This article is going to feel at lot like a travelogue – because it is.
I was up at little after 4 am and on my way to catch first light at Dead Horse Point State Park. I could have stayed in bed. The clouds that were starting to roll in the night before had created an overcast sky by morning. It was cold and miserable.
As it got lighter, it was clear I was not going to get the morning sun I had hoped for. The light was soft and even. Great for flowers. Not so good for the grand landscape I had in mind.
But I was there, so I got out my camera and took pictures. The location is spectacular. The light was flat, even, and disappointing.
At 6 am the clouds to the east parted a bit, revealing the La Sal Mountains. I took the picture at the top of this article at 6:11 am. There is a nice quality to the light and it is one of my two most favorite images of the day.
The clouds socked back in and it was cold and rainy. I waited around for another 2 hours hoping for a change in the weather. At 8:25 I give up and headed for the visitor’s center. I bought a book and postcard and headed for my next destination. My trip log says it was “42°F heavy rain and fog”.
At Canyonlands National Park I could not see a thing. The fog was so thick that at all of the overlooks you could see nothing but fog. The canyons were completely hidden from view. I did get a nice picture of Emily at the ranger station. She is my only good picture from Canyonlands.
I left Canyonlands, stopped for lunch in Moab and left the chilly, cloudy, rainy foggy weather behind me and headed for Capitol Reef National Park.
It was mid afternoon when I arrived. The sun had come out, the weather was nice, and I spent a little over 2 hours wandering the park road and taking pictures. This is my other favorite photo for April 24.
A little after 5 pm I left Capitol Reef for Bryce Canyon National Park.
When I arrive a little before 8 pm, it was cloudy, cold (38°), and windy. The light was flat and soft. I took picture for a half hour and headed for my motel and a very late dinner. I was hoping for better light the next morning. Stay tuned.
Links
Series: Favorite Photos by Date – all about this series
Ruby’s Inn – the place to stay when visiting Bryce Canyon