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Post by nycgirl on Aug 30, 2011 6:12:14 GMT
My husband and I are enamored with the American Southwest. It's so geologically fascinating, there are tons of activities to do, and it's a photographer's dream. There's no place on Earth quite like it. Here are some photos taken from our trips over the years. Arches National Park in Utah has over 2,000 sandstone arches formed by millions of years of erosion. One of the most beautiful and famous is Delicate Arch. This is a great hike to do people of all ages; it's a relatively easy mile and a half trail with a terrific payoff. You don't see the arch until you reach the end of the trail, turn the corner, and bam! This towering arch stands perched on the edge of a huge canyon, with the sky and distant mountains forming a picturesque backdrop. That's me, for perspective. It's amazing how at key times of the day, the red sandstone really blazes with color. This is Turret Arch near sunset. Arches NP also has tons of buttes, spires, and other interesting rock formations. The one pictured below is called the Organ. The Fiery Furnace, a labyrinth of passages between sandstone fins, is a fun place to explore. Even after several trips, it still feels wondrous and new. I didn't stumble upon this arch until my third time. There is a dizzying amount of twists and turns, so it's extremely easy to get lost. For that reason, you are required to either take a ranger-led walk or obtain a permit. Also, the passages can get very narrow. I've seen some people almost get stuck.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2011 7:50:24 GMT
Beautiful, nycgirl. I love that area, too, although I have never really strayed from the road, so I haven't seen the hidden treasures -- but there are so many fully visible treasures, that I was fully satisfied.
I have actually seen one other place on earth that looks similar -- not for the arches but for the type of sandstone cliffs and the narrow slots between the rocks. It was Wadi Rum in Jordan, where a lot of scenes of Lawrence of Arabia were filmed. My traveling companion and the guide and I were nearly taken hostage by a bedouin tribe there. Of course, the area is not nearly as vast as in the United States, but I'm sure that if people were allowed to freely visit nearby Saudi Arabia, there would be many splendid natural sites to discover.
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 30, 2011 13:24:23 GMT
You were nearly taken hostage?! That sounds like an interesting (and scary) story.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2011 14:39:14 GMT
Some of the bedouin tribes are so hospitable that they refuse to take "no" for an answer.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 30, 2011 16:15:02 GMT
Wonderful, NYCGirl! I was on the outskirts of the Red Rock Canyon (nat'l conservation area) in Nevada with my son. As I went on and on about the beauty, he said that it paled in comparison with some of the terrain just over the state line in Utah. Your photos certainly bear that out.
It was way too hot to do any real hiking when I was there*, but the little we did made me want more. Your pictures and commentary have now really whetted my appetite for more of this fantastic southwestern landscape.
When are the best times to go? Do you all camp, or use a motel as a base?
*>guilt< I haven't posted about my recent trip through the sw yet.
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Post by lola on Aug 30, 2011 21:09:44 GMT
Beautful, NYC. I can almost feel a dry wind from looking at them.
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 31, 2011 13:26:13 GMT
Thanks, Lola and Bixa! Bixa, I've gone in May and September and it was lovely, although it was unseasonably cool. I like to switch off between motels and camping (it's good to freshen up!). Camping in Canyonlands National Park was spectular, the best starry skies I've ever seen. I'm going to try to post more, but I'm not going to have wifi for awhile. Can't wait to hear about your trip!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2011 14:00:23 GMT
I have actually seen areas like that after a heavy rain. So strange to see those desert landcapes with the sun out again but giant puddles covering the road.
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Post by nycgirl on Sept 2, 2011 13:43:56 GMT
This is Mesa Arch, taken in Canyonlands National Park in an area called Island in the Sky. The arch beautifully frames the sweeping vista below, and at sunrise the bottom of it glows with a fiery orange hue. A guy there told us a funny story. The last time he was at Mesa Arch, a photographer was being an "arch hog" (blatantly standing in everyone's shot), so a man simply strode over to his tripod and kicked it right over the edge. A fistfight ensued. Fortunately, while I was there, everyone was quietly appreciative of the scenery as well as considerate of the other photographers.
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Post by mickthecactus on Sept 2, 2011 13:50:12 GMT
There are some superb rare cacti in this part of the world nycgirl.
Wish I was there (sob)..................
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Sept 2, 2011 17:17:36 GMT
Aw....there there Mickipoo...
NYCG I really do envy you! spectacular images. It looks like an astonishing place. The photographs are very skillfully taken too...wow.
Incidentally...I'd be well and truly wedged...being a voluptuous lady....I am also soooo jealous of your view of the night sky.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2011 17:20:07 GMT
nycgirl shows us incredible rock formations and mick wants to cover them with rare spiky vegetation!
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Post by nycgirl on Sept 4, 2011 22:54:25 GMT
Thanks, Cheery! Mickthecactus, sounds like you have a thing for cacti. I've seen some cute pin cushion-like cacti, but that's it. I'd like to see the huge Saguaro cacti one day, but I've never been in the right part of Arizona.
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Post by nycgirl on Sept 8, 2011 13:14:45 GMT
Goblin Valley State Park is a vast collection of oddly-shaped hoodoos. It’s fun to explore later in the day, when the “goblins” cast eerie shadows in the fading light. This park is so unearthly that it was chosen as the filming location for the alien planet in the movie Galaxy Quest.I took these photos of my husband and his parents in a wonderfully serpentine slot canyon called Little Wild Horse. As we explored here, we marveled at the power of water to carve through solid rock. The patterns on the rock walls are lovely and varied, from wavy curves to swiss-cheese gougings. It’s an easy hike that anyone can do; however, one must be aware of any potential flash floods before doing it. Water from a rainstorm miles away can gather momentum wreak havoc here. Sometimes we’d see an enormous boulder or tree lodged between the rock walls above our heads, a reminder of the devastation floods can cause.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2011 16:47:37 GMT
That first photo is fantastic -- so easy to imagine how creepy it would be in dim moonlight!
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 8, 2011 17:58:25 GMT
NYCGirl, I am really enjoying the wonderful photographs. However, not only are your comments interesting, they're really useful. It's great to see people in some of the pics, for scale, and I greatly appreciate your suggestions and warnings.
Were you ever worried or scared on one of these excursions?
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Post by ninchursanga on Sept 9, 2011 15:15:36 GMT
The photographs are fab. Picture #5 is simply amazing with its composition and colours! I've been to the Southwest and didn't like it at all, but I enjoy reading the comments of people who actually love that landscape over there. The vastnes of the landscape surely impressed me, but the desert wasn't really my thing and living there I found even less enjoyable. Despite that, looking back at it I'm glad I've seen it, cause it's so different from everywhere else I've been.
Have you been to the Grand Canyon? Do you know Sedona, AZ? How about Death Valley?
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Post by nycgirl on Sept 10, 2011 14:36:48 GMT
Thanks, everyone!
Bixa, I did go on some Jeep trails that were really alarming. I have photos, but they just don't convey how scary the drop-offs are. But I do have confidence in my husband's driving abilities. Most of the stuff we do is pretty easy. I'm not a daredevil at all and haven't taken much advantage of the area's sporting opportunities, the way others do. I've seen a family with young children rappelling down a cliff!
Ninchursaga, I've seen the Grand Canyon twice but haven't hiked into it. One of these days I have to go back and do it "right." I've never been to Sedona or Death Valley. That just goes to show that there's always something new to see next time!
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Post by nycgirl on Sept 10, 2011 14:46:38 GMT
My photos so far probably give the impression that the Southwest is completely devoid of life, so to break up all the photos of rock formations, here's a bit of greenery. These were taken on Boulder Mountain, Utah.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 10, 2011 16:16:11 GMT
Ohhhh, lovely! I do love the vastness of the desert, with all its hidden life, but the green parts of the sw are magnficent, too. On my recent trip, we spent the night in Flagstaff. Because of getting off the highway too soon, we drove around in the dark for a while, completely enchanted by that luxurious smell that permeates the area. In the morning, I was knocked out by the freshness of the air & that delightful scent. I asked what it was, and the most satisfactory answer I got was that it was balsam trees. Anyone know? Is it even legal to take children rappelling?! I guess they knew what they were doing.
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Post by nycgirl on Sept 14, 2011 2:42:47 GMT
Lake Powell is the second-largest manmade lake in the U.S. and one of the biggest highlights of all my trips. With its nearly 100 canyons, 2,000 miles of shoreline, and warm, clear waters, Lake Powell is an enormous playground. As you can imagine, it's a prime spot for all kinds of water sports. I just opted to go tubing and had a blast. Depending on the time of year, the waters can get really high, as you can see from the "bathtub ring" on the rock walls. One of Lake Powell's most spectacular features is Rainbow Bridge, the world's largest known natural bridge. It differs from the term "arch" because it was carved out by flowing water, rather than freeze-and-thaw erosion. It's hard to convey in photos how colossal this thing is. It is 290 feet from its base to its top, nearly as high as the Statue of Liberty. Rainbow Bridge became accessible to the public due to the creation of Lake Powell. What took early explorers an arduous journey of several days to see can now be viewed by anyone who can rent a boat and take a short, easy hike. One our last trip we rented a small boat for the night, parked it in a little cove, and slept under the stars. It was so peaceful. There wasn't a soul around, except for a bunch of little bats diving for bugs. They didn't bother us at all. I actually thought they were kinda cute.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2011 5:18:27 GMT
That sunset picture makes me want to find a place to pull up my boat on a flat outcrop for the night and start a campfire.
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Post by nycgirl on Sept 14, 2011 9:19:54 GMT
These towering buttes called "the Mittens," located in Monument Valley on the Utah-Arizona border, have become iconic sights. This area has made many appearances in fashion shoots, as well as film and television, such John Ford's classic The Searchers (even though it was set in Texas), Easy Rider, Forrest Gump, and most recently, the 2011 TV series Doctor Who.
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Post by nycgirl on Sept 15, 2011 4:18:57 GMT
Antelope Canyon in Arizona is probably the most visited and most photographed slot canyon in the Southwest, and for good reason. It is both easily accessible and incandescently beautiful. Approaching the entrance, you see an unobtrusive slit between two cliff walls that is only a few feet wide. Inside, you are transported to an otherworldly stone cathedral, with shafts of light peeking through a crack overhead. You have to be quick in capturing these sunbeams, because they are constantly shifting and disappearing. The canyon is only a quarter of a mile, but you could spend hours in it just wandering along its twists and turns and drinking up its beauty. There are some really neat contours carved into the rock walls. Here, I can kind of see a man's profile.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 15, 2011 5:01:14 GMT
Ohh -- that second-to-the-last picture is about as beautiful as anything I've ever seen!
All great pics, but I love the one of the cove the most. Is that the iconic saguaro holding up its arms between the rocks? I used 'iconic' in a sentence! ;D
Thanks for all the answers so far. Here's another: in the national parks, do they keep track of people coming in, to make sure the same amount leave & no one stays stuck in a crevasse or something?
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Post by nycgirl on Sept 15, 2011 12:46:39 GMT
Thanks, Bixa! I don't think it's a saguaro cactus. In the U.S. they only grow in southern Arizona and extreme southeastern California. I haven't been close to those parts yet. One day. But you've got a really sharp eye, I didn't even notice that! For difficult trails like the Fiery Furnace, you have to either join a group or obtain a permit if you want to lead yourself. Even so, people have gotten lost and needed to be rescued. You need to book a guide for Antelope Canyon because it's protected by the Navajo Tribe. But other than that, I don't know how they keep track of people. They keep visitor statistics so they must do it somehow.
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Post by mickthecactus on Sept 15, 2011 13:02:53 GMT
Antelope Canyon is quite breathtaking.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2011 20:27:21 GMT
The rays are totally enthralling. Beam me up, Scotty!
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Post by ninchursanga on Sept 16, 2011 16:03:09 GMT
Flagstaff, AZ was one of my favourite places during my road trip there! Temperature wise it was very refreshing and in general I found it a relaxed (and walkable!) place.
The pictures of the canyon remind me very much of Petra, Jordan. (The canyon there got famous for being featured in an Indiana Jones movie.) These rock formations that form canyons are very impressive indeed. Love that pictures with the sun rays beaming in!
nycgirl, I don't want to steal your thread but if you don't mind I'd also throw in some pictures of the Southwest. Otherwise I just start a second thread.
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Post by nycgirl on Sept 19, 2011 4:32:26 GMT
No, I don't mind at all, go for it! The more, the merrier. I know what you mean, the sandstone in Petra looks similar from what I've seen in photos. By the way, the opening scene from that same movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, was filmed in Arches. It featured a double arch, but also included a huge cave that doesn't actually exist. Oh well, still a very good movie.
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