail (Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-70mm f/4 S)
The trail drops steeply from the parking lot and then winds its way in a circular pattern on the valley floor.
Jackson, Wyoming
Sun May 24, 2020
Sunday morning, the weather started clearing up as was expected. But, it was more of a gradual clearing as opposed to waking up to clear skies. Throughout the early morning I debated on whether it was best to drive up US 89 to Moran Junction before entering the park in hopes that the peaks would clear and I could get a few images before they were clouded over again. But, as I got closer to the southern entrance of the park the range was still clouded over. So, I went into the park hoping to get some closeups of the mountain range base and then I could catch any clearing in the afternoon on the way back to Jackson. I was fortunate though, the clouds began clearing as I was near Jenny Lake.
Grand Teton range in snow, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming (Nikon Z7, Irix 150mm f2.8 Dragonfly 1:1 Macro)
Grand Teton range in snow, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming (Nikon Z7, Irix 150mm f2.8 Dragonfly 1:1 Macro)
After touring the park for the day, it was time to make the long journey back to Phoenix, Arizona - I was looking at a 14 hour drive.