Kodachrome Basin State Park

Sage, Mesas - Utah  2016

Eroded Cliffs (Kodachrome Basin) - Utah  2016

A side trip that Mike took on the way between Bryce and Escalante. Overcast.

Monday Horse Blogging

Horses near Kodachrome Basin - Utah  2016

On the way to Kodachrome Basin State Park.

At first I thought that these might be wild horses, roaming the Utah plains. But no. As soon as I got out of the car with my camera they came running over, hoping for an apple.

Bryce Point

Bryce Point (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

Mike couldn't leave without a sunrise visit to Bryce Point. His last visit featured some great clouds, as did this visit. After photos he returned to his motel, packed up and ventured forth towards Escalante.

Bryce Canyon City

Road Leaving Bryce (Bryce Canyon City) - Utah  2016

Playground (Bryce Canyon City) - Utah  2016

Bryce Canyon City consists mainly of a gas station, two Best Western motels and a nice intersection with a traffic light. Mike had fun ambling around taking photos of the depopulated wintry scene.

Doubtless it looks much different in summer. Also: Google Street View.

Bryce Canyon Hike - 5

Bryce Canyon National Park - Queen's Garden Hike from Mike Mundy on Vimeo.


Taken with a Canon G5X using a tripod at beginning and end.

Bryce Canyon Hike - 4

Pine Tree, Spires (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

Juniper Trunk (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

Neat stuff! Not 100% sure of the juniper trunk identification.

Bryce Canyon Hike - 3

Spires (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

Hikers (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

This particular trail switchbacked down, down, down. Very tricky in spots . . . Mike managed to slip and perform a butt-slide on a particularly icy section. Sad!

Bryce Canyon Hike - 2

Trail #1 (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

Trail #2 (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

Mike was juggling all three cameras (plus an iPhone) during the hike. Above photos taken with an Olympus E-PL5 with a 9-18mm wide-angle zoom lens.

Monday Horse Blogging

Horses (Tropic) - Utah  2016

Mike was lucky in that he was able to take lots of horse pix on this trip. This photo was taken near Tropic, just on the other side of Bryce Canyon.

Bryce Canyon Hike - 1

Spires, Clouds, Snow (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

This was a fairly short dayhike that Mike took: along the rim, then down into the area known as the "Queen's Garden." As usual he got to the trailhead pretty early, not that many cars at the parking lot.

Cameras in Utah

Cameras (Bryce) - Utah  2016

Cameras used on my Utah trip, from front to back: Olympus EM-10 with 14-150mm zoom lens, Olympus E-PL5 with 9-18mm zoom lens, and a Canon G5X.

The EM-10 /14-150mm was my main camera/lens combo, with the older E-PL5 being used with a 9-18mm zoom and a 25mm prime lens.

The Canon is a relatively recent purchase and is providing really nice image quality. Quibbles: one's thumb can easily push one of the (very) small buttons on the right hand side in the back, changing the settings inadvertently, and the range (24-100mm equiv) is less than I'd like.

Motel Room (Bryce)

Motel Room (Bryce) - Utah  2016

Motel Art (Remington) - Utah  2016

Pix of Mike's motel room. At first he was tempted to dismiss the print hanging on the wall as just another hokey western scene, but no. Getting closer he realized that it was a print of a muted wintry scene done by Frederic Remington, The Fall of the Cowboy.

Bryce: Plateau, Snow - 2

Trees, Snow, Clouds (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

Burnt Trees (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

All the views in Bryce Canyon seem to be to the east. However, driving though the park there were some tantalizing glimpses of scenery to the west. But no viewpoints, alas.

Bryce: Plateau, Snow - 1

Manzanita (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

Grass, Snow, Pines (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

One arrives at the various outlooks in Bryce by driving along the upper plateau, then following spur roads to the east. Mike enjoyed the scenery in this higher elevation section almost as much as the more spectacular views. Both the above shots were taken using an Olympus wide angle zoom lens, below with a Canon G5X.

Outhouse (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

Bryce: Sunset

Spires (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

Spires, Snow, Clouds (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

First time I've seen the spires at sunset. Amazing view, especially with the snow and setting sun giving relief to the features.

Certainly more spectacular than Zion. Might be interesting to see using VR.

By the way, I have to note that officially, the spires are known as "hoodoos."

Monday Raven Blogging

Raven (Bryce Canyon NP) - Utah  2016

Very large bird wanting handouts. He didn't get anything from me.

View from Motel

Toyota RAV4, Utility Box - Utah  2016

Frosty's - Utah  2016

Best Western ("Ruby's Inn") in "Bryce Canyon City." Mike's red car as seen from above, and other sightems.

No exterior shot of the motel, but here's Google.

Sage

Sage, Fence - Utah  2016

Rabbitbrush, Snow - Utah  2016

Maybe not sage?

Could be rabbitbrush. However, "sage" is Mike's catch-all ID for prairie/desert plants.

Snow

Stream, Trailer - Utah  2016

Snow, Creekbed (Red Canyon) - Utah  2016

There was snow visible in the surrounding hills, becoming more evident as the road traveled upwards. Mike stopped for a while at Red Canyon to wander up a snow-covered gully, remembering the time he had camped here in 1996 and been surprised by an overnight snowfall.

Return to Panguitch

Brick Building (Panguitch) - Utah  2016

Church (Panguitch) - Utah  2016

A quick detour to Panguitch for lunch and groceries. Clear skies, unlike Mike's 2012 visit!

And, for fun, another Google Street View!

Highway 89 Sightems - 2

House #1 (Highway 89) - Utah  2016

House #2 (Highway 89) - Utah  2016

High, thin clouds that day provided some nice translucent lighting.

Highway 89 Sightems - 1

Golden Hills - Utah  2016

Cafe Motel - Utah  2016

Some Highway 89 photos in the order taken.

Monday Donkey Blogging

Donkey (Hwy 89) - Utah  2016

As one drives from Zion to Bryce on Highway 89 one passes through the small towns of Orderville, Glendale, Alton and Hatch. Great names, and visually very interesting!

Mike's procedure was to have the Canon G5X laying on the passenger seat ready for a photo op. Pulling over to the side of the road, rolling down the window and taking the shot turned into a regular routine.

For some reason, this animal decided to lay down just as Mike pulled up. Maybe something to do with Mike's California license plates.

Road to Bryce

Highway 9 - Utah  2016

In Utah, leaving Zion heading east on Highway 9 towards Highway 89 in early March.

Financial District Sightems - 2

SF Building - San Francisco  2016

Tree, Columns - San Francisco  2016

Some perspective correction done in Photoshop.

Financial District Sightems - 1

Fern, Staircase - San Francisco  2016

Trees, Windows - San Francisco  2016

Photos taken with a Canon G5X, converted to black and white using Nik's (free) software.

Caltrain Sightems

Caboose - San Francisco  2016

Quota Crusher - San Francisco  2016

Seen during a recent Caltrain trip to Palo Alto.

Leaving Zion National Park

Trees, Checkerboard Mesa (Zion NP) - Utah  2016

Trees, Rock Formations (Zion NP) - Utah  2016

Mike had reasoned that after driving all the way to Zion he should include some other Utah destinations in his itinerary. So he left Zion, drove through its famous tunnel and headed towards Panguitch for some groceries on his way to Bryce Canyon National Park.

This part of Zion, from the tunnel to the park boundary, is quite scenic. Not that many turnouts, though, alas.

Zion itself was nice enough, especially minus the crowds. But Mike probably won't be needing to go back there anytime soon.

Next week: the road to Bryce.

Zion Waterfall

Waterfall (Zion NP) - Utah  2016

Waterall, Cliff Stains (Zion NP) - Utah  2016

After a short hike (Emerald Pools Hike) one can walk in back of the waterfall! Cool. (Waterfall is visible in upper section of bottom photo, just right of center.)

Also: bottom photo taken using an Olympus wide-angle zoom lens. Interestingly enough, I'm discovering that it's a little too wide . . . it's a challenge getting adequate compositions.

Monday Western Bluebird Blogging

Western Bluebird (Zion NP) - Utah  2016

Seen outside Zion Lodge sitting on a utility pole.