IntrepidXJ's Adventure Blog

Las Vegas Trip 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012

It was the last day of our trip to Las Vegas and Southern Utah and we would finally be heading back home. Of course we would be making some more stops on the way back! After another night in another hotel we were up early again to catch one more sunrise. I was looking forward to photographing Bryce Canyon at sunrise and was hoping for a good one as we drove into the park in the dark.

While exploring the park the previous evening I had decided that I wanted to photograph sunrise from Sunset Point, so that’s where we headed. We were the first car in the parking lot that morning as I walked out to the overlook and setup my camera. When I first saw the sky turn bright pink out over Navajo Mountain, I had a feeling this was going to be a good sunrise! This photo was taken just before the sun came up over the horizon.

Bryce Canyon Sunrise by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Once the sun rose above the horizon, it bathed the spires in a nice golden light.

Bryce Rim Sunrise by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

The view towards Inspiration Point.

Inspiration Point by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

I’m not sure if this is normal here at Bryce, but all of a sudden the light changed and everything was glowing a very bright and vibrant reddish-orange. I have never seen anything like it before. I managed to quickly take two or three photos but the neon color quickly disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. The colors were really this vibrant!

Bryce Sunrise Colors by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
 

Las Vegas Trip 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012

Friday had arrived, which means it was time to finally leave Las Vegas. Even though we enjoyed visiting some of the areas outside of the city, we were both looking forward to getting out of the big city. After checking out of our hotel we were back on the road again and pretty soon we were out of Nevada, Arizona and then back in Utah again. Our destination for today was Bryce Canyon National Park, but we decided to get there via the Arizona Strip and through Kanab. We stopped to grab some lunch in Kanab and then carried on until we finally reached Bryce.

When we first arrived at Bryce we stopped by both Sunrise and Sunset Points. The light was pretty flat while we were there, but it was a good scouting opportunity for the following sunrise.

While exploring the area around Sunset Point, I descended the Navajo Trail loop a short ways until it was blocked by a snow drift that I didn’t feel like crossing. We didn’t have much time for hiking this evening, so it’s probably for the best.

Trail Down by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

The Trail Ahead by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

After a quick stop to check out Inspiration Point we continued on to Bryce Point. I stayed below taking some photos because the sun had poked out through the clouds causing some spot-lighting while Amanda continued up to Bryce Point to wait for me.

Amanda Above by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
 

Las Vegas Trip 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012

After another night at our hotel in Las Vegas we were up early and on our way out of the city and over to Valley of Fire State Park. I was looking forward to visiting this amazing little area and we were planning on spending the full day here. Even though a full day was nowhere near enough time to explore the whole park, we managed to see a lot and took many photos.

The sun came up just as we were nearing the entrance to the park. I loved the way the light was striking the mountains as we drove through this area, so I had to quickly stop and compose a shot.

Golden Morning by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Driving into the golden morning light.

Fire Road by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Road Light by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

After finally arriving at the park I quickly went searching for some arches near the entrance…

Arch & Tiny Moon by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
 

Las Vegas Trip 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

It was our first full day in Las Vegas and we both could already tell that this city wasn’t the place for us. We had tickets in the evening for the Blue Man Group, so we decided to spend the morning just outside of town in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Red Rock Canyon by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

I like the red stripe across this mountain.

Striped by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

The bright red Calico Hills really stand out from the rest of the landscape.

Calico Hills View by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
 

I just spent the weekend on Cedar Mesa in search of the specific ruin featured in the photo above, and as you might have guessed, I did manage to find it!

This well-preserved ruin is nestled in the back of a deep alcove which has helped protect it from the elements and kept it in good shape. The most unusual part of this ruin is the painted pictographs on it’s exterior. I can’t recall seeing anything else like it which makes this one pretty unique. Because of the photogenic alcove this granary was located in, I had a lot of fun taking photoso of it from all different angles, so I’m sure I’ll be posting other photos of it in the future. This photo was taken to emphasize the curved lines and golden color of the smoke-stained ceiling of the alcove above the ruin.