Blog 241

Photographed on the journey from Torrey to Moab, Utah 20th May 2012

Factory Butte adjacent to U24

Rock formation adjacent to U24

Blog 240

Visited and photographed here on 17/18th May 2012

Bryce Canyon which, despite its name, is not a canyon but a collection of giant natural amphitheatres along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colours of the rocks provide spectacular views for visitors. Bryce sits at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park. The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet.

 

Detail in Bryce Canyon in early morning light

Blog 239

Visited and photographed in Zion National Park 16/17th May 2012

Zion National Park is located in the South-western United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to half a mile deep, cut through the reddish and tan-coloured Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River.

Blog 238

Visited and photographed these features on 16th May 2012

Horseshoe Bend is the name for a horseshoe-shaped meander of the Colorado River located near the town of Page, Arizona. Accessible via a ½-mile hike from U.S. Route 89, it can be viewed from the steep cliff above. According to Google terrain maps, the overlook is 4,200 feet above sea level and the Colorado River is at 3,200 feet above sea level making it a 1,000 foot drop.

Rock strata adjacent to the Horseshoe Bend

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park encompasses 3,730 acres of south-western Utah. Established in 1963 with land acquired from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to serve as access to the dunes for recreation, and to protect the dune resources.
At an elevation of 6,000 feet, and 12 paved miles off U.S. Highway 89 near Kanab, Utah, this park provides a fantastic setting for camping, hiking, off-highway vehicle riding, taking photographs or just playing in the sand.

Rippling arcs of rust-coloured sand welcome you as you enter Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. Contrasted by blue skies, juniper and pinion pines, and steep red cliffs

Details from the far from benign desert 

Blog 237

Two photographic expeditioners left the UK on 11th May 2012 for a two week Photographic tour of parts of Arizona and Utah

Ford Explorer - Our Chariot for the expedition

La Quinta Inn ,Phoenix, AZ- Our first hotel

Rock Formation Nr Sedona, AZ

Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona, AZ

Meteor Crater is a meteorite impact crater approximately 43 miles (69 km) east of Flagstaff, near Winslow in the northern Arizona desert of the United States. Nearly one mile across, 2.4 miles in circumference and more than 550 feet deep

Little Colorado River Gorge  - providing the principal drainage from the Painted Desert region. The Gorge is located just north of the Cameron Trading Post about 52 miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona on Arizona Highway 89

Arizona - Highway 89

Upper Antelope Canyon Entrance - The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks". Nr Page, AZ.

Within Upper Antelope Canyon, Nr Page, AZ

Within Upper Antelope Canyon, Nr Page, AZ 

Dusk in Grand Canyon, AZ. The canyon has unique combinations of geologic colour and erosional forms decorating a canyon that is 277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km) wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep

Dusk - Grand Canyon, AZ