Green River View

Green River View (Canyonlands NP) - Utah  2016

Green River (Canyonlands NP) - Utah  2016

Author Edward Abbey, a frequent visitor, described the Canyonlands as "the most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth—there is nothing else like it anywhere."

- Wikipedia

*****

Clouds, cloud shadows. Thank goodness.

This scene is much like Bryce Canyon: hard to convey in a photo.

Canyonlands Sightems

Catchbasins, View (Canyonlands NP) - Utah  2016

Rainwater (Canyonlands NP) - Utah  2016

Catch basins and Fritos and Beer.

Fritos and Beer (Canyonlands NP) - Utah  2016

Island in the Sky (Canyonlands National Park)

Road (Canyonlands NP) - Utah  2016

Grass, Clouds (Canyonlands NP) - Utah  2016

Mike had been to Canyonlands National Park before, in 2012 and in 1996, when he visited the "Needles" section, out of Monticello:

- Slickrock Hike

- Canyonlands - Views

This year he visited the more northern section called "Island in the Sky:" an elongated mesa high above a vast desert wilderness.

Canyonlands - Views

Canyonlands - Utah  2012

Canyonlands - Utah  1996

After returning to the car Mike got out the tripod for a four-photo merge shot of the canyon on the other side of the road.

He had better luck with clouds in an earlier 1996 photo taken in the same area.

Slickrock Hike

Rabbitbrush (Canyonlands) - Utah  2012

Rock Wall (Canyonlands) - Utah  2012

After entering the park Mike drove to the end of the road to the Slickrock Trailhead, parked, and then set off onto a relatively short hike into Utah's mesmerizing sandstone country. It was just a little bit warm! Slightly rubbery legs served as a warning to Mike to yank out his canteen for some major hydrating.

He continued on, for distant views of The Needles and some closer looks at the numerous yucca seed pods.

Needles (Canyonlands) - Utah  2012

Yucca Pods (Canyonlands) - Utah  2012

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands - Utah  2012

Mike got up early in order to visit Canyonlands National Park in the AM. One drives on a fairly level route, then drops down into a scene of faroff buttes, ravines, and yes, canyons.

The area must be right below some major air routes. LAX to ATL? Maybe. The contrails in evidence were amazing . . . perhaps they could be removed in Photoshop, but what a hassle.

Contrails - Utah  2012

And, more contrails: in the Sierra. Also, there's probably no need to get into conspiracy theories.

Monday Cow Blogging

Cow - Utah  2012

Cows Crossing Road - Utah  2012

Cows seen on the way to Canyonlands National Park. They apparently really enjoyed wandering back and forth across the road.

Earlier Utah cow photograph: Cows in Snow.