Monday, September 02, 2013

Canyonlands National Park

I spent half a day at Canyonlands National Park on August 30th.  After driving all day from Nampa, ID, I arrived in Moab, UT at around 1130pm, bought some supplies, then headed into the Island in the Sky section of the Park.  I slept in the back of my truck at the Willow Flat campgrounds, and set my alarm for an hour before sunrise.  After waking up, I headed over to the Grand View Point Overlook and took star and sunrise pictures.  After sunrise, I headed over to Upheaval Dome and explored what geologists believe is an meteorite impact crater.  Next, I hiked a few miles of the Alcove Spring Trail.  I was starting to get hungry by this point, so I headed back to Moab for lunch, stopping briefly along a pullout near the edge of the park to photograph an impressive view from the canyon rim.

Milky Way over Canyonlands National Park.
Lingering stars over Grand View Point Overlook.
Grand View Point Overlook.
Distant butte and mesas.
Upheaval Dome.  Geologists believe this area is either a collapsed salt dome, or a meteorite impact crater.  Evidence supports the meteorite explanation more strongly.
View from the Alcove Springs Trail.
Another view from the Alcove Springs Trail.
Parting shot from the canyon rim.

No comments:

Deadly Ohio Tornado: 14 March 2024

 A tornadic supercell initiated off of a cold front in western Ohio during the evening of 14 March 2024 and caused EF3 damage as well as thr...