IntrepidXJ's Adventure Blog

Sunday, April 15, 2012

After spending the previous day at Rifle Falls with Amanda we decided to spend Sunday morning taking a hike we have wanted to do for a while in in the Colorado National Monument. The last time we had planned to hike the Black Rdge Trail, it snowed, so we cancelled our plans because we feared it would be a muddy and slippery mess in places. Like the previous day, the weather forecast overnight was calling for storms, but luckily the Monument didn’t see any precipitation. The Book Cliffs, on the other hand, were coated with snow as we drove to the Monument.

Snow and spotlight on the Book Cliffs as we drove up into the Monument.

Snow on the Book Cliffs by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

A view down into Fruita Canyon as we drove to the trailhead.

Fruita Canyon by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Scenery at the beginning of the hike as we climbed up the trail.

Rocky Hill by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
 

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
Wednesday, March 14, 2012

It was our second day in Las Vegas and we were ready to get out of the city again. After sleeping in we headed out to visit Hoover Dam. When we arrived, we decided that we didn’t want to pay or wait in a long line for a tour so we just walked across the dam to check it out.

View from the dam including the new bridge.

Looking Down by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Looking back towards the Visitor’s Center in Nevada…there sure are a lot of power lines around.

Dam & Power Lines by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Intakes on the Arizona side in Lake Mead.

Intakes by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
 

Las Vegas Trip 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012

After a great weekend exploring Zion National Park, Amanda and I decided to stick around a bit longer on Monday morning before starting our drive to Las Vegas.

I visited the Court of the Patriarchs in the morning to catch the sunrise. I was worried for a bit that the clouds to the east would block the early morning light, but I ended up getting this spotlighting on the large sandstone formations above the Virgin River.

Court of the Patriarchs by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

After some breakfast we hiked the Emerald Pools trail before leaving the park. This sidewalk lead around the lower pools and under the small waterfalls above.

Emerald Sidewalk by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Looking up at the small waterfalls pouring over the sandstone.

Emerald Falls by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr