Zion
It's always better on Holiday. Today was another successful day of photography in Utah. Bryce Canyon was amazing yet again this morning, with absolutely fantastic colors on the "hoodoos," as the weird formations are called. Didn't spend too much time there because I wanted to get to Zion and still have some time left to do my hikes.
I headed through Zion to get to Springdale, UT, where I rented some canyoneering shoes, some neoprene socks, a walking stick, and a dry bag. The company I rented from (Zion Adventure Company) was very helpful and they have a pretty good deal for renting that stuff. I needed that stuff so that I could hike the famous Zion Narrows, the classic hike of Zion National Park.
First, though, I had to contend with the traffic and shuttle system in the park. Because of crowding, only shuttle buses can enter Zion Canyon, so you have to take one to get to the Zion Narrows. Unfortunately it's a long bus ride and with all my extraneous crap (camera, water bottle, hiking pole, etc) it was quite a pain. All told, I think it took me about an hour to get back to the Temple of Sinawava to start the hike.
The hike itself is a hike up the Virgin River through a fantastic slot canyon that's as narrow as 20 feet in some places with 500-1000 foot tallwalls. The colors are amazing, and it's a great introduction to slot canyons. The shoes and everything were necessary because the "trail" is actually just hiking in the river for most of its length.
It was pretty crowded, but as I got farther away I was finally able to start taking pictures without people in them, and I certainly did that a lot.
The point of the dry bag was to keep my camera from getting wet, but the river was so shallow in most places that I didn't need it. Unfortunately, I lost my balance twice and fell in a bit, getting the camera slightly wet. The bag it was in protected it pretty well, and it was fine after the first one, but the second one seems to have killed it. It was barely damp, so I'm hopeful that it will work again once the water inside evaporates. It still sort of works, but you can't really take pictures with it.
I have another camera with me as well that I will be using for picture taking for the rest of the trip if this one doesn't pull through, but I don't have the cord for it, so this may be the last picture update. It may be even if the other DOES start working though, because tomorrow looks like it could be tight on time if I manage to get a permit for coyote buttes.
In deference to reality, I didn't do the Angel's Landing hike. I definitely wouldn't have had time, but I really want to do it at some point, and I think my plan to photograph from its summit at sunset is a good one.
Despite the camera breaking, I took over 400 pictures today. That includes Bryce Canyon this morning and then narrows this afternoon. I took some cool looking sunset shots with my other camera, but those will have to wait until I get home...
Here are some of my quick hit favorites from today after a brief glance. I have a bit more time tonight because I don't have a specific sunrise destination tomorrow morning and will be sleeping in a bit. You don't know how hard it was to get this many pictures without any people in them.
Bryce Amphitheatre as seen from Bryce Point
Bryce Amphitheatre as seen from Sunrise Point
Near where I stopped in the Zion Narrows. The place were I fell and dunked the camera the first time is in the foreground.
The Zion Narrows.
More of the Zion Narrows.
Taken from a smaller side-canyon called Orderville Canyon, looking back into the main canyon of the Zion Narrows.
A dark self portrait at the end of Orderville Canyon.
I headed through Zion to get to Springdale, UT, where I rented some canyoneering shoes, some neoprene socks, a walking stick, and a dry bag. The company I rented from (Zion Adventure Company) was very helpful and they have a pretty good deal for renting that stuff. I needed that stuff so that I could hike the famous Zion Narrows, the classic hike of Zion National Park.
First, though, I had to contend with the traffic and shuttle system in the park. Because of crowding, only shuttle buses can enter Zion Canyon, so you have to take one to get to the Zion Narrows. Unfortunately it's a long bus ride and with all my extraneous crap (camera, water bottle, hiking pole, etc) it was quite a pain. All told, I think it took me about an hour to get back to the Temple of Sinawava to start the hike.
The hike itself is a hike up the Virgin River through a fantastic slot canyon that's as narrow as 20 feet in some places with 500-1000 foot tallwalls. The colors are amazing, and it's a great introduction to slot canyons. The shoes and everything were necessary because the "trail" is actually just hiking in the river for most of its length.
It was pretty crowded, but as I got farther away I was finally able to start taking pictures without people in them, and I certainly did that a lot.
The point of the dry bag was to keep my camera from getting wet, but the river was so shallow in most places that I didn't need it. Unfortunately, I lost my balance twice and fell in a bit, getting the camera slightly wet. The bag it was in protected it pretty well, and it was fine after the first one, but the second one seems to have killed it. It was barely damp, so I'm hopeful that it will work again once the water inside evaporates. It still sort of works, but you can't really take pictures with it.
I have another camera with me as well that I will be using for picture taking for the rest of the trip if this one doesn't pull through, but I don't have the cord for it, so this may be the last picture update. It may be even if the other DOES start working though, because tomorrow looks like it could be tight on time if I manage to get a permit for coyote buttes.
In deference to reality, I didn't do the Angel's Landing hike. I definitely wouldn't have had time, but I really want to do it at some point, and I think my plan to photograph from its summit at sunset is a good one.
Despite the camera breaking, I took over 400 pictures today. That includes Bryce Canyon this morning and then narrows this afternoon. I took some cool looking sunset shots with my other camera, but those will have to wait until I get home...
Here are some of my quick hit favorites from today after a brief glance. I have a bit more time tonight because I don't have a specific sunrise destination tomorrow morning and will be sleeping in a bit. You don't know how hard it was to get this many pictures without any people in them.
Bryce Amphitheatre as seen from Bryce Point
Bryce Amphitheatre as seen from Sunrise Point
Near where I stopped in the Zion Narrows. The place were I fell and dunked the camera the first time is in the foreground.
The Zion Narrows.
More of the Zion Narrows.
Taken from a smaller side-canyon called Orderville Canyon, looking back into the main canyon of the Zion Narrows.
A dark self portrait at the end of Orderville Canyon.