Regensburger Photography

Tag: Utah

  • Arches and Capitol Reef

    Arches and Capitol Reef

    I took a quick trip to Arches and Capitol Reef National Parks in Utah. I love the skies in October and the beautiful fall color this time of year. Late October is the perfect time to visit Capitol Reef as the cottonwoods put on a show.

    I stopped at Arches to hike up to Delicate Arch and capture the sunset before I head further west. The light was great as I had a cloudless sky. In the morning, I hiked up to Longbow Arch. This arch is accessed form the parking lot for Poison Spider Mesa. It is a challenging two-mile hike that brings you to an impressive arch that has just a crack of daylight behind it. The trail climbs steeply from the parking lot and ascends a section of steep slick rock that climbs out of a small bowl. There are iron handle grips to assist your climb in this one section. After about 1/2 mile, the trail runs sharply to the right and heads up into rocks mounds of Poison Spider Mesa. It is quite scenic through this section of trail. The trail then veers to the right in about 1 mile as it makes its approach to the arch. The trail climbs up to the base of the arch where you can watch a number of repellers come through the arch on ropes. This is an easy trail to follow with green paint splotches leading the way.

    In the afternoon, I made my way to Capitol Reef. I stopped at Crack Canyon for a quick hike. The Canyon is located on the back side of Goblin Valley State Park and the trailhead is accessed via a rough dirt rough. The Canyon features some amazing swiss cheese rock in its namesake narrows section. The walls converge here with just a crack of sunlight appearing above. The walls are a beautiful orange/brown color in this section. I had my camera stolen out of my car the last time I came here in 2020, so it was good to reclaim some memories without incident.

    As I drove toward Capitol Reef, I marveled at the trees along the Fremont River which were a brilliant yellow. I wandered down one road and got some nice photos of the trees contrasted with the chalky buttes behind them. I finally arrived at Capitol Reef, and took some nice sunset photos. The color in the rocks really glowed about 10 minutes before sunset. The next day, I hiked the Rim Overlook trail and was treated to a beautiful sunrise over Pectol’s Pyramid. I saw the sun light up the Hickman Bridge just underneath me. I turned around at the 2.3 mile mark but could have gone on to the Navajo Knobs another 2.2 miles further down the trail. Even so, the view from the turnaround was great. Unfortunately, clouds were pouring in quickly so I headed down just in time.

  • Zion area

    Zion area

    I traveled to southern Utah near Zion National Park. My two big stops were the Subway hike in Zion and White Pocket in the Paria/Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness.

    The Subway

    I had made one prior attempt to hike the Subway in Zion but never made it past the waterfall you have to hike over. This time I came prepared with water shoes. The hike starts off the Kolob Reservoir Road about 13 miles from the visitor center. I picked up my permit and headed to the trailhead. The first part of the hike meanders through junipers and then descends steeply (400 ft.) to the canyon floor around the 1.5 mile mark. The trail then skirts the creek for the next couple of miles, crossing it several times. There are a few areas where the trial climbs over boulders and trees. In April, the water wasn’t too high so this was not much of an issue. At mile 3, I reached a large, stepped waterfall with huge boulders in the creek. The only way to keep going is to walk through the water up the waterfall. The stair steps are relatively easy to climb so this was not much of an issue. But watershoes are helpful here since the water can be six inches deep in places. In about a half mile, I came to another stepped cascade. This one is a beautiful spot for some photography. This falls can be negotiated by walking around to the right of it. Just above this fall, is the famous crack where water flows through like a train track. It makes for some cool photos but the rock is incredibly slippery here so beware. The Subway is just a couple hundred yards around the bend from this area. The Subway itself has some amazing sculpted pools and the curved rock that forms the Subway. I was lucky enough to have a couple of large tree branches sticking out of the pools to create some cool looks. The trail continues up some small riffles (very slick) to where it reaches hip deep pools. Just beyond is a little waterfall that I did not see. Little too cold in April to trudge through the pools. The famous tree log is one level higher, but I would have needed a 15 ft rope to ascend the falls to get there.

    White Pocket

    The next stop I made was at White Pocket. It is located just south of Big Water, UT but to reach the area requires about 1.5 hours of backroad travel on 4-wheel roads. I went with an outfitter to avoid getting stuck in the sand along the way. I camped out to try and take advantage of the golden hour and overnight but clouds ruined my plan. Sunset and overnight were a bust. I did get some nice light in the morning so here are a few photographs of the very bizarre White Pocket area. The area gets its name from the holes or “pockets” in the rock that trap rain water. There was a little water in some of them so I was able to capture a couple of reflections. I also hiked to some of the more remote formations that torus don’t stop at. One was reminiscent of South Coyote Buttes with lots of sandstone fins. Very cool.

  • Kodachrome State Park

    Kodachrome State Park

    I visited Kodachrome Basin State Park near Cannonville, UT on my recent trip to southern Utah. I had been there once before but the weather let me down. This time it was perfect. I went to Chimney Rock, Ballerina Spire, and Angel’s Place. Kodachrome features some pretty reddish sandstone spires so it was a the perfect place to be near sunset to watch the rock glow red.

  • Moab Wildflowers 2023

    Moab Wildflowers 2023

    The winter rains in the west brought some pretty wildflowers this spring to the Moab, UT area. I visited Arches and Canyonlands along with Grandstaff Canyon on this trip. Mountain Pepper plant was by far the most prolific flower in Arches while evening primrose was exploding near Green River.

    Arches had an incredible bloom of mountain pepper plant near Balanced Rock, It seemed every bush was in full bloom. Meanwhile, Canyonlands had nice displays of lupine and desert paintbrush. Grandstaff Canyon is a verdant canyon located just 4 miles east of Moab along Highway 128. The canyon used to be named Negor Bill Canyon for those of you who remember that name. Huge patches of globe mallow and primrose were blooming in the canyon.

  • Utah Fall Color

    Utah Fall Color

    Since the color in Colorado was a bit muted this year, I drove over to Utah to check out fall color there. I’m glad I did. It was much more vibrant than Colorado, and the maples were still putting on a show. I drove up through Price on 191 to 6 and then took a turn toward Strawberry Reservoir. Strawberry Ridge had some nice color. There were many fishing boats out on Strawberry Reservoir which made me wish I had brought my kayak. I then drove onto Heber City where I headed up the Cascade Springs road toward Mt. Timpanogos. The maples were beautiful along this stretch. I camped at Mill Canyon overlooking Mt. Timpanogos. The sunrise on the peak was the highlight of the trip. I hiked a couple of miles up Mt. Timpanogos and stopped to admire Timpanogos Falls. The view overlooking the valley from here was awesome. I wish I had more time to hike further up the mountain. On the way back to town, I tried to drive the dirt road leading through parts of Wasatch Mountain State Park but the road was too rough to keep continuing on. I finished my trip by going through the portion of Wasatch Mountain Park that is north of Midway and headed up to Park City. The aspens there were fabulous. The trail at the summit went through some extraordinarily tall aspen. All in all, this was a very good trip.

    Strawberry Ridge

    Cascade Springs/Mt. Timpanogos

    Wasatch Mountain State Park

  • Grand Staircase Escalante

    I took advantage of our record warm weather this past week to head out to Utah and explore the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. There were a few places I had been meaning to photograph for years so I was glad I finally had the opportunity to get back out there. Zebra Canyon in particular has been on my radar and I am happy to report I finally made it there.

    Horseshoe Canyon Grand Gallery

    My trip started with a stop at the Horseshoe Canyon unit of Canyonlands National Park. This is where the Grand Gallery pictograph panel is located. It is in a remote part of the park that is located off a dirt road about 25 miles from the main highway. The hike itself is beautiful. Most of the hike is an easy stroll through the lush Horseshoe Canyon after descending a short slickrock slope at the start. The canyon is very verdant and a striking contrast to many parts of Canyonlands. The pictograph and petroglyphs start appearing about 1.5 miles into the hike. Several panels can be seen along the route. The most prominent ones are located in the Alcove at the 2.5 mile mark, and the biggest one is found in the Grand Gallery at mile 3.5. There were even a few wildflowers to liven up the hike.

    I also stopped at nearby trail for Colonade Arch or as it is also known Five Hole Arch. Located just outside the national park, the trail starts at the end of a 4×4 road located about 5 miles north of the entrance to Horseshoe Canyon. You simply turn north on Road 1010 as you exit the entrance road for Horseshoe Canyon and then make a right on the first signed road at the 5.2 mile mark. This short 3.5 mile road is very rough in spots with exposed rock sections. A 4×4 is definitely required (as a woman told me who I met at the trailhead, “Put some decent tires on your X5”). The trail leads north of the parking area out over a section of slickrock. It then follows an old road bed past a large wooden fence and continues northward for about .75 miles. The trail then veers eastward toward the Green River at a large cairned rock outcropping. The trail leads eastward for about .5 mile. The cairned route becomes hard to follow at points. The way leads steeply downward to a second level of slickrock (I had to clamber on hands and knees up a 10 foot section on the way back). Colonade Arch is then just around a bend to the left. The arch itself is impressive. It has four openings with a fifth being a pothole arch just in back of the main openings. Photos don’t do this place justice. The arches are quite large. I was impressed with this little known arch.

    Goblin Valley State Park

    I next stopped at Goblin Valley State Park. I camped here and had fun walking around the large collection of hoodoos the park is known for. I hadn’t made it back to this place after my camera was stolen out of my car a couple of years ago at Crack Canyon. This time, thankfully, there was no drama. I took in a nice sunset and got up for sunrise the next morning. Unfortunately, I was met with rather hazy overcast so it was not too impressive. While I was at Goblin Valley, I did stop by Little Wild Horse Canyon. It is a very short hike through a nice slot canyon. It has two sections of narrows and the hike is easy. I love the swiss cheese rock that adorns the walls of this canyon.

    I also stopped at the trail to Wild Horse Window. This is a challenging 1 mile hike. Located off the park road just past the junction with Temple Mountain Road, the trailhead for this hike is located at the end of a short dirt road. To get there, turn left onto to the Goblin Valley Road at the junction with the Temple Mountain Road. Go about .3 mile and turn down the short dirt road to your right. The hike then leads down a short trail into and out of the wash below. The trail then proceeds north, steeply up slickrock. There is no real trail from here. You just aim for what looks like a large cave directly to your north. Unfortunately, as you hike you lose sight of the cave pretty quickly. The route requires you to stay to your right to avoid the large canyon to your left. Then, you must veer a little more right to avoid a large rock outcropping to your left. If you find yourself in a sort of mini canyon with rock faces to either side, you’re in the right place. You will then cross a sandy area that again leads steeply upward. Hug the left wall here and you should be fine. You then pop out in the area where the Window arch is located. The arch looks from the outside like a pair of eyeglasses. It has a large pothole type arch is back of the main entrance. This indeed is a cool little arch.

    Neon Canyon

    That afternoon, I headed over the Burr Trail road in Capitol Reef National Park. Regrettably, the winds were gusting over 50 mph so I headed to my campsite for the night. In the morning, the winds eased and the skies cleared so I headed down to the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument between the towns of Boulder and Escalante. I took the Hole in the Rock Road and prepared to do some more exploring of slot canyons. First, I stoped at Neon Canyon. This is located along the Escalante River in an area known as Out of Egypt. To get there, you have to negotiate a 10 mile long 4×4 road. To reach the trailhead, you turn left on the dirt road at mile marker 17 where a road is marked with a small sign “Out of Egypt.” No section of this side road is particularly hard, but caution is needed in several spots, including crossing a 200 foot section of slickrock at around the 7.5 mile mark. The road roughens from here until reaching the trailhead at its end. Once at the trailhead, you see what makes this hike challenging. You descend 500 feet in the first 1/2 mile down a steep section of slickrock. The route is marked by cairns but it still feels rather intimidating. After reaching the wilderness marker, you have a decision to make. You can either continue on the main trail which takes you around the very deep Fence Canyon and requires a backtrack of about 1.25 miles, or you can veer right onto an alternative path that takes you overland across the sand dunes and slickrock. The Fence Canyon route is easy to follow (there are cairns and hundreds of footprints) and eventually leads around the northeastern edge of Fence Canyon. Once you are at the bottom of the canyon, you turn right and head down the Escalante River drainage. You have to wade the Escalante River at least a couple of times in what will be calf to waist deep water depending on the time of year (it was not even up to my knees this April). You will pass a large camping area and then enter the river agin before coming to a longer section of trail that will access the mouth of Neon Canyon.

    The alternate route has the virtue of being shorter but requires more navigation skills. The way is cairned in spots but the route can be difficult to find at times as well. After you veer right at the sign mentioned above, the route makes it way over a rocky area before ascending a large rock face. It then descends the face and veers sharply to the left. It then makes another turn to the right to head down a large sand dune. You are aiming for Choprock, a large rock outcropping with dark vertical stripes in it that guards the entrance to Neon Canyon (you can see the rock from the trailhead but will soon lose it off and on as you walk). A word of caution. If you are going to take this route, take it down but don’t take it back up. I make this mistake and you will pay for it. You have to ascend a 300 foot section of sand dune and then climb another few hundred feet to ascend that large rock butte I mentioned above. I also missed the sharp turn to the left and found myself staring into the steep abyss of Fence Canyon. Eventually, I backtracked and found the route back to the main trail. I then faced the grim reality of ascending the five hundred feet of slickrock at the end after an already tiring return trip.

    So was all this effort worth it? You bet. Neon Canyon is amazing. The end of the trail is marked by the Golden Cathedral, two large holes in the striped canyon ceiling of Neon Canyon. Canyoneering experts actually repel through these holes on their way down Neon Canyon. I have never seen this done live, unfortunately, but it would be a sight to see. From the Escalante River, Neon Canyon itself is about a mile walk and it is a beaut. The reflected light makes the canyon walls glow a gorgeous shade of orange. The newly leafed cottonwood trees made this especially pretty in April.

    Harris Wash and Zebra Canyon

    I have wanted to see Zebra Canyon for a number of years. Its striped walls draw hundreds of photographers every year and now I can see why. It is an exceptional place. Yet, I can’t help but think Harris Wash gets short shrift due to all the attention the slot canyon gets. Harris Wash itself contains some of the most fantastical rock formations I have seen. I loved exploring each bluff and butte, each one crazier than the next. Want weird rock formation and spires? Check. Wash crazy zigzag patterns in the rock? Check. Want bicolored rock? Check. Want striped rocks that disappear into the horizon? Check. I have to admit that if I ever go back to this area I will want to backpack to Harris Wash just to photograph more of these amazing rock formations.

    Okay, now onto Zebra canyon. The hike takes you overland above the wash for about 1 mile. You then drop into the wash and the fun begins. You pass through a wooden gate in about .5 mile and quickly come to the mouth of the side canyon as it drains into Harris Wash. The wash is amazingly wide and could be a river if it were perpetual. Luckily, the wash is dry except during thunderstorms. Cross the wash and veer left at a 45 degree angle. Follow the trail of footprints to the mouth of Zebra Canyon. In spring the mouth will likely be dry as it was for me but after rains, the mouth will be full of water, even into early winter. So come prepared for any conditions. The biggest challenge is now squeezing through the canyon to see the good stuff. The narrows are only about .5 mile long but are extremely narrow. Bring elbow and knee pads. I have scrapes all along my knees and elbows to prove the point. Shimmying up the canyon walls is the only way to get through. But the narrows are amazing. The color and patterns are striking. The walls are striped and the curves look like they have been expertly sculpted. Nature is truly artistic.

    Dance Hall Rock and Hole in the Rock Road

    Located toward the end of Hole in the Rock Road (at mile 37) one finds Dance Hall Rock. It is a seemingly nondescript stop with a small parking area but don’t be fooled. The area is worth a visit. First, the name is misleading. It is not one rock but many large sandstone mounds, each about 50 feet high. Once on top of the rocks, things get interesting, The rocks contain potholes which can make for some really unique photography. Several have trees growing out of them. The problem of course is contrast. Unless you shoot the rocks at midday, the potholes will be encased in shadow. I liked shooting a couple of hours before sunset, so the rocks had a nice glow to them but shadows weren’t too bad yet. Be prepared for more than a short walk as well. The mounds extend for about a mile. I also found staring down into large potholes while on top of a 50 foot tall rock to be disorienting. Hopefully, the winds will be calmer than when I was there.

    I also stoped at the parking area for Upper Dry Fork. The Lower Dry Fork is famous for its easy access to Peek-a-Boo and Spooky slot canyons. The Upper lot also can access those canyons but with a longer walk. Instead, I walked the Rim trail here looking for cool shots near sunset. The trail gives you a nice overview of the rock formations that can be found in the Upper Dry Fork canyon. A stroll through the canyon would also be productive, given the open nature of the canyon before it enters a section of narrows after 1.5 miles or so of hiking. The only downside to these hikes is having to drive Hole in the Rock Road which might as well be dubbed Hole in the Tire Road. It is a long, dusty and very bumpy road. The washboard on this road is terrible after about mile 20. It was not a pleasurable experience driving the last 15 miles or so to Dance Hall Rock. 4×4 is not required for this section of road but tough tires would sure be a comfort.

  • Bear River Bird Refuge

    After many years of wanting to visit this place, I finally made it out to the Bear River Bird Refuge near Brigham City, Utah. The refuge is located in the northern regions of the Great Slat Lake. Unfortunately, the bird migration that normally fills the skies in March occurred a couple of weeks early this year so I had to settle for the holdouts. Ten thousand swans were down to three. There were still a number of White pelicans, avocets, and various waterfowl still there, however.

    Another factor in the lower number of birds is the extremely low water levels in the Great Salt Lake. It has lost about 70% of its volume due to the drought hitting the western United States. You could see where water had been in previous years and all that was left was a dry field.

    The refuge itself features a scenic drive that you have to use to see most of the birds. The drive starts about 12 miles from the town of Brigham City, Utah. There are canals that line the road on either side. There are some birds in the canals but many more are in the marsh and the lake behind the canals. Inevitably, just when I found a large collection of birds, they would be in a portion of the refuge that would be behind a road closed sign. The refuge road gets you rather limited access to most of the birds here. I still saw a number of birds closeup, however.

    Even if there aren’t a lot of birds to see, the refuge is quite pretty. It is ringed by the Wasatch Front mountain range so the backdrop at either sunset or sunrise is pretty spectacular. So if you’re ever in the area, check out the refuge in early spring.

  • St George Spring Trip 2021

    St George Spring Trip 2021

    My family and I took a trip to St George, UT for spring break. We stopped at Snow Canyon State Park, Pioneer Park, the Santa Clara River Preserve and Yant Flat while in St. George. We then traveled through Zion on our way to Bryce Canyon National Park.

    Snow Canyon

    Snow Canyon State Park is one of my favorite places to visit while in St. George. It has petrified dunes, a lava flow, and sand dunes to explore. There are lots of interesting plants like yucca to help frame photographs as well. We took the lava trail and the Petrified Dunes trail. I tried using some of the contrasting elements like black lava rocks or yucca spires to frame some of my photos with black and white conversions in mind.

    Yant Flat

    Yant Flat near Leeds, UT has been on my radar to visit for over a year now. It contains some crazy striped rock formations reminiscent of the more famous Wave formation. The 1.5 mile trail takes you along the flat through juniper forest before ascending a small sandy rise to a viewpoint of Hurricane and Zion. To reach the more interesting rock formations, scramble down some steep slickrock to reach the candy-cane like swirls in the rock below. To find the trailhead, take exit 23 (or 22 if coming from St George) at Leeds. Turn left onto Silver Leaf Road and follow it for 1.2 miles until it turns into a dirt road (Oak Grove Road). Continue down the road for 2 miles as it bends to the left into the forest. Stay left at the Y toward St. George. Set your odometer to 0 and travel 7 miles until you see a small parking area on the left. There will be a trail to the left guarded by a large boulder on either side of it. Head south down the trail until hitting deep sand as the trail veers to the west.

    Pioneer Park

    A municipal park ordinarily does not sound like a prime photography destination but Pioneer Park in St. George is an exception. The park contains a desert garden and then several trails to some interesting bedrock formations. Many of the rocks contains alcoves which make for some fun photography. I even found a couple of arches inside one. Pioneer Park has an overlook trail leading from the gardens. Follow it up the wash a short distance and then ascend the slick rock for a view of St. George. An interesting arch can be found on the opposite side of the wash.

    Santa Clara River Preserve

    The Santa Clara River Preserve in nearby Santa Clara is a fun place to go due to the presence of a large number of petroglyphs. The plateau also provides some outstanding views of Snow Canyon and the surrounding area. The petroglyphs are found at the top of a large hill. The hillside contains a collection of large boulders which the Anasazi found to be good canvasses for their artwork. The reserve is found just west of the town of Santa Clara. Follow the dirt road a short distance until parking at the sign for the preserve. To reach the petroglyphs, take the dirt trail leading from the parking lot. It is well-graded and relatively free of rocks. After about 1.3 miles, you will arrive at the summit. The petroglyphs are located amongst the boulders, most of the them about 15 feet down from the rim. There is also the remains of an Anasazi farm village a short distance away.

  • Arches and Moab

    Arches and Moab

    I took a quick jaunt to the Moab area this past weekend. Out here in the West, March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion so the first week of March is a perfect time to camp and do some hiking in the redrock country of Utah. I visited Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. I also took a quick hike through Kane Creek near the Colorado River behind Moab.

    I took in the sunrise at Broken Arch in Arches and was treated to a beautiful show. The arch glows a lovely golden color at sunrise. I then took the quick side trip to Sand Dune Arch. It is a cool arch but hard to photograph well given the towering sandstone fins surrounding it.

    I then hiked over to Landscape Arch and Pine Tree Arch in the nearby Devil’s Garden area. Pine Tree Arch lakes for a cool shot in the morning as the light hits the pine trees growing inside of it.

    In the afternoon, I hiked to Corona Arch which is located just outside the park along the Potash Road. It is a short 1.5 mile hike to a very large almost free-standing arch. I always like this hike since you get to climb a rope ladder and scurry along a steel cable to get up to the arch. I stopped and photographed Bowtie Arch which is a cool pothole arch just before reaching Corona Arch itself.

    I ended the day with a quick hike to Poison Spider Mesa. I had never been to this area before and it looks like it would be worth returning to the area. It is full of huge petrified dunes or large sandstone knobs that would make for some interesting compositions. There is also a great view of the LaSal Mountains and the Behind the Rocks area. Although it is a rough road that is frequented by ATVers (all too common in Moab now), the hike is a steep but pleasant enough one up the road. It is about 1.5-2 miles to the mesa.

    The last day of the trip I spent in Canyonlands National Park. I went to Aztec Butte and checked out the ruins up along the cliffs of the buttes. It was worth the steep hike up the side of the butte. The view from atop the butte is stunning. The ruins are cool but unfortunately the famous one behind a little arch has fallen down and been remade into a boring wall. I ended the afternoon with a trip to Grand View Point to check out the view at sunset.

    Sony 12-24 f2.8 Lens

    I rented a Sony 12-24 f2.8 lens for the trip and it performed spectacularly well. There often aren’t uses for 12mm lenses outside of the realm of architectural photography, so it was fun to put this lens to the test underneath a few giant arches. The lens is extremely sharp and only shows signs of decreasing sharpness in the extreme corners. It is a heavy lens but is lighter than the monstrous Canon 11-24 f 4 lens and is 1 stop brighter. The Sony lens shows little chromatic aberration and is a very good lens for astrophotography and landscape photography. It does suffer from some flaring even without the sun in the frame so I had to be careful at certain angles. Overall, this lens performed very admirably and is something that should make it into many Sony photographers’ bags.

  • Colorado Utah Football 2020

    I photographed the NCAA football game between Colorado and Utah today. I had to shoot from the stands due to COVID-19 restrictions and that was certainly a new experience. It gave a whole new perspective and it made following the action somewhat easier since I go all along the yard lines. I missed out on the shots from behind the end zone but I was still able to capture some cool shots. I have to admit it was odd having no fans, students, cheerleaders, or marching bands.

    Unfortunately, CU lost the game 38-21 after jumping out to a 21-10 lead at the start of the second half. Utah is the Buffaloes’ kryptonite I guess now having lost 4 straight to the Utes.

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