September 20, 2007
September 20, 2007
We got an early start today so we could take photos at Dead Horse Point with the early morning sun. I had been told the professional poster photos in the visitor center had been done at sunrise. I am learning that good photography is less about how expensive the camera or how skillful the photographer and more about being in the right place at the right time. Patience is the keyword, which I have little of. After several quick photos we head out of the park and then south into Canyonlands National Park. In the visitor center we watch their movie and get some hiking recommendations.
Canyonlands Park is centered on the Y-shaped confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers. The rivers divide the park into three sections. We are in the top center section called Islands in the Sky. This section has two dead end roads. We start at one end where we hike to the rim of Upheaval Dome. It is a highly eroded bowl whose origin is a mystery. One possibility is a prehistoric meteor impact. The other explanations aren’t nearly as sexy.
From the crater we work our way back south. Along the way we stop at several overlooks. In this area both the Green and Colorado rivers are in deep canyons. We have lunch parked at one overlook. We drive to the southern terminus and hike a mile along the rims to the Grand View Point. Here we have an almost 360-degree view of both canyons with the confluence in the distance.
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Our last stop is a short hike to Mesa arch. We would have skipped it but for the short hike. I am glad we did as the arch is teetering off the side of a cliff. One wrong look and it could be gone.
Water is a precious commodity in the desert, apparently even in campgrounds. Because we had left Arches before I had my morning cup of coffee, I forgot to fill our water tank before leaving. In Dead Horse we had electricity but the only water available was trucked in for the restrooms. Canyonlands campgrounds have no water or electricity of any kind so it is back to Moab for us. I think it was Aimee’s secret plan all along to return to a private campground because her favorite show, Survivor, is premiering tonight and she wouldn’t miss it for anything.
We got an early start today so we could take photos at Dead Horse Point with the early morning sun. I had been told the professional poster photos in the visitor center had been done at sunrise. I am learning that good photography is less about how expensive the camera or how skillful the photographer and more about being in the right place at the right time. Patience is the keyword, which I have little of. After several quick photos we head out of the park and then south into Canyonlands National Park. In the visitor center we watch their movie and get some hiking recommendations.
Canyonlands Park is centered on the Y-shaped confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers. The rivers divide the park into three sections. We are in the top center section called Islands in the Sky. This section has two dead end roads. We start at one end where we hike to the rim of Upheaval Dome. It is a highly eroded bowl whose origin is a mystery. One possibility is a prehistoric meteor impact. The other explanations aren’t nearly as sexy.
From the crater we work our way back south. Along the way we stop at several overlooks. In this area both the Green and Colorado rivers are in deep canyons. We have lunch parked at one overlook. We drive to the southern terminus and hike a mile along the rims to the Grand View Point. Here we have an almost 360-degree view of both canyons with the confluence in the distance..jpg)
Water is a precious commodity in the desert, apparently even in campgrounds. Because we had left Arches before I had my morning cup of coffee, I forgot to fill our water tank before leaving. In Dead Horse we had electricity but the only water available was trucked in for the restrooms. Canyonlands campgrounds have no water or electricity of any kind so it is back to Moab for us. I think it was Aimee’s secret plan all along to return to a private campground because her favorite show, Survivor, is premiering tonight and she wouldn’t miss it for anything.
posted by Mike and Aimee at 9:06 AM
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