IntrepidXJ's Adventure Blog

Colorado National Monument
Thursday, February 9, 2012

I’ve wanted to photograph Monument Canyon filled with fog for a while now, and this morning I finally got my chance. As I was leaving my house to drive to work and noticed the heavy fog that filled the Grand Valley, I just couldn’t resist the conditions and drove up to the Colorado National Monument instead. I arrived up above the fog just in time to watch the sun rise over the Grand Mesa. It was a spectacular view and definitely worth missing a few hours of work.

When I first arrived, the fog was all the way down in the Grand Valley and Monument Canyon was free and clear of fog. Once the sun was up, the fog slowly crept out of the valley and into the canyon. It was an amazing experience!

I arrived at this viewpoint of Independence Monument just after the sun rose over the cliff in the distance. The fog was still down in the Grand Valley at this point.

Rising Sun by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

The fog creeps into Monument Canyon while the early morning daylight strikes Independence Monument.

Island View by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

A closer look at Independence Monument as the fog surrounds it.

Monuments in Fog by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
 

Morning Light by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

I went up to the Colorado National Monument this morning to catch another sunrise. The conditions weren’t the best, but here’s a photo I took after the sun came up over the Grand Mesa.

I’ve wanted to photograph Monument Canyon in the fog for a while, and this morning I finally got the chance. As I left for work, I just couldn’t resist and headed up to the Colorado National Monument instead. I arrived up above the fog just in time to watch the sun rise over the Grand Mesa. It was a spectacular view and worth missing a few hours of work.

When I first arrived, the fog was all the way down in the Grand Valley and Monument Canyon was free and clear of fog. Once the sun was up, the fog slowly crept out of the valley and into the canyon. It was an amazing sight!

Here’s a photo I took way back in August at the Colorado National Monument that I rescued from my hard drive last night and processed for the first time.

Saturday & Sunday, February 4-5, 2012

It was a lazy weekend for me and I ended up not venturing very far from home. I did manage to get out for a few hours each day and take some photos and do a little exploring in my Jeep. Here’s a few photos I took over the weekend.

I was originally planning on heading down to The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park on Saturday, but as I was driving towards Moab I realized that I had forgotten my circular polarizers at home. They would have come in handy for photographing some new rock art sites I was looking for, so I decided to cancel that plan and make the trip another day. I continued driving to the Richardson Amphitheater and waited for sunrise. Unfortunately, there was not a cloud in the sky this morning.

Early morning sunlight strikes the Priest and Nuns formation near Castle Valley.

Priest and Nuns by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

The sun strikes the red rock cliffs on the other side of the Colorado River.

Road & Fence by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Driving back towards the highway as the sunlight creeps down the cliffs and fills the valley.

Onion Creek Bench Sunrise by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr