Down the Staircase
Some photos from a week exploring southern Utah, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Staircase:
Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River. 4-shot panorama. Given that it was about 110 when I took this, I can't even describe how appealing that water looked...
The infamous murderer of Glen Canyon, a.k.a: Glen Canyon Dam, Colorado River
Peakaboo Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park
Summer Milky Way from Rainbow Point, Bryce Canyon National Park
Kodachrome Basin, near Cannonville, UT
The Toadstools, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Toadstool. Yours truly for scale.
Toadstool close-up. Basically the orange sandstone of the Entrada Formation (same stuff that forms the famous spans of Arches National Park) is easily erodible but portions get protected by boulders of the harder and more resistant Dakota Sandstone that originate in the cliffs above.
The Toadstools, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Fleeting waterfalls
While Zion National Park may not normally be known for its waterfalls, spring snow runoff and the occasional summer monsoon thunderstorm can turn the park and its stunning red and white sandstone cliffs into a veritable Yosemite of incredible waterfall action.
I made a brief stop in Zion as part of a 1200 mile drive from Washington to Arizona for the holidays. I had visited Zion in the past during the spring when runoff from the high country surrounding the canyon was at its peak but despite the fact that the entire western United States had been getting hammered by a massive cold front for the past 2 days, I never expected to see the number of waterfalls that I did. Not only were they more numerous then ever before, even the relatively reliable ephemeral waterfalls, such as the one near the parking area at Temple of Sinwava, flowed with significantly greater gusto that I had ever seen before.
Waterfall at Temple of Sinawava
For an interesting comparison, here’s a shot taken from almost exactly the same spot (notice the bare tree on the left is the same as the tree on the right in the previous photo) in the summer of 2009.
Perhaps the most spectacular waterfalls were those found in the small alcove that is home to Weeping Rock. A short but wet hike up the Hidden Canyon Trail provided a vantage point of these falls. Getting decent photographs was a challenge. With heavy rain, wind, and nearly 100% humidity, it was next to impossible to keep rain off the camera and keep my lenses from fogging up.
Waterfalls near Weeping Rock
Runoff along the Hidden Canyon Trail
Hazy view out into Zion Canyon from Weeping Rock
The day after these photos were taken, the entire Park was shut down and evacuated due to severe flash flooding, road washouts, and the threat of a dam failure upstream on the Virgin River.
Zach Schierl Photography 