Utah

Cave Spring Trail in Utah: LAPC

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Trail in Canyonlands National Park, Utah May2017

If you decide to walk the short Cave Spring Trail in Canyonlands National Park, you will be rewarded with unique encounters with history and nature.

Cave Spring Trail in Canyonlands National Park, Utah May2017

The 0.6 mile loop trail takes you past a narrow cowboy camp tucked under a rock ledge. Camps like these were in use from the late 1800s to 1975. The Scorup-Sommerville Cattle Company managed as many as 10,000 cattle in this region. Cowboys lived a life on the range and artifacts from their outdoor camp remain at this site.

Cowboy camp at trail in Canyonlands National Park, Utah May2017

This site was prized due to the fact that a spring existed here. Rainwater percolated through the sandstone over this site and carved out alcoves.

Sites such as these hosted cowboys in the recent past, but Native Americans lived here thousands of years before them. Their rock art can be seen in parts of the cave. The spring is considered a sacred place to descendants of these people.

Cave Spring in Canyonlands National Park, Utah May2017

If you follow the trail farther, you’ll come to two narrow ladders that take you up to a slickrock sandstone plateau.

Ladder on Cave Spring Trail in Canyonlands National Park, Utah May2017

Follow the rock cairns marking the trail…

Rock cairns marking the trail in Canyonlands National Park, Utah May2017

to get stunning 360-degree views of the Canyonlands.

Scenic view from Cave Spring Trail in Canyonlands National Park, Utah May2017
Scenic view from Cave Spring Trail in Canyonlands National Park, Utah May2017

The trail drops down into another narrow alcove and continues to the parking area. Cave Spring Trail isn’t long, but it packs a lot into a short distance.

Cave Spring Trail in Canyonlands National Park, Utah May2017

I was especially impressed by the many interesting formations in the rock along this trail. Cave Spring Trail, and the nearby AMAZING petroglyphs of Newspaper Rock, made this one of our favorite stops on our trip to Utah’s National Parks.

  • Rock formations in Canyonlands National Park, Utah May2017
  • Rock formations in Canyonlands National Park, Utah May2017
  • Rock formations in Canyonlands National Park, Utah May2017

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Narrow

Ancient Words: Monochrome Monday

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Ancient-Words at Newspaper Rock, Utah -4May2017
Ancient-Words at Newspaper Rock, Utah -4May2017

These petroglyphs at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument near Monticello, Utah look otherworldly in infrared. To see the whole amazing rock in color, see Newspaper Rock – Ancient Messages in Stone.

A different world-Utah rocks: LAPC

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You live in the image you have of the world. Every one of us lives in a different world, with different space and different time.

Alejandro Jodorowsky

The geology of Utah is so unique and interesting. I imagined many details of alternate worlds while visiting there.

Alternate worlds at Capitol Reef NPk 5May2017

The formations at Capitol Reef form thrones ready for giant-sized royalty.

Mountains at Zion NPk 6May2017

The mountains of Zion National Park look as though they have been compressed, kneaded, and scratched by the claws of big cats

Patterns at Canyonlands NPk 5May2017

At Canyonlands National Park, an army of stone soldiers is forever frozen in time.

Different worlds at Bryce Canyon NPk 6May2017

A city of towers pushes out the forest at Bryce Canyon National Park.

Patterns at Arches NPk 3May2017

At Arches National Park, layers of earth tilt and reach towards the sky, hoping they may someday form archways of stone.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge – Something different

Textures of Arches National Park

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Textures of Arches National Park 4 2May2017

Crowded columns taking in the view

Textures of Arches National Park 3May2017

Carefully crafted by hand and built to last

Curving crowns of overarching rock

Textures of Arches National Park 3May2017

Chronicles covering events from long ago

Textures of Arches National Park 2May2017

Creased cracks pressed by time

Textures of Arches National Park 2May2017

Colorful cactus thriving and persisting

Sunday Stills – Texture is all around us

Log Cabin Scene: Tuesday Photo Challenge

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Cabin scene from the past

Log cabin scene in Torrey, Utah 5May2018Here’s a cabin scene in Torrey, Utah. It looks as though this old building could tell many interesting stories. Lots of drama in those walls…

Tuesday Photo Challenge at Dutch Goes the Photo! – Scene

All-time Favorites: WPC

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The theme for the very last Weekly Photo Challenge was All-time Favorites. I’m late getting these up because my computer was in the shop and I was traveling. So without further ado…

North American River Otter 24Sept2016

North American river otter

All-time Favorite Critters

I have a lot of photos of animals so it’s hard to choose favorites but here goes. Here’s a handful for you.

Great horned owl
Peek-a-boo view of an Northern flicker
Young Western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis
North American porcupine at Hart Mountain National Antelope Range, OR

All-time Favorite Landscapes & plants

This was even harder to narrow down! Here’s another handful.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Moenkopi Formation at Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Sahalie Falls, Oregon
Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park
Bitterroot, Lewisia redviva
Carnation, Dianthus sp.
Tufted evening primrose, Oenothera caespitosa
Clear Lake Reflections, Linn County, Oregon

All-time Favorite History Photos

And here’s a dash of history for good measure. Hope you enjoy them!

Petroglyphs on Newspaper Rock in Utah in May 2017
Reid School
Antique Rocking Chair

Final Weekly Photo Challenge – All-Time Favorites

Delicate Arch – Beloved Icon: CFFC

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A treasure in stone

There it is. The view of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park I was waiting for. What a sight!

Delicate Arch 3May201:

Now here’s “the rest of the story.” Lines of people wait to take pictures of their loved ones or themselves under the arch. That is the life of a beloved icon like Delicate Arch.

It’s great that so many people treasure our natural resources in national parks. Just be quick if you want to get that perfect shot! 😉

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah 3May2017CFFC: Arch, Dome, or Half Circle

 

 

Shooting Stars: Friday Flowers

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“Stretching his hand up to reach the stars, too often man forgets the flowers at his feet.”     Jeremy Bentham

Shooting Stars at Zion National Park, Utah 7May2017

Shooting Stars at Zion National Park, Utah

Time Lines 2: Bryce Canyon National Park

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Time Lines Bryce Canyon NPk 6May2017

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Lines of Hoodoos

Here’s one more entry for the Weekly Photo Challenge of Lines. The many layered castles in Bryce Canyon National Park are an amazing sight. A single hoodoo formation is impressive, but when you see hundreds of them in lines like soldiers standing at attention,  they are just plain stunning.

See my previous post Time Lines: Utah Parks for more pictures featuring a small taste of the geology in Utah’s parks.

Time Lines: Utah Parks

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Time lines from long ago

The time lines are obvious in the many rock forms in state and national parks in Utah. Can you imagine the stories from hundreds of millions of years ago these land forms could tell us?

Time Lines Capitol Reef NPk 5May2017

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Time Lines Arches NPk 3May2017

Arches National Park, Utah

Time Lines Zion NPk 6May2017

Zion National Park, Utah

Time Lines Canyonlands NPk 4May2017

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Time Lines Dead Horse Pt StPk 3May2017

Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah

Weekly Photo Challenge – Lines

Weathered Tree

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Here is a weathered old tree that is beautiful even without any leaves. Its trunk leans and twists but the tree still manages to keep standing.

Weathered tree at Arches National Park in Utah. 3May2017

Weekly Photo Challenge – Weathered

Favorite Pictures 2017

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The Weekly Photo Challenge this week is Favorite. I could not select just one picture so here are a few of my favorites from the past year. Enjoy!

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah 6May2017

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah in May 2017

This one is from my most liked post of the year – Utah National Parks: Trees & Rocks. There are lots of photogenic landscapes in Utah and this post contains a photo from each of the five national parks.

Pete French Round Barn near Diamond, Oregon 13Sept2017

Pete French Round Barn near Diamond, Oregon in September 2017 (infrared)

Here is a picture of the Pete French Round Barn. This picture is in infrared and it shows off the beautiful structure of this barn. To learn more about this barn that was built in the 1880’s and to see more photos, see my post – Pete French Round Barn.

Glowing sunrise over the High Desert of Central Oregon near Bend. 18Oct2017

Glowing sunrise over the High Desert of Central Oregon near Bend in October 2017

We see plenty of stunning sunrises and sunsets in Bend, Oregon but this one in October was especially beautiful. It was taken from my yard.

Rorschach reflections on Three Creek Lake in Oregon 24Sept2017

Rorschach reflections on Three Creek Lake in Oregon in September 2017

I often notice interesting shapes and forms when out taking pictures. Here is a shot that I called Rorschach Reflections. It was taken at Three Creeks Lake near Sisters, Oregon while I was out kayaking.

Eclipse 2017 Prineville, Oregon 21August2017

The eclipse as viewed from Prineville, Oregon in August 2017

The eclipse! I drove 30 minutes away and got a perfect view of the eclipse. This was my best shot. For more on that day, see – Solar Eclipse Success.

New growth on a pine tree 23June2017

New growth on a pine tree in Bend, Oregon in June 2017

Here is a simple shot of a pine tree’s new growth last summer.

Desert primrose in landscape 29May2017

Desert primrose in landscape, Bend, Oregon in May 2017

Here’s a desert primrose blooming in my garden. I’m trying to do water wise gardening. See my post Water wise gardening: Growing more with less.

Tiger swallowtail butterfly in Bend, Oregon in July 2017
Herd of pronghorn beneath a rainbow of foliage at Malheur NWR in Oregon in September 2017
Western Kingbird at Fort Rock, Oregon in April 2017

Here are a few wildlife shots. A tiger swallowtail on a brilliant flower, a herd of pronghorn beneath a “rainbow” of foliage, and a small-but-mighty western kingbird.

Newspaper Rock 2, UT 4May2017

Petroglyphs on Newspaper Rock in Utah in May 2017

I will leave you with this shot of Newspaper Rock in Utah. Maybe this was the first place to blog? For more on that site, see Newspaper Rock – Ancient Messages in Stone.

 

Stone steps ascending

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The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must step up the stairs.    Vance Havner

Stone Steps Zion NPK, Utah 7May2017

Twisting rock wall and stone steps at Zion National Park in Utah

Weekly Photo Challenge – Ascend

Turkey Time!

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Before the transformation…

Tomorrow many people will be eating a delicious turkey dinner. I wanted to share some pictures of what turkeys look like in the wild before they are transformed into the centerpiece of a Thanksgiving meal. Enjoy!

Weekly Photo Challenge – Transformation

Layered point

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This week the word for the Weekly Photo Challenge is Layered. Here is one of the many beautiful layered formations along the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.

Formation along the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah 5May2017

Utah National Parks: Trees & Rocks

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The Weekly Photo Challenge this week is Structure. I immediately thought of our recent trip to the five national parks in Utah. The structure of the rocks and geological features is complimented by the trees in these parks. Whether dead and twisting, or green and contrasting, the trees are a main character in an interesting landscape.

Arches National Park, Utah 3May2017

Arches National Park, Utah

The arches are amazing at Arches National Park and standing dead trees add to the scene. You can see Double Arch in the background.

A fence along the trail in Canyonlands National Park, Utah 4May2017

A fence along the trail in Canyonlands National Park, Utah

I loved these fences made from old juniper wood in Canyonlands National Park. They helped keep people on the trail and were nice to look at too.

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah 5May2017

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

The rainbow of colors in the cliffs of this canyon in Capitol Reef National Park were complimented by the bright green of the trees. A storm was moving in in this picture.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah 6May2017

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

A windswept pine tree clings to the edge of a cliff in Bryce Canyon National Park. Puffy white clouds (like in “The Simpsons” cartoons) float gracefully in the background.

Zion National Park 6May2017

Zion National Park

Colorful and tilting structures in the rock, line a tree-filled canyon in Zion National Park. A few wispy clouds hang over the valley.

The national parks in Utah are full of interesting structures both large and small. The geology of the region tells a dramatic story. The trees and other plants living here have adapted to harsh conditions. The wildlife living here takes advantage of the local environment.

Take the time to look up but also to look down when you visit these parks. Each park is a little different from the others and each one has amazing sights worth seeing. The forces of Nature are strong here.

Castles of Bryce

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Being a visual person, I have always wanted to visit Bryce Canyon National Park. I was not disappointed when I visited the park in May. Here are some of the many multi-layered delicate castles of stone in the park. They are a visual treat to all that are lucky enough to see them.

Bryce Canyon National Park 6May2017

Weekly Photo Challenge – Satisfaction

Visiting Westworld

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In search of Westworld

Do you enjoy watching the HBO series Westworld? When I first watched the show, I wondered where some of the stunning outdoor shots had been filmed. Interesting land features and sunny skies serve as a backdrop in this series. I found out that several filming locations were in Utah so we visited them on a recent trip.

Westworld, Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah 3May2017
Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah

Origins of Westworld

This series is based on the 1973 Westworld movie, written and directed by Michael Crichton. In this sci-fi classic, wealthy tourists visit an Old West-themed amusement park where they can indulge in any of their fantasies with no consequences. The “hosts” in the park appear to be human but they are actually androids. Though the skies appear to always be sunny, there are dark plot twists involving the hosts in both the movie and the series.

Castle Valley near Moab, Utah 4May2017
Castle Valley near Moab, Utah

Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy worked on the screenplay for the new series. It debuted on HBO in October of 2016. You may have heard of Jonathan’s brother, Christopher Nolan. The two of them co-wrote the screenplays for The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, and several other successful films. Jonathan worked as a writer, director, and executive producer on the Westworld series, roles he also held for the Person of Interest series.

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A story in layers

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Land forms of the Moenkopi Formation at Capitol Reef National Park, Utah 5May2017

Land forms of the Moenkopi Formation at Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Land forms at Capitol Reef National Park

The landscape at Capitol Reef National Park tells many stories in colorful layers of rock. The darker columns in the picture above are part of the Moenkopi Formation and it is 225 million years old.

The sedimentary layers of rock in this picture consist of silt, sand, clay, and gravel. The bands of gray and burgundy are made up of volcanic ash. The 700 foot thick layer at the base of the cliffs is the Chinle Formation. That formation contains a lot of petrified wood.

I was impressed by contrasting colors and textures at this park. If you take a trip to Utah, don’t overlook this park. There are a lot of hiking trails here and a short scenic drive.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Order

Wear in the world?

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Can you guess where (or wear) I was earlier this month? Yes! I was on a 2,754-mile road trip to see parks in Utah and Nevada. We visited five national parks and one state park in Utah and one national park in Nevada.

I love the artwork on these t-shirts. It’s nice to remember a place with a piece of art you can wear.

BryceNatPk 6May2017

I took a few pictures while on this trip. 1,420 to be exact. Lots of material for future blog posts!

Newspaper Rock – Ancient Messages in Stone

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Newspaper Rock, UT 4May2017An amazing example of petroglyphs can be seen on the road into the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Wow! I have seen petroglyphs before but never so many in one spot. There are more than 650 drawings on Newspaper Rock at this state historical monument. The dark desert varnish provides a nice contrast to the messages carved into the stone.

Newspaper Rock 2, UT 4May2017The first carvings at this site have been determined to be 2,000 years old. People of the Archaic, Anasazi, Fremont, Navajo, Anglo, and Pueblo cultures have carved their messages into the rock over the years. Unfortunately, it looks like some more modern graffiti artists added to parts of the scene.

Newspaper Rock 3, UT 4May2017The meanings of the messages here have been difficult to figure out. Do they tell a story or are they merely scribbles? The Navajo refer to Newspaper Rock as Tse’ Hane – translated as  “Rock that tells a story.” It does indeed appear to tell many stories. Only the people who made the carvings know exactly what those stories were.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Heritage
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