Kanab Creek Wilderness, From Gunsight Point

[Photo: Snake Gulch on the left, Slide Canyon on the right, from Gunsight Point].

I finally drove out to Gunsight Point. I used to pass the turnoff on my way back and forth to elsewhere, each time saying to myself, "I've gotta go out there sometime and see what's there". 

The other day, as I passed it one more time, maybe one last time, I said, "Why not now?" Turned around and drove out the lonely BLM road. Today's the day.

At Gunsight Point I was surprised to see a helicopter. And crew to refuel it. So I asked what was going on. It was some wildlife biologists from the Arizona Game and Fish Department, doing aerial surveys of the bighorn sheep population in the canyons. "It's usually not so crowded out here," joked the lead biologist. True, I only saw one other car out there all day.

So, with three days off, I was glad to get out my camp chair, cooler, and camera and stretch out right on the rim of Kanab Creek Wilderness, on the Arizona Strip just south of Fredonia and the Utah State Line.

February Foray, Arizona Desert Highlands

[Photo: US 89 from Desert Viewpoint on Yarnell Hill]

I decided to go on a little Saturday drive.

So I headed out of charming Prescott, Arizona's Mile High City*, on US 89. Up over the Ponderosa pine forested mountains south of town, and down the winding switchback highway into tiny Wilhoit. 

Not much there at all, but I liked it anyway, maybe just to be out of the snowy highlands for a while. I sure did like the view from the stone walled roadside overlook on the way down the mountain. There was enough haze to make the blue and purple desert mountain ranges to the west appear even more far off and mystical.

Continuing south and steadily lower in elevation, I enjoyed passing through the beautiful horse heaven of Peeples Valley, and down through quirky little old mining and ranching town of Yarnell, to Congress. I was down in the desert, with prickly pear, cholla, and even some saguaro cacti around. The relative warmth in late February felt and smelled especially spring-like. Sweet and relaxing.

[Photo: US Hwy 93 north of Congress, Arizona]

At that point I swung back north through the desert via US 93. This section of road is named the "Joshua Tree Forest Parkway of Arizona". Properly spelled Joshua-Tree because it's a large member of the yucca family rather than a true tree, there were plenty of these fascinating desert plants along both sides of the road.

[Photo: Moon and Joshua-Tree along US 93]

It was two days before the February Full Moon, which means it would rise over the eastern mountains well before sunset. And it did. 

[Photo: Moon over the desert mountains, about 5:15 PM]

I stopped along the highway to make some compositions with the mountains and the Joshua-Trees, along with an interesting ranch gateway. 

[Photo: Moon and DG Ranch Gate, US 93]

[Photo: Windmill and nearly full moon at sunset, State Route 97]

Leaving Highway 93 north onto State Route 97, I stopped just before the sun dipped behind the western mountains to pair the moon with a windmill pumping water into a water tank for cattle. 

[Photo: Dusk at the Santa Maria River]

Driving east in the dusk on S.R. 96, I crossed the Santa Maria River for the last photo of the day. After driving across the bridge, I parked so I could walk onto the bridge for my intended shot. A heron in silhouette flew south along the river toward wherever its roosting place was for the night.

Finally, it was more desert and canyon driving in the dark, then up over the mountains through the Prescott National Forest via Skull Valley, and back down into Prescott.

So my little drive had turned into a ten hour, 180 mile foray; not unusual for me. Have Camera, Will Travel.

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* That must make Flagstaff, 90 miles to the north and about 2,000 feet higher in elevation, Arizona's "Heck of a Lot Higher Than Prescott" City.

(Click on any photo to see a larger version.)

Locations: Yavapai County, central Arizona.

Beneath Sandstone Arch

Sandstone Arch

I love the hues that come from blue sky sunlight softly reflected off the innumerable angles of red sandstone.

Arches National Park, Utah

Delicate Arch, the Big View

Delicate Arch Environs, Arches National Park, Utah

We've all seen countless photos of Delicate Arch, the iconic red sandstone formation that is not only the symbol of Arches National Park near Moab in southeast Utah, but even as the backdrop for the Utah license plate.

Photos of Delicate Arch are usually taken in late afternoon or at sunset time, when the sun is shining on it from the west (from the left in this scene). This photo, however, was taken in the morning, making the famous arch a silhouette, full into the glare of the early sunlight. Tough conditions.

But it shows something at least as amazing as the arch. It shows that Delicate Arch is a remnant of a huge red sandstone bowl. It's part of the lip of the bowl, and of course ever eroding. 

Notice the two couples in the scene, to give you a sense of scale.

Arches National Park, Utah.

You might also be interested in my Grand Canyon Photography blog.

Ocotillo, Sedona Spring

The incredible Ocotillo shrub is one of my very favorite plants of the North American desert. 

Tall, spindly, tough, with slender whip-like stems festooned with thorns that feature needle sharp points. Nothing to be trifled with.

They also have a fantastic adaptation: to only sprout leaves when there is enough rain. They can do it as many times a year as there is enough water, dropping their tiny leaves in between rains to conserve their internal moisture. 

In this springtime photo near Sedona, Arizona, this plant is popping its leaves for the first time since the winter. The morning sun highlighted the plant agains its red rock cliff background in shadow. 

Location: Sedona, Arizona

You might also be interested in my Grand Canyon Photography blog.