The Clouds Part

Highway 95, west of Natural Bridges, Utah.

Utah Highway 95, down along White Canyon. No cell service, no problem. Because I'd rather be using my camera, anyway.

An inversion still had the cloud cover down low. But not all the way to the river. Sweet. I could play both sides of it just by driving along.

Fresh snow, fog, blue skies, red rock cliffs. A highway so lonesome you only see a few cars in an hour.

Photo location: San Juan County, southeast Utah.

Mighty Sipapu Bridge, October Afternoon

[Photo: Sipapu Bridge, October Afternoon].

A late October afternoon at Natural Bridges National Monument in southeast Utah. I call this park a hidden gem within the National Park System. First time visitors often agree, vowing to come back and spend more time next time. 

Why? At first glance it might seem somewhat unspectacular. No massive canyons or mountain peaks nearby. Some distinctive buttes. Mostly flat high desert terrain, with Pinyon pine and Utah juniper for well spaced forest cover. It only takes an hour to stop in at the friendly, uncrowded Visitor Center, watch the ten minute video, and drive the one-way paved loop drive to the overlooks. Done, on to the next National Park in amazing southeast Utah ("Life Elevated"). 

What's more, you can't see the three stone bridges very well from the overlooks. You look down at their tops. What gives? Well, you have to hike down into the canyons from the overlooks to really get it, to see them, to get great photos. The first two bridges, Sipapu and Kachina, take an hour each round trip, dropping down 500 feet vertically for Sipapu and 400 feet for Kachina, in just a half mile. That's steep. But quick. And they are beautiful, interesting hikes down. Switchbacks across slickrock (i.e., bare) sandstone cliff faces, steps cut into the rock, rock steps built up onto the stone, even a few short ladders to climb down (bolted safely to the cliff, of course). So they are very fun, very photogenic along the way.

Then you have to climb back up to your car. That's the strenuous part. Great exercise. If you're not acclimated to 6,500 feet in elevation, maybe very strenuous. Just not for the out of shape. But well worth it. 

As an alternative to down-and-up hikes to each bridge, loop hikes make it even more fun, getting to see the canyons (White Canyon and Armstrong Canyon) along their stream courses. You can do two of the bridges, via the north loop and south loop, or all three via the total loop.

Natural Bridges, the hidden gem. Spend an hour, a day, a week. Well worth it.

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Photo location: Sipapu Bridge (the largest and middle aged of the three in the park), Natural Bridges National Monument (first unit in the National Park System in Utah, declared a National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt, in 1908), San Juan County, southeast Utah. Thirty five miles west of Blanding, UT.

From Chino

Mid March in mile high Yavapai County in the central Arizona highlands. Waiting for spring to arrive. Cruising the back roads, enjoying nature, open vistas, and freedom. 

South of Chino Valley I stopped at a scene partially overlooking a solar panel power generating station. Some storm clouds provided a beautiful palette of blues, grays, and whites against the sky, and bands of sunlight and shadow on the ground. 

On the far skyline is the lumpy silhouette of Bill Williams Mountain, up on the Coconino Plateau at Williams, Arizona.

Chino Valley, Yavapai County, Arizona

Another Moonrise

The nearly full moon rises above the winter-bare grasslands of Williamson Valley north of Prescott in late February 2013. The Earth's shadow just after sunset provides the blue-to-violet color gradation.

Williamson Valley, Yavapai County, Arizona.

Mountain Winter Water, Quehanna

A clear, pure, rushing mountain stream in northern Pennsylvania in winter. Steep forested hillsides all around. Solitude. Excitement and reverence.

I walked up along the stream, around mossy boulders and through wild Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel bushes. 

In this photograph, the tiny waterfall is flowing diagonally across the composition. The spray from the water has frozen on the edges of the rocks as the stream lowers in volume.

Location: Quehanna Wild Area, Elk State Forest, Elk and Cameron Counties, northern Pennsylvania.

You might also enjoy my Grand Canyon Photography Blog [click here].

© Copyright Stephen J. Krieg

Winter Falls, Quehanna Wild Area

Small waterfalls are some of the most beautiful. You can get close to them without getting sprayed, without risking your camera equipment. As long as you don't fall in the stream getting your camera and tripod into position, that is. 

In this photo, a long shutter speed allows the water to blur enough to give the feeling of it flowing and bouncing down the rock layers.

At an unnamed brook in the Quehanna Wild Area, Elk State Forest, Pennsylvania.

© Copyright Stephen J. Krieg

Hills, Dells, and The Peaks

Winter in Prescott, central Arizona highlands. In between snowstorms, the days have been very pleasant. 

In this view north of Prescott, the Granite Dells and Watson Lake are visible. On the far horizon the San Francisco Peaks shine almost ethereally with a fresh coat of snow, 90 miles away at Flagstaff.

Winter Golden Hour 2, Granite Dells, Arizona

[Photo: Granite Dells and water tank, late afternoon]

On this hike into the Granite Dells north of Prescott, Arizona, I approached the Dells from the east, using the Iron King Trail. It was about three miles across the flats of the Antelope Hills area, skirting the northern base of Glassford Hill. 

It's four miles from the trailhead at Glassford Hill Road to the junction with the Peavine Trail. Both trails use abandoned railroad grades that were originally built in the late 1800s. They were the first rail service to Prescott from the Santa Fe mainline north, and to the rich copper mines south in the Bradshaw Mountains.

About three miles in, you finally get to the edge of the Granite Dells. There are a few of the historic little railroad cars along the way, but no other interpretive signs until you get to the Peavine Trail. A sign or two as to how the railroad cars were powered, and what they carried, would be a nice addition. 

Sunlit grasses in the Granite Dells at evening

Once into the Dells, the landscape is infinitely more interesting. The slowly eroding granite rocks make for endless shapes and patterns. There are even still mountain lions in this area, along with coyotes and javelina. The Dells are surrounded by open ranch land and developed subdivisions, but the ruggedness of this relatively small area of rocks provides enough sanctuary for at least a few mountain lions. 

Water tank reflection, Granite Dells

At this point there was a "tank" or pond that had plenty of water, even in this dry winter. A lone mallard duck made some ripples on the otherwise mirror surface as I approached, but seemed too used to people visitors that it didn't bother to fly away. The surface of the water intensified the saturation of the blue sky reflection, and the rocks framing the tank.

Railroad car, Iron King Trail, Granite Dells

It was also near this point that there was another old railroad car. The granite rocks, clear blue Arizona sky, and the low sunlight provided a very nice composition.

It was the evening golden hour, and the color temperature was getting ever warmer as the sun approached the western horizon. 

Sunlit grasses, Granite Dells

Besides the obvious artistic attraction of all the rock formations, the dead golden grasses were lit up by the sunlight. Where there was a convenient area of shadow behind the grasses, the contrast made for some striking photos. Dead grasses continue to provide beauty long after their season-short life cycle is over. 

Granite spires, Point Of Rocks, Granite Dells, Prescott, Arizona

Finally I was to Point of Rocks. Besides the fantastic vertical granite spires and boulders, this was where the two railroads joined. There was even a train depot here. All that remains is a cement slab. 

One of the most photogenic stone formations is right near the Peavine Trail here. It is a twin monolith of granite, like two stone tablets set in the bedrock. One can't help but think the Ten Commandments would go well on them. Though I'm glad that they are unaltered. 

"Stone Tablets", Granite Dells, Prescott, Arizona

At this time of the year, the almost-set sun lit up the Tablets while their base was in shadow, as if a spotlight was on them. The deep blue sky and the tree in the middle background were very nice additions.

Granite rock spires, Granite Dells, Yavapai County, Arizona

Zooming in on some of the other vertical stone formations set against the blue sky. The shadows help to provide detail and a feeling of depth.

Point Of Rocks at sunset, Granite Dells, Prescott, Arizona

Alternately, going wide with the zoom lens reveals a composition of twin arcs provided by the golden-lit rocks, and the shadows of some other rocks formations off to the left. 

Sunset on Point Of Rocks, Granite Dells, Prescott, Arizona

One more look at the pointiest rock formation before the sun slid beneath the horizon. Then it was time for the four mile walk back to the trailhead. The first couple were in twilight, but the last couple were total darkness.

>> See more of my photography on my Google+ page at +Stephen Krieg Photography. 

Christmas Eve Moonrise, Arizona

Some rain today in the Prescott Valley of central Arizona. Wonderful mix of storm clouds and blue sky. 

As evening approached, the light became golden. Being several days before Full, the moon was above the mountains to the east. The sunset lit up the clouds around it.

This is an instance in which a larger, closer looking moon shot would have lost the contribution of the pink clouds against the dark blue sky.

Yavapai County, Arizona

First Trace of Snow, Prescott

[Photo: Downtown Prescott, with Thumb Butte in the distance]

The first major winter storm of the 2012 season rolled in to northern Arizona from the northwest yesterday. During the night, rain turned to snow, sticking everywhere but downtown proper.

The locals love it: beauty without hazardous driving, unless you venture up in the mountains above town. Precipitation is much appreciated in a dry land, especially after the dry autumn of 2012.

Prescott, Yavapai County, central Arizona

- See my Grand Canyon Photography Blog -

Willow Leaves, Granite Creek

Mid December along the Granite Dam Trail in the Granite Dells just north of Prescott, Arizona.

The last autumn leaves of the willows along Granite Creek lie on the water's surface, the gentle current arranging them into patterns.

A serene morning along the trail, no other hikers around.

See my NaturalMoment YouTube channel of nature videos, too.

Along the Trail in Zion

Day hikers watch a National Park Service crew maintain a section of the West Rim Trail, high above the floor of Zion Canyon.

Zion National Park, Utah

Sunset Light, Antelope Hills

Early December "golden hour"  evening light on two of the old cinder cone volcanoes that are collectively called the Antelope Hills. These are on the Babbitt Ranches north of the San Francisco Peaks and Flagstaff, in northern Arizona.

The summer's grasses and forbs have long since turned straw yellow, warming up nicely with the low angle of the sun. Some nice clouds accented the trademark Arizona blue sky.

Also see my Grand Canyon Photography Blog!

Highway 89 Monsoon Afternoon

Northern Arizona. North of Flagstaff, north of Cameron. Echo Cliffs on the right.

South of the Arizona Strip, still. Not for long, though. We're continuing north.

Monsoon thunderstorm season in Arizona. Moisture from the Pacific Ocean synergizing with the blue Arizona sky.

Desert meets sky in late summer.

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

Northern Arizona Monsoon Season Approaches

Thunderhead cloud and Ponderosa pines, Flagstaff, Arizona

It's monsoon thunderstorm season here in northern Arizona, but with it being a La Nina weather pattern year, it's still dry. Far too dry. Extreme forest fires danger, but so far nothing like what's happened recently on the Colorado Front Range. 

This week there has at least been enough moisture inland from the Pacific Ocean to return some cumulus clouds, thunderheads, and very widely scattered showers. I love the clear blue Arizona sky, but cumulus clouds and t-heads accent it so beautifully.

Flagstaff, Arizona (where 85F is "hot"). 

First Snow, San Francisco Peaks, Flagstaff

[Photo: Flagstaff, Arizona and the San Francisco Peaks.]

Last night in Flagstaff, Arizona it rained hard through the night while the temperature dropped. Not cold enough to snow yet, but it surely was up on the San Francisco Peaks north of town.

The forecast had been for rain and snow today, but morning instead brought mostly clear skies and splendid views of the Peaks. It stayed that way all day.

In late afternoon I made this photo from downtown, on the edge of Northern Arizona University. The Peaks always seem to look both taller and nearer when there is new snow on them. The lengthening shadows and clinging clouds helped, too.

I like the juxtaposition of the commercial signs, the deciduous trees with their leaves still green, against the backdrop of the mighty mountains.

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