The Edge Of Spring, Mesa Verde

Cliff Canyon on a March morning.

The middle of March of a mild winter and I was searching for the very first signs of spring at 7,000 feet in Mesa Verde National Park.

A recent weak storm system had left the air clear and crisp in the morning sunlight. I began with a morning drive around the Mesa Top Loop road as well as the newly reopened for the season Cliff Palace Loop road.

Cliff Palace, the crown jewel of Mesa Verde National Park.

I stopped to make a panorama of Cliff Palace in soft morning shade. Then another for views of Cliff Canyon and the House Of Many Windows Ruin.

House Of Many Windows, Cliff Canyon. They are actually doorways, not windows.

Returning in late afternoon I made another panorama of Square Tower House, my favorite in the park.

Square Tower House site on a March afternoon.

And I once again tried to imagine how the ancient ones could build a four story tower by hand out of sandstone "bricks" and mud mortar. No iron tools yet, only stone tools. No beasts of burden. Only humans. Amazing.

Square Tower House site, featuring the tallest structure in the park.

Back on the Cliff Palace road, I bypassed the Balcony House parking lot, looking at the few tourists that had stopped to see it. Surprise: you can't. Not from there. Because it's in the alcove underneath you. The Ranger led tours down to it hadn't started for the season.

Hemenway House, from across the canyon.

But I did stop at the overlook for Hemenway House, which you're not allowed to tour at all. Same as with most of the park. Too many sites, too rugged.

It would take massive road construction to reach even a fraction more than you can now. Instead, you get to see the most impressive sites, and the rest are protected for research.

Balcony House from the Soda Canyon overlook.

But I wanted some more shots of Balcony House. So I hiked the easy Soda Canyon Overlook Trail to the viewpoint across the head of the canyon.

Balcony House, with a long lens.

On the hike back I photographed the only emerging greenery I could find: bunch grasses and Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata).

New spring growth, bunch grass.

Emerging leaves of Bitterbrush, Purshia tridentata (meaning three lobed, you can see some already).

I was also interested in how the cacti had fared during the winter. Their somewhat leathery and waxy "skin" preserves moisture but by now they were looking quite wrinkled, waiting to revive themselves.

Wrinkled pads of Prickly Pear Cactus at the end of winter.

And the Banana Yucca (Yucca spp.), which weren't wrinkled but were looking a bit yellow compared to how they will soon look again with the revival of springtime.

End of winter coloration in Banana Yucca.

See more of my photography at my website: www.NaturalMoment.com.

Photo location: Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.

© Copyright 2018 Stephen J. Krieg

Greater Canyonlands Rainbow Evening

Snow showers on the Abajo Mountains and Monticello, Utah.

It was a rainy weekend in southeast Utah, making driving on the dirt roads in the area a muddy possibility. And in the mountains of southwest Colorado more snow. 

Rainbow panorama.

So I opted to camp above the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. Good roads, few people, outstanding scenery. This area outside the southern portion of the park is sometimes called Greater Canyonlands and has been proposed as a new National Monument.


Near Monticello, Utah I admired a storm cloud of snow and rain enveloping the Abajo Mountains. 

Rainbow closeup.

North of Monticello was the road to Hatch Point, my intended destination. I normally would have continued on to the Needles Overlook, but sunset time was nearing and I wanted to be further north. But on the way in a full rainbow slowed me down. 

Pronghorn buck with last patches of his winter coat.

I almost always see pronghorn in this area of high sagebrush. At this time of year the herds are split up, as the females have their young, each in their hidden spot, I suppose. Then I saw this big buck by the side of the road, almost unconcerned with me. I shot this photo of him right out the car window. Notice how almost all of his winter coat has been shed. 

Sunshine through the rain down along the Colorado River inside Canyonlands National Park.

The view to the west, over the side of the rim down into the Colorado River further slowed me down for photos. I loved how the sunshine lit up rain showers, with other buttes in shadow for dark contrasting shapes.

I did make it to my campsite shortly before sunset. The view down Kane Creek Canyon and to the Colorado River were dizzying and beautiful. 

Sunset time looking down on the Colorado River from near the Anticline Overlook.

To the east, the La Sal Mountains were showing off another late spring coat of new snow.

The La Sal Mountains just before sunset.

One of the peaks of the La Sal Mountains that was visible through the clouds.

Golden sunset rain showers over the Colorado River.

During the night I was treated to the peaceful sound of rain drumming on the roof of the vehicle. 

Photo location: San Juan County, southeast Utah.

Sunset on Kane Creek Canyon, from Hatch Point.

© Copyright 2016 Stephen J. Krieg

Deer Canyon, Utah

Deer Canyon in springtime.

A springtime hike up Deer Canyon in Natural Bridges National Monument. Another hike there, I mean. I'd been longing to return there, so I did.

Down into White Canyon to begin with. Beneath mighty Sipapu Natural Bridge, sixth largest in the world, as far as we know. A very special place, that's for sure.

Sipapu Bridge, with some hikers for scale.

Down the canyon. I'm enjoying the springtime flush of leaves on the deciduous species: Oak, Willow, Cottonwood. I love the winter snows here, but when they're absent I ache for the greenery of spring. No longer; spring is here.

Sipapu Bridge, from upstream.

Especially the wildflowers. 

Claret Cup hedgehog cactus, White Canyon.

Photo location: Natural Bridges National Monument (and environs), San Juan County, southeast Utah.

© Copyright 2016 Stephen J. Krieg

Sipapu Natural Bridge, Summer

Sipapu Natural Bridge, August morning. [Click on image for larger version.]

Down the trail to Sipapu Bridge on a very warm August morning. Almost no shade this early in the day. because the cliffs in this part of White Canyon catch the morning sun full on.

No problem. With sunscreen on my exposed skin and ice water in my daypack, I enjoy a descent of 500 vertical feet from the canyon rim to the bottom. Quickly, in just 0.6 of a mile. You don't have to walk very far forward to have walked down a lot more. Down is forward.

I have my photographic sweet spots on this trail, so familiar to me by now. This is one of them. It's most of the way down, a last look at the western face of the bridge before plunging beneath it. 

On this particular morning, the trademark high desert Utah clear sunny skies predominated. Sun shining from right to left, the far cliffs of Cedar Mesa Sandstone were awash with light, while the span of the immense natural bridge -- sixth largest in the world, second largest outside of China (where the four largest are) -- was in bright shadow. Green riparian vegetation in the bottom of the canyon for a nice color complement.

And a family of three resting nicely in the shade within the composition to give it a bit of scale. 

My hike was just beginning: on to secret locations within the canyon. 

Photo location: Natural Bridges National Monument, San Juan County, Utah. 

Prints and photo products are available on my Fine Art America sales website:
http://stephen-krieg.pixels.com/

© 2015 Stephen J. Krieg

Kachina Natural Bridge, Summer

Kachina Natural Bridge from west buttress.

Kachina Bridge in Natural Bridges National Monument in southeast Utah is a massive span of Cedar Mesa Sandstone. The youngest of the three bridges in the park, Kachina Bridge is also the youngest one. That's why it's still so thick; it has a lot more stone to shed through the future millennia than its sisters, Sipapu Bridge and Owachomo Bridge.

On a hot summer day, the shade and breezeway-like air movement underneath the bridge are the perfect respite. The trail down from the Loop Drive parking lot is only 0.7 of a mile, but dropping 400 feet in elevation. The trail offers scant shade until you get to the bottom, underneath the bridge. There you feel like lingering, resting, savoring. And it's never crowded with visitors, either. Most of the time you can have it all to yourself. Take a lunch or snacks, and plenty of water. 

The bridge is so massive that, while underneath it, even an ultra wide angle lens can't take it all in. So for this photograph I took three overlapping images and merged them into a super high resolution panoramic file. 

Photo location: Natural Bridges National Monument, San Juan County, southeast Utah.

If you have a large screen, click on the image below for a much larger version.

Kachina Natural Bridge, larger version (click on image).

Prints and photo products are available on my Fine Art America sales website:
http://stephen-krieg.pixels.com/

© 2015 Stephen J. Krieg.