My wife and I have just returned from an adventure that was 50 years in the making – our 50th Anniversary Tour.  My wife is the planner and organizer.  I’m a typical tourist.  When she suggested a cruise for our anniversary, I thought, “Great idea.  She gets to relax and enjoy life without cooking and keeping house.  I get to take pictures.”

It wasn’t exactly that way.  The cruise she was suggesting was on a 137 year-old wooden ship with few to no modern conveniences.  She had booked passage on an historical old schooner that would transport us to and through the islands off the coast of Maine, as well as some of the most scenic ports ever to be visited. 

That was just the beginning.  Our anniversary celebration lasted seven weeks with historic and cultural excursions through twelve states, mountains, oceans, coastlines, safe harbors, farmlands and a few irritatingly large cities,  Much of it was strictly spur-of-the-moment decisions.  Only the cruise and a leased cottage near Acadia National Park were pre-planned.

I can’t effectively cover the entire adventure in one post.  It would be much too long and, for some, bore you to tears.  I’ll break it into sections to please myself and give any readers the opportunity to pick and choose what to read and when.  Chronological order may seem the best approach.  But, remember, my wife is the organized one. 

As stated, this will be approached from a photographer’s point of view.  i will drop a few tips or provide references throughout.  I’ll mention right here that this article is especially relevant for photographers using “point-and-shoot” cameras.  A lot of what I have submitted to my stock agencies was shot with a Sony Cyber Shot, DSC-W170, 10.1 Mega Pixel camera that I carried around in my pocket. 

I bought this camera shortly before leaving for the cruise because I was afraid that the salt water would ruin my “Professional” equipment.  Man, did this baby perform.  My wife used the camera for the above picture of me in a canoe.   I love it.

Since our grandson spends summers with us, his return to the DC area was incorporated into our plans.  We decided that driving would provide the best opportunity to enjoy the history and culture of our nation’s birthplace, the East Coast and especially New England.  Besides, Dillon is seventeen.  He helped my drive through Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and Virginia.  Parts of that section will be included in our adventure.

We will relax along the Blue Ridge Parkway; curse frantically along New Jersey and New York’s toll roads; recover along a calming, tree-covered Connecticut trail; see hardly any of Massachusetts; gape, open-mouthed at the beauty and cleanliness of our greenest state, Vermont. 

Hunting a moose will bring us into Maine a few days before our scheduled windjammer departure from Rockland, Maine.  The early arrival will allow us time to thrill at the plethora of lighthouses along our coastal shores, learn more about lobster men and the rugged life of fishing and fishermen;  step back in time as ancient airplanes and historic vehicles are on display and demonstrate their capabilities at the Owls Head Transportation Museum. 

We will document our six days of sailing on a strictly authentic schooner as we are offered the opportunity to learn sailing as hands-on crewmembers of this beautiful relic from our coastal history.  Our ship will follow no particular course as we let the wind lead us to the best harbor for the evening, or the most interesting of the thousands of islands along Maine’s coast. 

We will view much of Acadia National Park from the deck of our schooner and spend time ashore at our own lobster boil; gawk at the “cottages” of several of America’s wealthiest citizens and shop in quaint shops of Stonington, Maine on the ever popular Deer Isle.

We will spend another week in a small fishing cottage in Stonington, using that as headquarters as we explore Acadia National Park and eat lobster almost every day.  Jane will take in the local farmers market and we will see a movie in the hundred year old Stonington Opera House.

This already has gotten too long.  I will add pictures and anecdotes as we work our way around Moosehead Lake, the Catskills, Pennsylvania’s Amish Area and on to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  I promise something for everyone and a generous selection of images and photography techniques.  Please stay tuned for more on our great adventure.

l8r

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Wildflower season in Texas is waning.  The lack of rain left the bluebonnet crop lacking.  But the red flowers are brilliant.  The flowers seem to come in phases.  Bluebonnets and yucca lead the way.  Following the blue season is the red season; indian blanket, indian paint brush, red poppies and some stuff I can’t name.  Yellow follows the red season; daisies, sunflower, etc.

In a good season, photographers line the highways and tourism brings a smile to the faces of local business people.  Finding just the right (not already occupied) spot is a task.  There is a place, however, for photographers to get an entire season of wildflower photographs in one day.  The Wildseed Farms is on US290,  seven miles east of Fredericksburg.  Not only can you have free access to their gardens, you can buy seeds and plants for your own garden.  They also offer very artistic planters, pots, bird baths, water structures and decorative designs.

My wife has a new car.  We decided to take it for an old-fashioned Sunday drive.  She had never been to the Wildseed Farm and had always wanted to see the place … and shop.  She is really into gardening.  She absolutely loved it.  We spent several hours there; me taking pictures and her ooohing and ahhhhing, admiring the flowers and handling the trinkets.  She wanted something for her mother.  (Mother’s Day, you know)  She didn’t find that perfect gift but did buy several packages of seeds for our own gardens.

There are 200 acres of wild flowers in  various stages of development.  The shopping areas are central; you go through the shops to get to the flower trails.  There is no charge and it seems the flower gardens are laid out with photographers in mind.  Distractions and busy backgrounds are minimal.

We stopped in Fredericksburg for our Sunday drive lunch but could just as well have visited the Wildflower Farms’ Brewbonned Biergarden.  They serve some excellent sandwiches and offer a beautiful outdoor setting for enjoying your lunch and beverage.

There also is a live butterfly exhibit.  We will try it on our next visit.  There is a small fee.  It was four dollars  for seniors.  I can’t recall the other prices.  You can gather much more information at their website, including phone numbers and the hours.  The website is at:

http://www.wildseedfarms.com/

Maybe we can schedule this as a Photography Club outing.  I will propose the idea tonight at our monthly meeting.

l8r

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This week finds me pushing away from the “how to” stuff and just remembering how fortunate I have been.  My camera allowed me to be a part of one of the most exciting sports in the world – motocross.  It brought me close to super heroes and some of the zaniest characters ever.  One of my super heroes, David Bailey, was born December 31, 1961, in San Diego California.  In honor of his birthday, I’m dedicating this post to “The Icon.”

I first met David Bailey in Gaildorf, West Germany in September 1982.  He was rushed to Germany to replace Donnie Hansen on the US Motocross and Trophee des Nations Team.  Hansen was injured while practicing for these events.  The accident was essentially the end of his career and the beginning of David Bailey’s ascension to Super Hero status.  Ultimately, both riders were inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

One of my first images of The Icon was less than flattering. It was right after the first moto of the Trophee des Nations and he was puking his guts out.  In the rush to replace Donnie Hansen, David was not allowed a lot of transition time.  He was exhausted from the unplanned trip, adapting to a new time zone and sleep (or lack of) schedule, and had just raced his heart out for Team USA.  Against the best motocross racers the world had to offer this hardly heard of American had just hung on for an eighth place finish, enough to place his team first going into the final race.  Certainly no shame in that well-earned puke.  :-) 

1982 was the year after the Americans won their first ever Motocross des Nations title and the same year that one of the zaniest, most revered motocrossers of all time won all four motos of the Motocross and Trophee des Nations, a never-before-accomplished feat.  And, it was to never again be accomplished.  But this is not about Magoo (Danny Chandler.)  It’s the Icon’s birthday.  :-)

After a brief recovery, Bailey went on to an even better finish in the second moto.  He was sixth.  The Americans clobbered the world, placing all four team members in the top ten of each moto and winning the Trophee des Nations Championship by 21 points.

The following week, the team was in Wohlen, Switzerland for the Motocross des Nations.  Europeans looked at the 250cc bikes (Trophee des Nations) as a training ground for the “real” championship – the 500cc Open Class.  Though the American team had also won the Motocross des Nations in 1981, it was still regarded as a fluke by the rest of the world.  Magoo won both “big bike” motos and David Bailey was even better than on the 250; he finished fourth in the first moto behind Danny Chandler, Andre Vromans and David Thorpe.  He beat everyone but Magoo in the second moto and the fluke continued. 

That team of David Bailey, Johnny O’Mara, Danny Chandler and Jim Gibson is on my list of Super Heroes.  Man, those guys could ride.

I later wrote an article about Jim Gibson and his move to Yamaha.  See the previous blog post for that article.  David Bailey won both 250cc Motocross and Supercross championships in 1983, as well as again beating the world’s best by winning  the 250 USGP in Unadilla.  He and Brian Myerscough had one of the hardest fought most exciting motocross races I have ever seen, with Bailey taking the championship by beating such notables as Georges Jobe, Danny LaPorte, and Heinz Kinigadner –  all of whom are former 250cc World Champions.

Danny Chandler made a mockery of the 500cc Support Class at that event, winning so easily that he finished riding backwards on his Honda.

Unfortunately, I never got to watch Johnny O’Mara race again, although he went on to assemble one of the most impressive motocross resumes in the history of the sport.  Man, those guys could ride.

Though an unfortunate crash in 1987 ended his racing career, David Bailey still is one of the most authoritative voices in our sport.  It was his open letter to the industry that finally convinced me to spend over $400 on a piece of safety equipment for my grandson.  It is fun to think of those David Bailey days when I watch my grandson ride.  I even have a few pictures of him that look a little like the Icon.

 To the Icon, I say, “Thanks for the memories and Happy Birthday.” 

l8r

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Several years ago, I was present for the release of some rehabilitated birds of prey back into the wild.  It was a thrilling event and I took some very up close pictures of wild things.  This image of a Red-tailed Hawk is one of my all-time favorites. 

The birds were released at DeGray Lake Resort State Park in Arkansas.  It was just by chance that we happened to be there.  I don’t remember the organization that provided the care and rehabilitation.  Most organizations that do such work are staffed by volunteers with any financial support coming  primarily from donations. 

 When my wife read about a bird of prey release scheduled for our local area, I could hardly wait to confirm our reservations.  It was taking place in conjunction with a weekend cruise on our local lake.  The Vanishing Texas River Cruise is something we had talked about but never quite got around to doing. 

Last Chance Forever, The Bird of Prey Conservancy is a 501(C)(3) Non-Profit organization based in San Antonio, Texas that receives, rehabilitates and releases back into the wild hundreds of sick, injured and orphaned raptors annually.  On Sunday, November 16, 2008, the conservancy joined with Vanishing Texas River Cruises to release two hawks and an owl over Lake Buchanan.  The joint venture was a great success for the cruise and for the conservancy.  And, it was the answer to a photographer’s dream.  It was very exciting to be so close to these wild and beautiful critters.

This Great Horned Owl is being very carefully handled as it is brought above deck for release in the Silver Creek area of Lake Buchanan.  These animals are wild and very frightened by the commotion around them.  They will strike out at what they perceive is danger.  It is essential that photographers and children keep their distance. 

It is quite easy, however, to get great closeups with a short telephoto lens or the zoom on a point-and-shoot compact.  With so many excited people crowded around these frightened animals, a longer lens and a lower angle are necessary to give the appearance of birds in the wild.  Since the release takes place on the upper deck, a fast shutter speed is not a problem and the sky is the perfect background.

In addition to the three birds being released, the workers from the conservancy displayed several birds that for any of several reasons could not be released.  My personal favorite was this beautiful Barbary Falcon.  i have always been fascinated by falcons and falconry.  It is hard to believe that such delicate beauty surrounds a fierce killing machine.  I was disappointed that it was not to be released.  I don’t recall the reason. 

The big thrill was an American Bald Eagle that had been shot and lost a part of its wing.  Though the eagle has lived in the conservancy’s large flight aviary for more than five years it is anything but tame.   It was saved for last and was not allowed in close proximity of the passengers.  The handler moved to a place on the docking pier that allowed her to keep the eagle away from the too curious and less cautious.  I’m sure the eagle appreciated that consideration.

in addition to the birds being displayed by Last Chance Forever, the folks from Vanishing Texas River Cruise kept a running commentary on what we were seeing with a quite interesting history of Lake Buchanan and a few yarns spun around a few colorful characters. 

Though the release of rehabilitated birds was a special treat, the river cruises are scheduled on a regular basis.  They often see eagles over the lake and have experts on board to point out and identify wildlife around the lake.  We were fortunate on our cruise, seeing a pair of bald eagles building a nest in a dead tree over the lake.  It was a very pleasant day.  It is wonderful way to spend a weekend  relaxing.  in addition to the cruises, cabins and lodging are available at Canyon of the Eagles Resort.

The next release in conjunction with the Vanishing Texas River Cruise is tentatively scheduled for the third weekend in December.  For more information and cruise schedule contact Vanishing Texas River Cruises – at Canyon of the Eagles at 1-512-756-6986 or 1-800-474-8374.  Their website is http://www.vtrc.com/   Last Chance Forever, The Bird of Prey Conservancy maintains a website at http://www.lastchanceforever.org/

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My enthusiasm for rock formations is fading. That may be from over a month of studying Southwestern geology or the constant battle with persistent haze over the Southwestern geology.

I’ve been processing a few images in HDR to circumvent the problem. That works to a certain extent but my HDR expertise needs honing. I can’t resist the urge to pump up the color. This picture is from the overlook at the Canyonlands National Park Visitor Center. It is not an HDR but I pushed pretty hard on the contrast button. Notice the snow capped mountain peaks in the background. It gets very cool in the high desert at night.

Note: I read a sign posted by the Park Service that directly blames the haze on coal-burning power generating stations. It is the worst when winds are from the Southeast – Page, AZ.

We’re camped in Dead Horse Point State Park. There is a very scenic overlook that is fantastic for both morning and evening light. Getting a good spot for pictures at Dead Horse Point requires an early arrival and patience. It is a very popular spot. We didn’t get back from Canyonlands in time to enjoy the early part of sunset but did manage a few colorful images from the red evening light. Although it looks like an HDR, this image of the red light on a twisted juniper is purely photograph with just a touch of shadow lightening.

I returned for a morning session and was there just at sunrise. The place was already crowded. I moved off to one side, edging along some treacherous cliffs and overhangs that I would not have been allowed to traverse had Jane been with me.     I found a soft rock and cuddled up with myself to stay warm until the light was just right.

The light and colors can be very contrasty. But, it also is very saturated and warm. It is the ideal situation for HDR with long shadows and extreme contrast. Mine were not perfect but the HDR skills are coming along. The image I liked best, however, was not an HDR but this self-portrait. Shooting with my 12~24 lens, I was having a hard time keeping my shadow out of the image. Finally I gave up and just included the shadow as a part of the picture. Now, it isn’t just a part … it is the picture.  

I realize that I have nearly completed this article and not included an HDR example. Here is one from this morning’s shoot at Dead Horse Point. As I said, it isn’t perfect but sometimes a poor image is better for learning. At least I hope I am learning from my mistakes. 

HDR of Dead Horse Point Sunrise

This image is the result of three exposures bracketed at two stop intervals– two over, two under and one right on. I did some processing in Photoshop Elements but can’t remember exactly what I did. I think I just lightened the shadows and added the unsharp mask to enhance the foreground tree. The HDR processing was done in Dynamic-Photo HDR, selecting the “Human Eye” version of the tone-mapping result. As usual, I liked the image immediately after processing (otherwise I would not have saved it), but started to find fault after a few “second looks.” I’ve learned from my mistakes that it is a good idea to put your favorites aside for a few minutes, hours, days – forever – and come back later for a more objective evaluation. I need to be more diligent in practicing what I preach.  

We’ve had an interesting and exciting voyage to this point. My lack of enthusiasm for early morning photography, however, is an indication that we should head back to Texas. We’ll return any budget excess to the coffers and start planning the next adventure. Wonder what Montana geology is like? 
l8r

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We drove into Moab on Monday, October 6. Jane needed to restock the cupboard and the truck was on empty. What a place – Moab is purely tourism. You can find outfitters and tour guides for nearly any adventure imaginable. Four-wheel drive, overland adventures into the outback areas of Canyonlands or Arches National Parks, four-day float trips down the Colorado River, hikes into the wildest of areas, and the snow-covered peaks hovering over Moab had local businesses yearning for ski season. Mountain biking and dirt bike adventures are also quite popular in this vast area of Public Lands. The BLM has some restrictions on the use of land managed by them but nothing nearly as stringent as the National Park Service.

We found a grocery store, filled the truck with diesel and visited the Moab Visitor Center. It was there that we learned of a nearby wetland preserve. Who would have guessed it? Here we are in the highest and driest areas of the US and we come across wetlands. Jane got directions to the Scott M. Matheson Wetland Preserve. We managed to miss the turnoff and ventured even further into the unknown. We were on a paved road leading through BLM property. We stopped at a trailhead/picnic area that had some of the best petroglyphs we have seen.

A few campers came by and, being the curious type, we followed their backtrack to see if we were missing a hidden campsite. That led us to some of the most “alternative” living styles you can imagine. People were living in caves dug back into the limestone cliffs. There were two homes that were almost exact replicas of Anasazi ruins. The masonry was a little more modern but the design was directly from ancient cliff dwellings, no roof other than the overhanging cliff. One odd feature – they were connected to commercial power lines. Even the cave dwellers had electricity.

We found the wetlands preserve on our second attempt. It was nice. We followed a one-mile, handicap-accessible path through the preserve, stopping at a nice viewing blind, but saw very little in the way of wetlands wildlife. We had been told that water was scarce. It was just too dry for the critters we had hoped to see.

We left there and drove back to Arches National Park, which is less than ten miles from Moab. The roads were being paved with fresh tar and white gravel. Only one lane was open and traffic was backed up waiting for an escort. It was a little annoying but no big deal. We’re always complaining about road conditions. It seems silly to complain about repairing those conditions. 

Arches has a nice Visitor Center and Museum. We walked through the museum and watched the orientation movie. The steep climb from the Visitor Center to the first view point is a scenic drive but too narrow to pulloff.

Balanced Rock, Arches National Park

We didn’t make our first stop until we reached Balanced Rock. There is a picnic area just across from this very popular viewpoint. We stopped for lunch and I tried using my polarizing filter to cut thru the haze for an image of the snow-capped peaks of the La Sal Mountains behind Balanced Rock. Back lighting made the haze even more evident. It took some Photoshop adjustments to make this image acceptable.

The history and legends of the area interest me more than geology and lectures on how millions of years of upheaval and erosion formed the canyons and arches. Delicate Arch, however, is a must-see site. It is the unofficial symbol of Utah.

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park

This image was made from the most accessible and easy to reach viewpoint I could find. It is just a short walk from the historic Wolfe Ranch site. Unlike most images of the arch, I made no attempt at an artistic representation. This is what it is – a popular site that is always difficult to photograph because of the throngs trying to get close. You can just make out dozens of people walking along a trail that leads to the “best view” of the arch. This shot is with my 18~135mm lens set to 135mm. I got closer and used my 300mm for a tight shot. I like this one better.

I probably spent more time reading about and photographing the old buildings and corral at Wolfe Ranch than I did at Delicate Arch.

Historic Wolfe Ranch in Arches National Park

It is the typical story of how this area was settled by ranchers and pioneers. They were the rugged sort, not expectant of any luxuries. Every element of their lives was functional, practical, and only what they could make with their own two hands. The house shown here is much nicer than the original home of Wolfe and his son. This was built to please his daughter who joined Wolfe after he and his son established the ranch. The original home was a hole in the ground with a thatch, mud and rock roof. This house has a window, hinged door and roughly hewn furniture.

We had hoped to make it to the end of the road and hike the trail to Landscape Arch from the Devil’s Garden turnaround. We did but the sun was on the wrong side of Landscape Arch and had dropped behind some tall cliffs. The images were disappointing. This arch needs to be photographed much earlier.  Sunrise would be best; no later than noon, I think.

It was well after dark when we got back to the trailer. It had been a long but interesting day. We went to bed wondering what a new dawn would bring.
l8r

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I finally made the enormous effort necessary to match morning light and photography. I was at the East Gate of Zion National Park before sunrise. It was cold. And I was not feeling very creative. I sat my tripod and camera in the general area to photograph Checkerboard Mesa when the sun came over the ridge to the east, then jumped back into the truck to stay warm. The sun didn’t cooperate. Somebody moved East!  

After watching the sun strike formations farther down the canyon, I snapped a few pictures of the famous mesa and loaded everything back into the truck. The light was not special. I missed that pink, rosy effect of morning light. I guess the mountain air is just too clear.  Even morning light was harsh.

We have been here for three days. Every day has been marvelous for site seeing but none of my pictures have been thrilling. I thought it was from doing most of our site seeing in midday light. Obviously, that is not the entire problem. Zion is just too vast to project in two dimensions. As a matter of fact, the entire Southwest trip has been like that – Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, and Grand Canyon. The vastness of the American Southwest overwhelms most photographers. I’m no exception. Everything looks like a common snapshot. I don’t want snapshots. I have tried panoramas but that format is clumsy to display and hard to edit. And, it still doesn’t display the immensity or the feel of grandeur.

I watched a show last night on the Red Desert, the high desert of Wyoming. You can span the horizon for hours and see nothing. Of course, the desert is teeming with life. Throughout the deserts, plains, mesas, buttes, plateaus, peaks, canyons, mountains and valleys of this great southwest, life is watching us see nothingness. It is that perception of nothingness or the vastness that is so difficult to represent on film – or in digits. I’m thinking I need to get closer, concentrate on detail – contradict the perception of nothingness.

I was concentrating on the texture of some huge boulders with steep cliffs as a background when movement distracted me. Big Horn Sheep!

Young Desert Big Horn in Zion National Park

They were just a few yards away but I was working with my 12~24 lens. I watched for a few minutes, hoping they would not notice me. That was no big deal. Cars began stopping and the big ram and a slightly smaller one bounded up the slope but the females stayed right by the edge of the road, eating leaves off a favorite bush. The rams stood higher on the hill, watching.

Note: The ram shown in the picture is the smaller of the two. I had already inserted the photo before noticing the difference.

I crossed the road to get my 300mm lens out of the truck. The herd remained near the edge of the road for at least fifteen minutes. I took dozens of photos — up close with detail. Again, my pictures are not thrilling. These are wild things; a part of the grandeur, the nothingness, the vastness. I don’t get that feeling from my photographs. They seem to have learned to accept tourism as a part of their daily life. It’s almost like going to the zoo. I don’t know if it is sad or if I should be glad that they are so adaptive. I guess that is part of my enigma.

This time, however, light really is part of the problem. I have some sharply focused and well-composed images but the light is dull. They were in a dark, shaded area the entire time. Maybe I need to learn to adapt.

We may try again tomorrow. My wife was very envious when she found that she had missed the Big Horn. They are not nearly as elusive as the park literature reported.
l8r

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We’re here. It’s awesome: Simply indescribable. Defies expression or description. I’m not sure a picture is going to be a thousand words. It’s hard to determine which way to point a camera.We pulled in a few minutes before we were supposed to arrive. After a chat with the nice lady at the registration desk, we pulled into camping spot number 14. We had been a bit anxious about being preempted by a Rockefeller, Roosevelt, or Kennedy but the reservations office was true to its word. We had what Jane had been led to believe was the best camping spot on the North Rim. It is right on the rim of the canyon.

There was a young couple still in the spot when we arrived. They were still packing their equipment from a night of tent camping. I pulled in and parked while they finished packing. We couldn’t resist a walk along the rim. What a fantastic site. Our door faced the South Rim. That gave us beautiful light both for sunrise and for sunset. For those planning a visit to North Rim Campground, the campground layout can be viewed online. There are several sites much like number 14, at least four. Reservations must be made far in advance.

We completed camp setup, had lunch and selected a driving tour to Cape Royal Point and Hiking Trail. The drive is about 20 miles and the hike less than a mile. Every turn in the twisting road brought more ooohs and ahs. The drive was made much longer because we stopped at nearly every overlook and viewpoint.

One negative to the majestic scenery was a soft haze over the canyon. It eliminated the color from distant objects. I had remembered to pack a polarizing filter. It did reduce the haze but there was little that could be done to eliminate it. We’re not sure what was causing the haze, or if it is permanent. There were no burns in progress. It could be left from recent burns. I suspect it was coming from a coal-burning power generating station in Page. That wasn’t confirmed, however, and is a bit controversial for the intent of this post.

I later learned to use the Auto Levels function of Photoshop to make the haze more acceptable.

Grand Canyon Haze

What that did is cause a blue monochromatic effect behind the bright red sandstone cliffs and ridges in the foreground. It seemed to push the color forward, sort of “in your face.” Maybe not a perfect solution but I found the effect pleasing. It’ll have to do.

I imagined the canyon to be a model; a beautiful, very professional model, a super model. The canyon helped me make photographs. It seemed to say, “Look! I put that dead tree there for you. Use it as a foreground.” Or, “Hey, wait for the clouds. They cause a beautiful dappled effect.” Taking a bad image is difficult but I did manage to delete about half of the hundreds I was taking each day. I’ll have to eliminate a few more. I’m running out of disk space.  

Exposure caused some difficulty. Usually, I set the aperture and let the meter choose the shutter speed. That wasn’t working with the dark, saturated colors in the canyon and high values of the clouds in the sky. Getting the darker colors to match exposures with the clouds and sky required a gradated neutral density filter. Fortunately, I had bought one just before leaving on this trip. It has come in handy. But, the ND filter doesn’t do much for eliminating haze. The polarizing filter got most of the work. I changed to Manual Exposure to handle the over-exposed skies and brought the shadow values up with Photoshop.

Note: It is not possible to recover clipped (over exposed) highlight detail. On my Nikon, I set the review mode to “highlights” to see any clipping. It will blink black. In digital, always expose for the highlights and process for the shadows. Just the reverse of the good old days.

I thought of stacking filters but was shooting a lot of wide angle and stacking caused too much vignetting. Besides, rotating a polarizing filter and keeping a rotating gradated filter in sync is a huge pain.

We were flabbergasted after our drive to Cape Royal Point. We included a three-mile jaunt to Point Imperial, the highest viewpoint in the park. It was a day of great memories. We were exhausted after the drive, more from the excitement than the short hikes we took. I did manage to transfer pictures to the computer before quiet time. You are allowed to run a generator from 7-9 in the morning and 6-8 at night. I may not have mentioned that there are no hookups. We’re boon docking. There is a dump station for dumping the sewage and fresh water to fill the water tank. We’ll dump on the way out. And, I do have access to WiFi at the General Store. The coffee there is pretty good too.

We’ve just returned from another exhausting day of fun. I’ll save more excitement for another post. It is just getting better everyday.

L8r

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Page was simply a rest stop on our journey to the Grand Canyon. After aborting the planned trip into Antelope Canyon, we simply relaxed and refueled the bodies. We did make a trip to the local Wal*Mart for groceries and a few essentials. Refueling the truck has been going much better than planned. We’ve found diesel for less than $4 twice and seldom paid more than $4.10. I know that sounds ridiculous but it is much less than we had budgeted. And, surprisingly, Hurricane Ike’s effect has been minimal.

We left Page with no particular place in mind. We had two days to kill before our reservations on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Jane wanted to see the Vermillion Cliffs of the Grand Staircase Escalante so we took the northern route through Utah, headed toward Kanab. Still smarting from the disappointing result of Antelope Canyon, I considered a side-trip to another “must see” site – The Wave. The Wave is another unique result of erosion and uplift. You can read a good summary of The Wave by searching the Internet. To make a long, disappointing story even longer, we didn’t get to see The Wave. I screwed up.

As we had no place to spend the night, Jane was constantly rattling off possibilities. We visited a BLM Visitor Center just across the Utah Border. There was no camping but Jane and the host discussed possible campsites. Shortly after leaving the Visitor Center, we came across a unique, little-advertised campground that looked like a small western town – almost a movie set. The road leading in was also western movie set.

We passed horses inside a split-rail fence on the way to the saloon. That indicated horseback rides – the horses, not the saloon.. A few campers were parked on a flat area above the line of western buildings. The campers were taller than the few scrub junipers that provided shade for the snakes and scorpions.

A cowboy ambled down the wooden steps to the truck, flirting with Jane. “Mighty nice smile, M’am,” he grinned. We talked a bit about things to do and sites to see. I mentioned The Wave and he said, “We can get there but you gotta get a permit from the BLM and they only give ten a day.”

That’s when I remembered and felt really stupid. I had looked it up before leaving home. You can request a permit online or be at the BLM Visitor Center before nine o’clock for one of the ten lottery drawing slots. The permits are for the NEXT day! We would have to spend a night, drive to the Visitor Center early hoping to get drawn for a permit, spend another night, and then hike (or ride horses) to The Wave.

While all the discussing was going on another cowboy walked out on the wooden porch rolling a cigarette. He sat in a rocker, leaned back and took a huge drag (or hit?). Not sure about his brand of tobacco. Mighta been wacky weed? Looked like a fun place to stay but I was getting the feeling that these were just “tokin’ cowboys.” Besides, I think Jane was smitten; I didn’t want her around that cowboy for three days.

We drove on, enjoying the countryside and especially the pink cliffs of the Grand Staircase Escalante. We made it to Kanab too early to stop. We decided to pull on to Jacobs Lake and hope for a camping site. Jacobs Lake is in the Kaibab National Forest and only 45 miles from the North Rim Camp Ground. As it turned out, the National Forest Campground at Jacobs Lake was under construction. We did find a very expensive commercial campground right on the edge of Kaibab National Forest. We checked in there for the two nights prior to our reservation at the North Rim.  By the way, Jacobs Lake is a service station and restaurant.  We drove right past before realizing it was Jacobs Lake.

It was still early after getting the camp setup. Keeping track of time in this area is very confusing. Being in Arizona, however, gave us more daylight time. Just trust me. Explaining the difference is too difficult. We drove back down the cliffs to Fredonia and out to the Pipe Creek National Monument on the Kaibab Paiute Reservation. The living museum there documents the settlement of the area by Mormon ranchers.  It is well worth the drive.  Plust, we found diesel for $3.80.

The last day before our arrival at the North Rim was spent hiking and exploring the flora and fauna of Kaibab National Forest.

Kaibab Squirrel, Silver Ghost of the North Rim

I got some neat pictures of the Kaibab Squirrel and a Stellar’s Jay. The Kaibab Squirrel is unique to this area. It is colorfully referred to as “The Silver Ghost of the North Rim” I think that refers to the white tail that flashes and flickers constantly as the squirrel streaks through the pines.
We departed the Kaibab National Forest very early by our normal standards. Again, the various time zones were in our favor. Checkin at the North Rim Campground was not until eleven, so we stopped several times to view the beautiful mountain meadows along the way. There wasn’t any visible wildlife. We were too late for animals and too early for checkin. It was, however, a scenic trip and very exciting to see our destination just around the bend. We are in the Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim Campground. It is going to be difficult to find words to describe this. I will logoff now; taking some time let it all soak in.
l8r

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We pulled into Goulding’s Trading Post and RV Park early. It is a nice RV Park but not nearly worth the prices they charge. And, it is difficult to put up with the rude staff that knows you are trapped. It is directly across the highway from Monument Valley Navajo Nation Tribal Park. We were in place and fully connected before noon and by mid-afternoon, the place was packed. We were surprised at the influx of campers. We had been here at the same time last year and it was almost lonely. This year, Europeans are flocking to America to take advantage of the “weak dollar” bargains.Also, the weather seemed much different. Last year was very hot with regular late-afternoon storms. The locals call this time of year Monsoon Season. We found it much cooler than last year, almost cold. And, there was no rain to bring rainbows and colorful clouds over the valley. It was just dusty and crowded.

We chose to venture into Utah and follow a few “off the beaten path” roads. Jane took over the driving and let me take pictures. Our first destination was Valley of the Gods. It is neither a National Park nor a State Park, just a “point of interest” on Utah maps. It is billed as a smaller, less commercial Monument Valley. We followed US-163 through Mexican Hat to Utah-261, loosely planning to see Gooseneck State Park and Valley of the Gods. What started as a couple of hours of site seeing turned into a major adventure.

The road into Valley of the Gods nearly beat us and the truck to death – pure washboard. It is desolate. The only human inhabitants of the area are the owners of a bed & breakfast at the entrance to the valley. There are no power lines leading in. It looked as if they had only solar energy. Surprisingly, there were several guests there. Anyway, we made only three miles of the 17-mile road before aborting.

Next came the real adventure. Highway 261 is a road that ascends the cliff to Cedar Mesa. A long section called the Moki Dugway is a series of gravel switchbacks that offer breathtaking views and fearful falls over sheer cliffs. Had she not been the driver, Jane would have been screaming the entire way. But, she was having a blast gunning that big diesel truck up the mountain and sliding the rear end around those switchbacks.

Moki Dugway is a series of switchbacks

I swear she was having a grand old time. It was my turn to be afraid. 

We stopped several times for photos and to view the valley far below. You can see four levels of switchbacks from one viewpoint. The Moki Dugway took us to SR 95 where we turned left for Natural Bridges National Monument. Our short outing had turned into a monumental adventure.

Natural Bridges National Monument is a major attraction in its own right. We needed a lot more time to enjoy and hike to the three natural bridges (arches). We checked the camping but there doesn’t seem to be a place large enough for a camping trailer. Mostly, it was tent camping or popups. We completed the loop drive and checked several scenic overlooks, then made note to add Natural Bridges National Monument to our list of more places to visit.

We left the bridges with the sun getting low in the sky. SR-95 is a very scenic route but we missed a lot of the sites (and photos) because it got dark on our way to Blanding and our junction with US-163 for our return to the RV Park. It was nearly ten o’clock when we got home.

I got up the next morning to get sunrise pictures. The inspiration was lacking.

Monument Valley Sunrise

I took a few of formations silhouetted against the rising sun. I drove south on US-163 to get morning light on a Navajo farm I had noticed earlier. Nothing was really working. I headed north across the border to the point in Utah where Tom Hanks ended his long run in the movie Forrest Gump. Nothing! I guess I was just frustrated. Monument Valley was not the place I expected. Too many people!

That afternoon we took the self-guided 17-mile loop through the valley. That too was frustrating. It was a traffic jam. And the dust was stifling. If there had been a decent picture, it was ruined by the cloud of dust over the valley. It was so disheartening that we returned to the trailer before sunset.

We left Monument Valley the next morning, Sunday, September 14, with no particular destination. We ended up in Page AZ because we drove past one of my “must see” sites. Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon on Navajo Tribal lands that requires a guide to visit. It is just minutes outside Page. We thought we had made reservations for a Photographer’s Tour at 3:30 that afternoon. That got screwed up and I got pissed and refused to reschedule anything with the same people. Sometimes my reasoning is not reasonable. I had wanted to take that tour for a long time. Oh well, another adventure for the “to do” list.

L8r
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