Since then, I’ve returned to Zion several times; I’ve hiked the entire length of the Narrows, the classic Virgin River hike, and I’ve been through many of the technical slot canyons in the park.  I feel privileged to have seen parts of the park that <1% of its visitors get to experience.  Most recently, I’ve returned to Zion with my own family, sharing its serenity and sanctuary with them.

Like all heavily photographed areas, Zion has its own repertoire of icons: the Towers of the Virgin, the Narrows, Court of the Patriarchs, the Subway.  Moving past these locations, though, I have consistently found it very difficult to make a compelling image in the midst of the breathtaking beauty.  I should qualify that statement: I find it difficult to make an image that makes me stop and say, “Wow, that’s awesome!”

On our most recent trip to the park, I focused on the intimate details.  Autumn is in its final throes in Zion Canyon right now, with most of the cottonwoods and maples half-naked, ready for their hibernation.  Three weeks ago, this place was crawling with photographers, I’m sure, now these trees have been all but forgotten about.  Still, I find a certain beauty in these vestiges of fall.

Autumn's final vestiges, November 2011

Hanging on, November 2011

Early morning is my favorite time to be in Zion Canyon; deer are peacefully grazing, turkey are out, and the chill is still in the air because the sun hasn’t penetrated the depths of the canyon yet.  There’s often a breeze blowing, almost as if the canyon is starting fresh every day.  As the cliffs begin to greet the sun, the light reflects on to the river, giving it a wonderful tonality.

Cascade, November 2011

I welcomed Zion into my heart and mind years ago.  The fight I have with the place is that I haven’t–until recently–let it drive my creativity.  I’ve been trying to force the park to reveal itself to me in ways it isn’t ready to do.  Letting go of the notions I held on to let me see in a different way, making images I never expected to make, but am happy with.   I will continue making my yearly pilgrimages to the park; I look forward to seeing how the canyon reveals itself to me next time…and I’m grateful my son is years away from that stage of not wanting to be seen with me.  :)

I spent the afternoon walking with my family in Zion Canyon, fallen cottonwood leaves littering the ground, the smells of autumn in the air.  As the sun went down, wild turkey, deer, and a grey fox graced us with their presence.  It gave me an opportunity to reflect on the things I’m thankful for; a few things are:

• My capacity to feel love, and the people in my life who bring that out in me.
• The fact that we have wild places to escape to.
• My son, who’s curiosity, enthusiasm, and perception of the world always remind me to keep an open mind.
• Good beer.  :)
• The ability we have to visit places (wild or not) that inspire us.

I won’t bore you with a long list, but those are a few of the things that come to mind at this instant.  If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving today, I hope you’ve had a wonderful day connecting with friends and family…what are you thankful for today?

Happy Thanksgiving!

They truly are sentinels of the desert; on any given afternoon in Joshua Tree National Park,  you might see one surveying the landscape from atop a granite boulder.  In southwest Utah, they return to the canyons from the high country when the temperature starts to fall.  In the desert communities around Palm Springs, they illustrate the interaction between man and nature very well; bighorns have taken to eating ornamental cactus and other plants, so large fences have been erected to keep them out (which is ironic, because some people would pay to see a sheep!).

The interaction between humans and bighorns isn’t a recent thing, though.  In fact, humans have been interacting with them since the southwest was first settled, probably thousands of years ago.  If you take any interest in rock art at all, you’ll quickly find that bighorns were a ubiquitous subject of prehistoric artists.  Indeed, I wonder if the Ancestral Puebloan and Fremont peoples who lived with these animals found them just as captivating as we do today.

In some ways, the desert bighorn sheep embodies the spirit of the west: it is largely solitary, is resilient, and has shown a great ability to adapt to the desert environment.  Its a true steward of the ecosystems it thrives in.  The Desert Bighorn Council is a great resource to learn more about the biology and conservation of desert bighorn sheep (they list links to many local organizations as well).

A few weeks ago, I shared an image from a small drainage near the northern border of Kolob Canyon, in Zion National Park.  Kanarra Creek, near the small community of Kanarraville, is such a great place, and despite its small size, it rivals the more popular Virgin Narrows in beauty.  In addition, south of Zion Canyon is a virtually untracked wilderness–the Smithsonian Butte National Scenic Backway.  Both of these locations, although “known” seem to be virtually “unknown.”  However, to celebrate the entire area, and perhaps to emphasize that there is indeed more to photograph that just Zion itself.  You can see my images of the Greater Zion Region here.

Smithsonian Butte, June 2011

Over the Fourth of July, we made a trip out to the Four Corners Region to visit my parents in northwestern New Mexico.  While there, I got to re-visit the Bisti Badlands Wilderness, south of Farmington, New Mexico.  Although I grew up less than an hour’s drive from this amazing moonscape, I have to admit that I never fully appreciated it as a 17 year old (in fact, if I remember correctly, it was downright torture every time I was “forced” on a hike by my dad!).  What a difference several years makes!  I was sad to get only one morning in the Bisti, but you can view the images here.  Finally, in addition to visiting the Bisti, I was able to visit several other archaeological sites in the San Juan Basin; most of these sites were occupied by early Navajo inhabitants in the early-mid 1700s.  While this gallery will grow with time, you can see a couple of images here.

Warrior Pose, July 2011

I hope you enjoy the images, and don’t give up on me…I’m not dead yet!  More to come soon!

New Mexico Images (Bisti Badlands & the San Juan Basin)

Greater Zion Region Images

The final canyon I visited on my recent trip is located on BLM land outside of Zion National Park.  With the proper vehicle, this canyon could be driven to easily, but we had a very easy 1/2 mile walk to the mouth of the canyon.  Although the surrounding ecosystem is pinon-juniper woodland, this little gem is very reminiscent of Lower Antelope Canyon without the crowds (with the exception of one local family hoping to escape the heat, my dad and I had this canyon completely to ourselves).

Red Cave I, June 2010

Red Cave II, June 2010

After two days of rushing to find time for photography, it was very pleasant to be able to relax, slow down, and compose shots without worrying about holding my companions up.  All in all, though, it was a fine trip.  Indeed, if you let them, the chaos and beauty of the canyons will make you calmer, gentler, sweeter.  Here’s hoping you can find what relaxes you this summer.

To see all of my Red Cave shots, click here.

To me, the word “big” really describes Behunin.  All of the rappels are large–almost all are 100′ or longer–and you really feel like a small person in a large, amazing, beautiful place when you descend into this canyon.  This was my second time through this canyon, and I was able to enjoy the day much more with the added experience under my belt.

Rappelling in Behunin Canyon, Zion National Park, Utah

Deep inside Behunin Canyon, June 2010

One thing that canyons teach you about life is that change is a constant.  Last year when we descended into Behunin, it was almost completely dry.  This year, although we didn’t have any swims, we were definitely wading in water up to our knees most of the afternoon.  I suppose that adds a sense of adventure to the day when you don’t completely know what to expect.

On rappel in Behunin Canyon, June 2010

I was happy to have my Dad join us for the Mystery Canyon descent, but back troubles prevented him from joining us in Behunin.  Maybe next year.  The day after Behunin, he and I visited one more slot canyon that I’ll talk about in my next post…

–Tom Jones, Imlay Canyon Gear

I’ve just returned from a week-long trip to the greater Zion area in southwestern Utah, exploring a number of canyons.  Two of the canyons within the park itself involved some technical expertise, some large rappels, and for my part, a few butterflies in my stomach.  I was, however, able to carry my SLR body and a lens in a Pelican case and take some photos of this area of Zion National Park that few visitors get to see.

The first canyon we descended was Mystery Canyon, which feeds into Zion’s main canyon.  The beginning of the hike is the descent into the canyon itself.  I use the term ‘hike’ loosely–this is basically a controlled fall, with the hiker braking himself on tree branches, roots, etc, while trying to not kill himself.  This descent has affectionately been named the “Death Gully.”

Mystery Canyon, Zion National Park, June 2010

Once in the canyon, the walls closed down around us, leading us through several rappels, ranging from 30-120 feet in length.

Inside Mystery Canyon, June 2010

A canyoneer inside Mystery Canyon, Zion National Park, Utah

Mystery Canyon culminates with two large rappels; the first of which sends you into the icy waters of Mystery Springs, and the second one delivers you straight into the Narrows of the Virgin River, approximately 3/4 mile from the Temple of Sinawava.  Because of its close proximity to the trailhead, you usually have an audience for the final rappel–make sure you don’t do a face plant on the rock!

Because of the high flow through the Virgin River this year, the day we descended Mystery was also the first day the Narrows were open, meaning we were the first group through that canyon this year.  Because of that, we had a significant amount of deadfall to clear, making the going slow.  We left the canyon scratched, battered, and bleeding a little bit, but honestly, it is so exciting to see a beautiful canyon that fewer than 1% of the park’s visitors will ever see.

The next day, we descended Behunin Canyon, which can only be described as BIG.  I’ll share photos from that trip in the next blog post…

Due to heavy snowfall in the high country all around the west this winter, all of our rivers and streams are flowing higher than normal; the Virgin River is no exception.  As of 6/9, the Virgin River in Zion is flowing at 190 cubic feet per second (cfs); the park service won’t even let people into the Narrows unless the flow is below 120 cfs.  However, the stream flow rate has been dropping steadily, and I’m confident I’ll be able to get into the Narrows.  Also, please don’t get me wrong; I’d much rather have to scrap a photo trip than have no water in the park.  The drought is far from over in the western US, but every little bit does help.

So, here’s to the Virgin River.  Have a fantastic weekend!

Virgin River, Zion National Park, January 2010

To see all of my images from Zion National Park, click here.

Desert Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni), Zion National Park, January 2010

We saw several bighorns between the tunnel and the park’s east entrance, and I do not know if I’ve ever seen one there in the summer.  Perhaps they spend the hot summer months at higher elevations, but regardless, it was a real treat to see these sheep.

There’s no question desert bighorns are true rock climbing masters; their hooves stick to the sandstone very well.  Amazingly, there is another group of specially adapted rock climbers that is often seen in Zion.  Driving up the canyon, admiring the Virgin River, we ran across a group of these climbers.

Climber on Moonlight Buttress, Zion National Park, January 2010

Zion is a practically a Mecca for rock climbers.  While I’ve always thought it would be very cool to tackle a rock wall like this, I have never gotten into this kind of climbing.  I’ll leave it to the pros!

To see all of my Zion National Park images click here.  My desert bighorn sheep images (from both Zion and Joshua Tree National Park) can be found here.

About a week and a half ago, I had two posts on the “icons” (here and here), and I shared several of my images from Yosemite National Park.  The week after returning from Yosemite, we headed to northern Arizona in hopes of photographing parts of the Vermillion Cliffs wilderness.  Wet weather made the dirt roads impassable (bummer), but we spent a couple of days in Zion National Park before heading to our next destination instead.  Zion isn’t as photogenic in winter as in summer or fall, but there are few (if any) crowds, which is virtually an unknown if you’ve visited in the summer!

I found winter a great time to explore the more intimate scenery of Zion.  While in the canyon one morning, I was struck by the colorful reflections the sandstone walls were casting on the Virgin River.  By playing with different exposures, I got an intimate, abstract image I’m very happy with.

Virgin River Reflections, Zion National Park, January 2010

In my next post, I’ll share some images of the wildlife that can be found in Zion in the winter…