Slickrock and Shadow

Stone bench with a fabulous winter view! Another fun picture from my snow storm in Zion.  Above the lowest of the Emerald Pools I explored in the deep snow.  There were no footprints so I felt like everything was virgin land.  A rock slide and plenty of ice had closed a portion of the trail.  I went a little beyond the "closed" sign to see the view from a point across from the grotto.   Up at this higher viewpoint I found two benches covered deep in powder snow.  Careful to not put my footprints in the powder, I took several photos from a distance and slowly got closer and closer for additional photos.  This photo captures the bench and its' view. Another snowy bench view The trail through snow Trail Closed sign

Icicles hang at Emerald Pools during winter in Zion Two weeks ago a heavy snow was forecast for southern Utah.  I trekked over to Zion where several roads were closed but I could drive up to Emerald Pools parking lot.  A walk up the snow-covered trail led me to this magical spot.  Too cold for flowing water, the dripping springs had turned to icicles.  They hung 80 feet above my head and a few of these cold daggers broke off and fell onto the trail while I was there.  To spotlight these really cool (pun intended) features, I followed the trail all the way around until I got a view behind the ice looking back onto the grotto.  I wanted to show these clear cold wonders in detail and context.  Technical aspects of this shot:  this is a focus blended shot.  I took photos focused on three different icicles (far left, middle and right) to get these all sharp.  I took a photo focused on the canyon wall in the background.  These we...

Wolf Creek extends up to snowy mountain tops of the Madison National Forest Landscape photographers go to many of the same places.  In Montana I had the opportunity to explore the Madison National Forest in the area of Wolf Creek.  This is known for bears, elk and being far off the beaten path.  Hiking up to peak, both the wind and the views were spectacular.  This is a photograph taken looking into Wolf Creek.  The mountaintops were covered with clouds and snow.  Summer in Montana can be a spectacular fleeting moment. Gordon's hike rating: Hike Difficulty:                   ★★★★ Strenuous Trail Condition:                   ★★★ Moderate Trail Hazards:                      ★★★ Moderate:  rocks, rare Grizzly sightings Trailhead:                  ...

Lacy Rocky Spire of Coyote Buttes North The "wave" is world-famous, one of the most in all landscape photography.  Pictures like the one below have made it an icon.  However, one wants to explore and discover.  That's part of our nature and certainly is a goal when I set out to photograph a location.  I want to find some place new, an undiscovered gem. Well, this time I hiked to Coyote Buttes North (the Wave) and did so in snow.  The beginning temperature was 17 degrees Fahrenheit.  The sun did come out and warm me up.  I can't complain too much.  Snow made everything different, making it a little more challenging to find any classic Southwest picture. I had heard of a cliff that had lacy rocks on the very top. However, the climb up to the top was on the north side of this mountain and covered with snow. Climbing up snow-covered slickrock is an exercise in persistence, gravity, friction and sliding down.  It took quite a while to ma...