Water pockets, last day.

My last day, Friday 8th June. I set out early to meet Chris from http://www.grandstaircasediscoverytours.com/

I had arranged to go to 'water pockets canyoan' after attempting and failing to get to 'the white pocket' for one last scenic tour before the 3 hour drive back to Flagstaff and my overnight stay Ian motel and early flight home next day.

I arrived at the designated spot at 8am as arranged and was led to his home where I put my gear in his 4x4 and we set off after checking we had sufficient water and food for dinner. Chris was a typical American, " chatty and friendly" as he drove us through hills and country side to our destination, not a soul was passed as we drove. Finally stopping at some gates and walking the last mile or so through soft sand, tiring and hard to walk through I was gratefully of reaching the hard rock.

Well worth the effort and again beautiful scenery in both colour and texture.

The area gets its name from hollows in the rock that holds water long after rain has passed by, but it not having rained for about 10 months then unfortunately they where dry. Maybe next time I will arrange a visit in September after the summer monsoons and thunderstorms that frequent the area, Mmmm cloud and water will certainly add to the images.

So here is my offering 

 Here you can see 'fins' slithers of rock that are mm's thick left after erosion from wind and water. Fragile they can be easily broken. Apparently 'the wave' was full of these but they have been broken and worn away by visitors over the years, a pitty as these are things of beauty in their own right.

 Here in teh foreground can be seen large versions of 'fins'

 In this view the vertical shadow in the middle in the distance is some 3 miles away and is the marker for 'the wave' being just below this geological feature is the point you head for when you get it in your sights, from this side you cannot make it, as there is a canyon between the two points called "Buckskin Gulch" unfortunately a photographer had stayed for sunset at THE WAVE and being unprepared walking back fell into the gulch and died, only being found the day after as a search and rescue had not been initiated due to no one knowing he was missing, he was found by hikers into the gulch.

 A close up of some FINS, these are half the width of my index finger.

So here's looking forward to the next trip.

Joe

Upper antelope slot canyons

I was always going to come back to this canyon, it was of course the one reason for my first trip last year. 

Having done the photo tour last year with little Preperation and forethought I scraped through and achieved some ok images. This time I hope i have improved my technique armed with forethought. I know the highlites will always be a problem, light that strong on light rock and sand cannot be controlled by + or - 2 stops either side, knowing this I am attempting some HDR shots, not able to do HDR on the software I have I offer images that ar single shots. Much improved over last year I feel.

Then of course I had to visit the horseshoe bend

  We all know that judges expect you to take two steps forward, left, right or backward to get the shot.

NOT BLOODY LIKELY!  Lol

Lost in the wilderness!

Well I chose a beautiful day to go visit the white pocket, the only problem was I couldn't find it. I drove for 3 hours down dirt roads that turned into sand tracks, feeling I was following the correct route according to two maps I had, all I had done wrong was not take a left fork on the sand tracks that would have taken me to the point I wanted. Also I trusted a map I downloaded with GPS waypoints on, which are incorrect. Scenery was unreal, sandy tracks with rocks that grew from the ground in strange weird and wonderful formations, not being far from the wave and the white pocket it was not unusual that they had similar colours in common.anyway a long day with not a soul in sight for direction and also being afraid I would get stuck I gave up, took images of where I had reached and also along the way back so as not to waste the day.

 An old ranch at the point I turned around, just after nearly burying the Toyota in sand, thank the lord for 4 wd low ratio, only just managed to get out.

 How weird is this shape? Kind of like a liquid that has set!

 There are also flowers in the desert.

 This image has only been altered with levels, colours are superb.

 Again the image has only had levels work done, to those of you not photographers you wouldn't understand come to think of it, lightened and darkened in tonal quality.

I am trying to find out today if a company is going to the white pocket, then I can get there - it will be worth it. 

Ghost towns

Having researched for some ghost towns I decided on 'Grafton' which was a drive through Zion, not a hard place to find but I did drive past by about 5 miles. On the way back there was a sign facing me, I drove in along a long dirt road with fields of lush green where. Arriving at the centre was a plaque pointing out the buildings and stating that it was used until as late as 1945. 

Along the way I came across a field of buffalo, seeing as I had eaten my fare share I thought they could live on in a photograph. A house on the horizon leads me to naming it

Little House on the Prairie

 

Also a few of this little creature. (Joanne what is its name please?)

Then the ghost town

Nothing wrong with some of the buildings

A nice bridge on the way out

Having visited this I had time to call on the cowboy town some 100 miles away but close to my base.