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Abstract
Squeezing 3 days of rolled over vacation between Thanksgiving and
the weekend before, I'm off for 9 days to Utah; Revathi joins
me halfway through the trip. My first vacation in the U.S. where reality
actually meets the copy. Free to take as long over setting up a shot
as I wish during the first five days, I develop tremendous admiration
for professional photographers, i.e. those who must make a living off it.
Bad Taste
Nothing particularly interesting happened till I reached the Hertz counter at
the Salt Lake City Airport at midnight. (Oh, there was this small diversion of trying
to send email from an ATM-like machine at the St. Louis airport during the
stopover...) They tried to sell me on a mid-size car as, they solicitously
noted, I'd be doing lots of driving, even though I'd booked the cheapest
of the cheap compacts a week in advance. I was not to be swayed from my
frugal instincts; turned out that the smallest car they had was a Ford
Contour, the biggest motor vehicle I've ever driven. Next, they wanted
to sell me insurance at $17 a day, doubtless aware that my Citibank Platinum
Card, of which they must be seeing a hundred every day, had me fully covered.
You take full responsibility for the value of the car, sir?
I dreamt that night about toiling away the rest of my life paying off a
car I never owned, and called up Citibank in the morning to double-check
the insurance.
Then, they offered to fill up my tank at $1.50 a gallon; there'd, of course,
be no refunds for any gas left in the car when I returned it. No thanks,
I was quite capable of filling my own gas. In that case, there'll be a
$1.50/gallon surcharge, if you dont return a full tank, sir. Funny what,
that the same gas should cost $1.50 before you rent the car and $3 when
you return it? "Stay strong, and pay close attention", the motto of WBAI
radio, New York City, 99.5 FM.
During the next nine days and couple of thousand miles of driving, the
Contour turned out to be a solid, comfortable car, but the pickup
was worse than that of my 10 year old, 100,000+ miles Toyota Corolla.
Which leaves American auto technology, umm..., 20 years behind Japanese?
Dragging myself to the Parks
The next morning brought an unbelievable surprise: snow atop the mountains
that seem to encircle Salt Lake City,
so unlike the dull grey hills of the north-east. Getting out of the hotel
as promptly as possible, I quickly did my time on the I-15, and was soon onto
the single lane Route 6 off Spanish Fork. Number of times that day, I'd
be fascinated by the passing scenery, the grand mountains, till I
could restrain myself no longer – the light would be too beautiful,
the landscape too interesting – I'd pull over on the shoulder, set up
the tripod, with trucks whizzing by at eighty miles an hour.
John Wall was selling apples out of his van at one regular pullout,
a "scenic viewpoint". I went up to the driver's cabin and asked if he
could sell me one apple. Turned out he could.
He lived across the mountain; his sons now looked after the 100 odd acres of
apple orchards his family owned. I've never been particularly fond of
apples ("too much bulk, too little taste", "edible toothbrush" –
my favorite epithets), but this one was really sweet. When I wanted
some more, he chose them for me, and wouldnt take
any money. Other customers drove up in pickups and bought
them up by the crate, while I talked him into posing for me.
Sad footnote: I lost his address almost immediately, and have no way of
sending him prints.
My next stop turned out to be a near ghost town. I was drawn into it
by signs saying "Mining Museum". Eighty percent of the shops and offices
seemed boarded up and out of business; the gas station being
the only sign of life. Hardly any people walked the streets. One woman
tried to sell me a tour of some place.
Was this what "rural poverty" was all about? The town appeared
almost abandoned. I even managed to forget its name entirely, and it was
only while writing this up, examining the
Carbon Motel shot closely that I was able to make a reasonable guess
that it was Helper City.
I wanted badly to get to Dead Horse Point State Park before sunset, and
I'd already spent considerable time along the way. My general strategy
during the trip was to get to a new place at sunset, take some pictures,
and survey the lie of the land to come back next morning before sunup.
I stocked myself with cookies, fruit juice, and determination to
keep the foot steady on the gas.
Dead Horse Point State Park
Dead Horse's reputation among photographers, situated as it is within
hailing distance of two Grand Prix circuit National Parks, Arches and
Canyonlands, is not unfounded.
At sunset, though, I found most of the landscape in shadow, under a
bluish haze
that dulled the features. The evaporation tanks, considered a blot on the
scenery by some, I found interesting for their own sake. Water from the
Colorado river is pumped into potash mines, where the salt dissolves
into the water, which is then pumped out and left to dessicate in the
dry desert air.
The next morning I had the park to myself as the sun's rays lit up
successive strata of red rock, till a father(50+) and son(20+)
pair joined me an hour or so after sunrise. Father lived in Brooklyn, still the
European immigrant with an accent, son lived in Utah. They told me not
to miss Route 128 off Moab, and recommended the Fairyland trail if
I was planning on Bryce National Park.
Canyonlands National Park: Island in the Sky
This is a huge park, and I decided to do justice to one section of it,
Island in the Sky, rather than run all over the place. The Island is kind
of an abrupt plateau joined to the "mainland" by a narrow "neck" of land;
the popular viewpoints —
Shafer Canyon, Mesa Arch, Green River overlook, Grand Viewpoint —
are at different points on the edge of
this plateau; you peer over the side and immediately turn around to check;
if you're pushed over, you wont hit anything for a couple of thousand feet.
I had some vague plans of renting a four-wheel drive from Moab and
driving up the switchbacks of Shafer trail, but the view from Shafer
Canyon overlook drove out all such desires. Never having driven off-road
before, I wasnt about to try this all by myself.
I visited Mesa Arch, practically the logo of the park, several times,
sometimes under a clear sky, once when it was snowing. One morning, before
the sun had risen, I was surprised to find a jeep parked at the trailhead.
Walking through several inches of snow to get to the Arch, I found a
pair of professional photographers, their Fuji 6x17 parked in front of
the Arch. Unfortunately for them, it was heavily overcast; I dont think
they'd've got a usable shot. I had fun though.
Shots from Green River overlook; different days, different times.
Grand View Point, the southernmost tip of the Island:
Arches National Park
Arches and Canyonlands are practically across the street from each other
(well, some thirty odd miles), but they're entirely different. This was
one of the most interesting and satisfying aspects of my trip; each of
the four National Parks had a distinct character; there was little room
for monotony.
Somehow, I never made it to the "poster-scene" of Arches, Delicate Arch;
the first day I got into Arches, hoping to catch the evening light
at Delicate Arch, it turned out that my estimate of sunset was off by
an hour. I met Malkeet Singh, though, a Punjabi trucker on his way to
New Mexico to fight the three bullshit tickets a cop had written out for a single
incident. He was stopping for the night at Moab, and had decided to duck into
Arches. Quite sick of trucking, he was also looking into buying a motel at Moab.
In the trucking line, they call him Mike Singh.
Sleepy-eyed at Arches:
I did only one real hike in Arches National Park, along the Devil's Garden trail, dotted
with natural arches that my people back home in India wouldnt believe were
not man-made when I showed them the slides. At the end of the day, I was
thankful that I was making the trip in November; despite a whole day's walk,
I'd hardly had to drink (and carry) any water. A colleague of mine who did this hike
in summer had been practically dehydrated. Besides, November so far up in the
northern hemisphere means practically a full day's worth of good light.
The Landscape Arch that I'd read about barely existed; dropping pieces
of itself off itself over the years, it's precariously thin and practically off-limits now.
Navajo Arch was more approacable and made a better subject.
People with fear of heights are warned off this trail; parts of it pass
over fins, short narrow ridges of rock that you have to totter
across.
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The vertigo was made worthwhile by this shot near Double O Arch, where I
decided to turn back. But this day again, it was too late to make the
one hour hike to Delicate Arch by sunset.
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Notes on Moab: Moab, though a small place, more or less has all
faclities. I stayed at the Red Stone Inn, $30 a night, cosy
and clean. For dinners, I mostly patronized the Moab Brewery. One of the nights
it was unbelievably crowded because of a "game" (a basketball match
on TV); I managed to squeeze myself at the bar next to a gentleman with a long,
white beard. He spent half the year at the Grand Tetons and the
other half Canyonlands/Arches, so I asked him if he was a photographer. Turned
out that he was a volunteer ranger with the National Park Service. He'd been
a geologist; a ranger's life kept him out of doors. The restaurant displayed
works by Tom Till, a local photographer; unfortunately, his studio was closed
when I dropped by. A photo lab called Action Shots sells photo accessories
and film and does processing. I wanted them to push a roll of Velvia two stops; they
said they'd have to have a whole run just for me and charged me $25 but
refused to give me a one day turnaoround.
On my last day, I made side trips along the Colorado river. First I went
south towards Potash, where I was
prepared to be disappointed by Petroglyphs. Steep rock walls next to
the metal road apparently makes this area popular among climbers; I stood by to
watch one group for a while, and told them the fortune joke: Why
do climbers tie themselves up with rope? To prevent the sensible ones
from going home.
Next I ventured north along the left bank of the Colorado, on Scenic
(really scenic, not AAA-black-dot scenic) Route 128, towards Cisco (anything
to do with the routers, anybody?). The
narrow river valley here with the red rock walls reflecting into the
river made it a very pretty drive.
I never made it to the Delicate Arch (maybe I was scared of the hourlong
hike back after dark?), but Arches National Park has enough interesting
things to photograph at sundown. The wierd full-moon-against-twilight-sky
shot is the result of an accidental double exposure when I got too excited
by the sight of the huge, white moon rising between two glowing red sandstone columns. I never captured that on film, though; the range of contrasts
needs considerable preparation with a suitable negative film. Wonder what
happened to the half a dozen other crazed photographers scurrying back and forth
with tripods.
The Road, again
Having made use of the last bit of sunlight at Arches, I started towards
Salt Lake City to pick up Revathi at the airport. The single lane Route 6
didnt make for particularly easy night-driving; the curve of the road
sometimes created the uncomfortable illusion of a 18-wheeler truck heading
straight into you. I made the mistake of trying to eat a McDonald's burger;
I do this every six months or so when nothing else is around. Fresh snow
on the mountains and next to the road worried me too. Would Bryce Canyon,
at 8000 feet, be too cold?
Revathi's plane was on time; next morning we started driving straight
south along the mind-numbing I-15. We got off at Payson, Utah for a bite; it
felt like we'd parachuted straight into the Bible Bastion of America, if The
Payson Chronicle we picked up at the gas station is anything to go by.
Payson City's proclamation of the week of Thanksgiving as National Bible
Week, "to honor the Bible's place in American history" in defiance of the ACLU made front page news.
Young people in Payson seemed to be either returning from, or going to
places like Ireland, Montana, and Philippines on missions, or exchanging
"temple vows" with each other. One page of the tabloid format newspaper
was devoted to the Payson City Police Report, "merely a sampling of
activity handled by the City Police Departmenet":
"48 year old female driver blacked out. The vehicle swerved to the left,
running off the road, hitting a tree. Damage, $1000.", "Complainant
stated that $5.04 worth of gas was pumped into a white Ford Taurus,
and payment was not made.", "20 year old male from Elberta apprehended
after a foot chase by the Santaquin police...", I read out to Revathi
at the wheel.
Route 14 off Cedar City provided some visual relief. Snow, ice, and
aspens in the sunshine gleaming white. Ansel and Co. had it easy here.
Zion National Park
We entered Zion through the tunnel that appeared to pierce the canyon wall,
which we then winded down into the valley floor. I found Zion difficult
to photograph – being a narrow, deep canyon, sunlight illuminates
it well only at noon, the worst time for photography, with the result that
I have almost as many pictures of Revathi at Zion as everything else.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Per unit energy expended by the typical visitor, Bryce Canyon must be the most
beautiful place
on earth. You only have to get up before the sun, and peer out of Sunrise
Point to see things you didnt think existed outside pages of
the National Geographic. And if this was not enough, there was an icing
of snow on the hoodoos, but the temperature was quite comfortable.
A Japanese girl asked me why I had my camera trained on the amphitheater
to the west when the sun was gonna rise at the east. Ranks high in my list
of inane questions. I took a 20-second,
pre-dawn exposure of the Bryce amphitheater; unfortunately, I'd chosen to
place my tripod on the visitors' platform, practically the best kind of
surface for catching vibrations.
We had only one full day at Bryce; relying on the recommendation of the father-son
pair who'd suggested the hugely successful trip along Route 128, we decided to
hike the Fairyland-Rim Trail loop instead of the Queen's Garden trail. The day was
mostly cloudy, which were actually quite good conditions for photographing
the numerous gnarled, charred, dessicated, cracked trees and their barks along
the way. Fairyland wasnt such a great trail for the landscape per se, though. We met a
francophone (I'm not being pedantic, it's just that they could be Quebecois)
family doing the loop in the opposite direction.
Just as we were climbing up towards Fairyland Point, the sun came out and lit
up the landscape. This is luck! Views from the Rim Trail running along the edge of
the canyon from Fairyland point to Sunrise point were just gorgeous with
the light of the setting sun. Had this been summer, we'd probably have
taken the shuttle that runs during the season, instead of legging it.
With the predictability of mathematics, we again ran into the French-speaking
family, just as overwhelmed as us by the landscape.
Last shot of the trip, for the family:
I liked your essay. I am doing a similar trip in May because I enjoy the beauty of National Parks. But after seeing your photos, I think I am going to try to capture my trip in a photo essay also. Thanks!
Amy Sun, 2 Mar 2008 22:35:34 -0500
We got married in Zion's, a fantastic spot for a wedding, our wedding photography was taken by Retrospect Studios, a local <a href="http://www.utah-wedding-photographer.com">Utah Wedding Photographer</a>
Timothy Uhl Sun, 2 Mar 2008 00:32:11 -0500
These are some quality pictures. I'm a big fan of <a href="http://www.jaylynnstudios.com">Utah Photography</a> and this is a very thorough sampling of the variety the state has to offer.
Trevor Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:13:17 -0500
Mr. Wall is from Santaquin. He is one of the nicest men. He always let's you taste the fruit your are buying.
Trudy Daley Fri, 8 Feb 2008 18:07:08 -0500
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snjwcgxq iopklv Fri, 18 Jan 2008 03:12:36 -0500
Your pictures are great! We'll be moving to Helper in June 2008 and can't wait. Keep taking your gorgious pictures.
Margene Riffe Tue, 4 Dec 2007 22:07:53 -0500
Thats awsome! Do you remember the route thru Utah you took to all of these places. We mom, dad & son 9, will be driving from Chicago to thru Utah & Grand Canyon.
sheryl Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:15:05 -0500
Pretty okay. Good Job.
Lily Thu, 15 Nov 2007 21:37:51 -0500
You've done a great job in capturing some of the most beautiful Nat'l Parks in the world. And you've saved me a lot of steps. Thanks...God Bless you and yours. BL
Bill Lackner Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:49:27 -0400
I stumbled across your site. My loss. I am a native Utahn. I do not appreciate your whing & snively writing style. If your 'cosmopolotain' self does not like it here, then go home.My opionion is that, Utah, particularly Arches, Canyonlands and the surrounding Moab area are paradise. I am not a local, I am a semi-transplant, hoping to become a permanent local.
Moab is not New York City, in fact it is not even a true resort town. The locals are here year round, but the Vamps (out-of-town/high-end store owners; Tom Till) are only here during the high tourist season (~March-~October).
If you are truly looking to openly, experience this area, then contact me, and I will provide you with additional information.
Dirk
bntradical@aol.com
Dirk Mon, 26 Mar 2007 22:45:23 -0400
Beautiful! Can't wait for our trip of all the places you covered.
Greetings from South Africa...
Pat (South Africa) Wed, 28 Feb 2007 13:13:26 -0500
Wow. Loved your writing style as much as the amazing photos. Bet you're a hoot on a roadtrip. Happy trails.
Michelle Novacek Sat, 17 Feb 2007 20:03:04 -0500
Zion is beautiful in the fall and there's a great hike to go along with it. It's breathtaking.
Christina Mon, 15 Jan 2007 15:50:08 -0500
wonderful pictures! you captured some very beautiful scenery at the right times. I also visited this area over the summer and could not go everywhere I'd planned; I'd get lost in the moment at the Arches, Glen Canyon, etc. Utah is an incredible state. I got beautiful photos but admire yours as well.
Lynn Wed, 1 Nov 2006 14:13:22 -0500
Hey these are really nice they did help my report on Utah!!! and these are REally nice pictures!! I hope you guys make or take more becaue I would love to see more picture!!!
Celina Sat, 7 Oct 2006 00:21:05 -0400
I visited Arches a couple of years ago. Your photos really captured the essence of such a beautiful location.
Sasard Wed, 27 Sep 2006 19:38:05 -0400
WOW, Sounds like you had a great time. Stunning photos!!
Bambi Wed, 27 Sep 2006 19:36:24 -0400
what super pictures! went to arches in 97 and will return in 07 with my beloved dad! thank you
simon Thu, 20 Jul 2006 18:56:34 -0400
My favorite picture from your folio: Navajo Arch, Arches National ParkExplore zion in fall. Last week of october probably. Virgin river canyon and the highway! Have fun and thanx for sharing!
Regards
+Lalit
Lalit Thu, 27 Apr 2006 16:31:28 -0400
Oh, and I agree with the postee below who recommends Goblin Valley, Capital Reef, and Kodachrome Basin! Especially Goblin Valley at dawn! Completely worth rising at a pre-dawn hour.
SueO Wed, 25 Jan 2006 14:16:43 -0500
Lovely photos, great commentary, nice storyline. Having been to all the places you describe, this was a wonderful trip down memory lane. In fact,we're returning to Utah in May '06.I didn't quite understand the comment about being disappointed by petroglyphs. My bad, I guess.
And you are really surprised that American auto technology is 20 years behind the rest of the world? ;-)
Keep shooting.
SueO - Bolingbrook IL USA
SueO Wed, 25 Jan 2006 14:13:11 -0500
Love your photographs.. I'll be in Moab in 2 weeks. Can't wait to get that quintissential shot of Delicate Arch. Sorry you missed it. It's quite a hike and i missed it last time i was there. Not this time.
Brad Mon, 6 Jun 2005 02:39:23 -0400
Very impressive photos.I think you have just made my vacation choice much easier. Thanks for sharing your talents.
Wyatta Sun, 22 May 2005 17:53:42 -0400
Great pictures dude.
Selena Tue, 10 May 2005 11:05:21 -0400
great photos makes you feel as if you are there,well done hope to make my own trip someday.
clyde sr Sun, 24 Apr 2005 14:10:00 -0400
Simply beautiful. Very nice photographs.
kay Tue, 11 Jan 2005 22:43:16 -0500
I enjoyed your site -- I too -- found zion difficult to shoot, in November. Enjoyed the text and the shot of the loos. Drop im and see mine at http://shawnkielty.com/zion
Shawn Kielty Sat, 4 Dec 2004 22:30:04 -0500
I am researching photo tips for an upcoming trip to Arches and Canyonland areas. Do you have any suggestions as to best time of day for shooting some of the most scenic spots? What time did you shoot your great shot of Navajo arches? Regards, Eileen
Eileen Wed, 8 Sep 2004 17:09:24 -0400
Your site was very helpful and your photographs are wonderful. I was particularly interested in Arches and Canyonlands. On a previous trip to Bryce and Zion, my love of red rocks was born. In late October, my daughter and I will travel from Pittsburgh to Durango to Moab to Monument Valley and back to Durango, stopping at various spots along the way. Thanks for adding to our anticipation!
CeeCee Tue, 24 Aug 2004 23:18:04 -0400
My gosh these are incredible pictures from Utah! Thanks for sharing! They are totally awesome!
Dennis in California Tue, 6 Jul 2004 01:38:43 -0400
Thank you for sharing this fantastic trip! I
would recomend making two more stops: Capitol
Reef National Park and Goblin Valley State
Park. I was surprised that you found Kodachrome
State Park; most Utahns don't even know it
exists. I loved the pictures and the
narratives. I felt like I was taking the trip
with you!
Brad Adkins Thu, 16 Oct 2003 00:00:00 -0400
Nice essay and pictures. If you or your visitors
are interested in other Utah trip reports and
photography, please visit
http://scenicutah.com/links/ for a directory of
all things "scenic" in the state.
David Boren Wed, 6 Nov 2002 00:00:00 -0500
This website is wonderful. Thank you for the gift
of your photos and stories.
Take care.
m.channing Thu, 20 Sep 2001 00:00:00 -0400
What a great visual respite from the emerald
green state of Michigan. Thank you for sharing
your talent and curiosity and perspective with
us. I was most interested in your comments on
Helper,Utah as this is a town I understand to be
in a state of resurgence. Your photos made it
clear... the ghosts are partying!
You could easily subsidize your next photo shoot
by selling the Utah pics as boxed greeting cards
or screen savers. The most enthusiastic would be
the German and British tourists since I've met
more of them when I was traveling a lot in the
Southwest. Well,best of luck in your artistic
pursuits and may the wind carry you to adventure.
sue p Tue, 10 Jul 2001 00:00:00 -0400
Nice pix, but too many commas in the text.
Slows down reading.
Tim Chakravorty Tue, 2 Jan 2001 00:00:00 -0500
Well presented, easy to read text with nice
photography!
Nigel Smith Tue, 4 Apr 2000 00:00:00 -0400
