Link to video: Canyonlands Snippets (about 2 minutes long)
Link to photo album: Canyonlands National Park
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Canyonlands is a vast wilderness of 527 square miles of endless canyons, mesas, arches, and buttes carved by the Colorado River. By comparison, the State of Rhode Island is 1,214 square miles, making this park about half the size of Rhode Island!
We got up at o-dark thirty to get to Mesa Arch to catch the sunrise. We figured there would be the die-hard semi-professional photographers already set up, but we were in no way prepared for what we encountered! When we got to the parking lot, we took one of the last available spaces, grabbed our gear, and headed out on the trail.
(Trail to Mesa Arch)
After about a 10-minute walk, we arrived at the arch to be greeted by 75-100 people all waiting for the sunrise. All prime spots were taken, and there was very little space available to set up a tripod. Getting here any earlier wouldn't have mattered because 90% of the people were all shooting with their phones with no regard for those who have equipment set up. Pete took some shots anyway, and after some work in Photoshop to remove all the people, here's the result. (Click the photo to enlarge it on your screen.) Also, check out the video link above for a better idea of our challenges on this shoot.
(Mesa Arch at Sunrise)
We left Mesa Arch and continued down the road. We made a stop at the Green River Overlook which gives you a wide view of the canyons in the river valley. It's difficult to capture the true expanse of this park. You look at a picture and think there's nothing special about the park, but when you're standing in it you truly feel very small and insignificant. Keep in mind this is just a very small section of the park.
(Green River Valley Overlook)
Our last stop was at the Shafer Road Overlook. This road takes you deep into the park to many other arches and campgrounds. It's about 50 miles out and back and we didn't have time to explore any further, again poor planning on our part, so we settled for watching other people drive this road. With my fear of heights and fear of careening off a cliff, I don't know how I would have handled this first section road...LOL.
(Shafer Road Overlook)
And last but not least, here's Romin posing at one of the overlooks.
If you would like to visit and explore this park, I recommend 2-3 days to see everything. Be prepared for lots of driving and stopping at overlooks. Due to its remote location, there are very few hotels nearby, so camping inside the park is suggested.
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Until next time,
Peace & Love
Pete & Lori
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