Slickrock and Shadow

Garden Creek Waterfall Ed said the Bright Angel Trail was better than Phantom Ranch .  The T-shirt and lemonade at Phantom Ranch sounded good to me but T-shirts and lemonade are manmade.  They exist outside the Grand Canyon but it'd be cool to say I got a T-shirt at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  However a seasoned GC hiker, Ed, said that the Bright Angel Trail up to Indian Gardens was beautiful and a much more satisfying adventure.  Plus I'd get to hike out with my friends until I met my wife and brother-in-law.  This was part of the exchange at Phantom Ranch.  Some were just doing half the canyon so they left and were replaced by other travelers. I chose to hike out and also explore.  The trail up Bright Angel is pleasant, beautiful, smooth and maintained.  This was a sharp contrast to the Tabernacle Trail a two days earlier.  The friends departing felt like close family members by now and it was hard to see them go.  We had ...

Full Moon Setting as seen from Phantom Ranch Beautiful moment of the full moon setting between peaks and reflecting off the surface of the Colorado River.  This moment happened half-way through the trip.  I'd photographed continually but I was not expecting to do any night photography.  But when something this beautiful happens, the photographer deep within jumps within me and I must answer.  Picture this:  early morning, quiet, slightly cool with the river sounds bouncing off the canyon walls.  I wake up to this but it's still dark, except it's not that dark because we have a full moon.  I see it.  I put on my glasses and I see it  better.  The moon is setting, it's beautiful and it'll be over in a flash.  I spring to action:  open pelican box, grab camera, grab remote cable release, grab tripod and begin running to the edge of the river to capture the reflected water.  The moon moves quickly and I got this one...