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Description:
Kane Springs Canyon - Although
there isn't quite as much foliage in Red Rock Country as compared
to other parts of the country, the foliage that we do have can be
absolutely spectacular during autumn. In spite of the fact that these
first 4 photographs were taken rather late in the foliage season,
on November 11, 2002, the rich golden colors of the cottonwood leaves
were still quite beautiful. Throughout all of southern Utah you can
locate waterways by the blanket of cottonwood trees that lines their
banks. One of the largest trees in southern Utah, mature Cottonwoods
can attain heights of over 100 feet. During a midday hike in the heat
of summer, nothing is more enjoyable than a refreshing break in the
shade of a big cottonwood.
Camera: Canon
A40 Digital Camera |
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Description:
Kane
Springs Canyon - Slow moving
clouds provided dramatic lighting for the surrounding red rock cliffs.
Camera: Canon
A40 Digital Camera |
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Description:
Kane
Springs Canyon - This
is another view illustrating the dramatic interplay of shadow and
light on partly cloudy days.
Camera: Canon A40 Digital
Camera
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Description:
Kane
Springs Canyon - Indirect
late afternoon lighting (4:11pm) provided soft illumination for the
cottonwoods in the foreground of this photograph.
Camera: Canon
A40 Digital Camera |
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Description:
Moab Storm - I took
this photo after returning home to Moab from Kane Springs Canyon (photos
above). November of 2002 provided many spectacular storms, which are
generally more characteristic of our late August weather (our monsoon
season). I simply pulled off Highway 191 to grab this photo. The La
Sal Mountains are visible beneath the clouds.
Camera: Canon
A40 Digital Camera |
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Description:
Erosional Sandstone
Form - Arches National Park - I liked the shape and color of this
formation. It's located at the base of a series of hundred foot tall
sandstone fins. Reflected light from the fin directly behind me provided
warm illumination which intensified the natural color of the rock.
Camera: Canon
A40 Digital Camera |
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Description:
Corona Effect at
Corona Arch - This photograph was taken while standing under
Corona Arch. In my opinion, Corona Arch is one of the most spectacular
arches in Red Rock Country. Some folks like to call it "Little
Rainbow Bridge" because it resembles a scaled down version of
the well known Rainbow Bridge. However, I think it’s an injustice
to use the word "little" when referring to this arch because
it’s huge. In fact, my neighbor's brother actually flew a small
airplane through this massive arch, back when it was legal to do so.
Although this photograph just shows a small portion of the arch, I
like the corona effect.
Camera: Canon
A40 Digital Camera |
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Description:
Rolling Entrada Hills
with Potholes - This late afternoon photograph (11/29/02 - 3:37pm)
shows my wife Rhonda exploring some beautiful rolling entrada sandstone
hills. In the high desert of the Colorado Plateau, wind and rain
carve out hollows in the desert sandstone, creating potholes over
long periods of time. These potholes can range from several inches
to tens of feet in depth. When they fill with water they become
home to a variety of organisms. However, the water in desert potholes
doesn’t last long. Rainfall in the desert is intermittent at best.
In the subzero temperatures of winter pothole water freezes, and
in summer, when temperatures reach as high as 120 degrees F, the
water evaporates. One of the frequently seen organisms in the potholes
of the Colorado Plateau is the fairy shrimp. This small, soft-bodied
crustacean is a desiccation resistor and is able to seal moisture
inside its body and become dormant for years at a time. The tenacity
of desert life always amazes me!
Camera: Canon
A40 Digital Camera - Note: This photo was taken directly into the
sun. I was quite impressed with the A40's resistance to lens flare!
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Description:
Bowtie Arch
- Bowtie Arch and Corona Arch (2 pics up) are adjacent to each other.
Bowtie Arch is located high up on the edge of a cliff, about 100 feet
above the trail below. It is a "pothole arch", formed when a pothole
(see pic of potholes above) on the cliff-rim broke through and continued
to erode into the lovely, well rounded arch we see today.
Camera: Canon
A40 Digital Camera |
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Description:
Juniper Wood Close-up
Camera: Canon
A40 Digital Camera |
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Description:
Double O Arch - Arches
National Park - This stitched panorama is a composite of 3 digital
images. The original resolution was 3148x1092, which I reduced to
1024x355 for website use.
Camera: Canon
A40 Digital Camera |
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Description:
Candlestick Tower Overlook
- Canyonlands National Park - A rapidly moving
late September storm provided some great photo opportunities. Looking
west from the Island in the Sky, quite a bit of rain is visible
coming out of the storm clouds. The closer this storm got, the more
intense the wind became. Although I normally take many of my landscape
photos from the edge of cliffs, I stayed about 15 feet back for this
photo because of the intense wind. The plateau below is well over
1000 feet down.
Camera: Canon
A40 Digital Camera |
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Description:
Turret Arch
- Arches National Park - This arch has always been one of
my favorite arches in Arches National Park. Located in the Windows
Section of the park, it is normally set against the spectacular backdrop
of the La Sal Mountains. On this particular day, the mountains were
obscured by an equally impressive cloud formation. Turret
Arch actually has three openings. The main opening has a span of 39
x 64 feet. The two smaller openings are 12 x 13 feet and 8 x 4.5 feet.
(For scale, the little white speck beneath one of the small openings
is a person.) This arch has been known by at least seven other names:
Double-O Arch, Framed Arch, Jail Entrance, The Jug Handle, Kneeling
Camel, Pillar Arch and Profile Rock. Several of these names are used
for other arches, both inside and outside of the park.
Camera/Lens:
Nikon N65/28-70mm Nikkor
Film:
Fuji Velvia Slide Film |
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Description:
Navajo Arch - Arches National Park
- Navajo
Arch is a hidden gem in Arches National Park. Located in the Devil's
Garden Section of the park, it is located on a spur of the popular
Double-O Arch Trail. It has a span of 41 feet and a height of 13 feet.
Bates E. Wilson, a previous superintendent (1949-1972) of Arches named
it. One afternoon Bates and two Navajo employees were working on the
Devil's Garden Trail. During their lunch break one of the Navajos
took a walk and discovered the arch. Bates then decided to name the
arch after his friend's tribe. The arch is quite picturesque, and
well worth the additional .6 mile (round trip) that it will add to
your hike to Double-O Arch. I love looking at the underside of arches.
You can always count on intense color when Entrada Sandstone is illuminated
by reflected light.
Camera: Canon
A40 Digital Camera |
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Description:
Slickrock Member of
Entrada Sandstone - I took this photograph on public land
east of Canyonlands National Park. The Entrada Sandstone you see here
was deposited during the Jurassic Period, between 140 and 180 million
years ago. Sand grains and siltstones of tidal mudflats, beaches,
and sand dunes make up the 3 members of Entrada Sandstone: Dewey
Bridge, Slickrock and Moab Toungue. The Slickrock
member, named for the type locality at Slickrock, Colorado, often
appears as smooth, rounded domes.
Camera: Canon
A40 Digital Camera |
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Description:
Juniper
Wood - I took this photograph of a juniper branch on public
land east of Canyonlands National Park. The twisted shape of Utah
juniper wood has fascinated me since my first visit to Utah in 1986.
This photograph was taken under a clear blue sky, resulting in wonderfully
blue shadows on the wood. The blue shadows provide an interesting
contrast to the surrounding red rock and sand.
Utah juniper is the most predominant single species of trees in Utah
as far as total cover is concerned; nearly one-fifth of the land area
of the state is covered by Utah juniper. Juniper berries, or berry-cones,
are eaten by jackrabbits, foxes, and coyotes. Many bird species depend
on juniper berry-cones for fall and winter food. The foliage is grazed
by mule deer when other foliage is scarce and during periods of deep
snow. Utah juniper has long been used for construction, fence posts
(it is highly decay resistant), firewood, and decorative purposes.
It is usually found at an elevation between 4,000 and 7,500 feet (below
pinyon pine and above the sagebrush-grass zone).
Camera:
Canon A40 Digital Camera
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