The Subway

Throughout the southwest natural formations are constantly being named after man made objects. The Cookie Jar, Steamboat Rock, Cathedral Rock, Park Avenue are but a few examples. In Zion National Park we have this place on the Left Fork of the North River called the Subway. It gets its name from the under-cut rock that forms an S-shape in the bottom of the canyon.  If you get there before noon you can catch the light reflecting off the canyon wall and into the 'subway tube.' It'll appear as if train headlights are coming at you down the tube.  The Subway is one of those places that posses a certain magic.  The combination of the canyon's unique undercut formation, the constant trickle of the water down small waterfalls into large pools, the interplay of reflected light through-out the canyon, along with some fall color really leaves a lasting impression.  People come far and wide to be able to experience it, but only the fit and committed individuals actually make it there. In order to visit the Subway, you have to obtain a permit at least the day before. During summer months you have to make a reservation.  The cooler months you can get one usually just walking up to the back country office desk.  You'll  have to drive out of the park, then back into the back-country to get to the trail head. You arrive at a much higher elevation, and in late fall the sun barely makes it to the bottom of the canyon.  The hike is a fairly vigorous one, and if you hike from the bottom trail head up and back it will total to about 9 miles. The first three quarters of a mile is a cake walk, but once you hit the canyon rim you have to descend down a steep wash about 600 feet to the canyon floor.

There are no switchbacks here. All you can do is rock hop and boulder to the bottom. Round trip, will take all day. I wasn't sure of the conditions at the bottom since there just was a cold snap. Bryce got about 5 inches of snow about three days before so I wanted to be prepared for the worst.  People typically rent canyoneering gear for the Narrows in Zion. I decided to go ahead and rent the gear for the Subway as well. Best to err on the side of caution. Down at the bottom, the trail is the creek. The gear consisted of neoprene booties, and water proof canyoneering pants made of Gore-tex on top and a tight rubber seal at the bottom around the bootie. We then donned the special shoes made by rock climbing gear manufacturers that have special grippy soles and special mesh to drain when you lift your foot out of the water. The gear worked pretty well. I wouldn't say I was warm, but I wasn't freezing either. Kristi was cold however, but she gets cold easily. I suppose it varies from person to person where their comfort level will lie. Obviously you will have to decide for yourself, taking in consideration the weather conditions.  This morning was cold, the leaves had all but fallen from the trees. There was ice and snow in the more shady areas of the canyon.  It was slippery enough, so to add some ice in the mix made the hike a little more slippy.  The first three miles was a lot of rock and boulder hopping. You could begin to see where people had established little trails in the direction of the easier routes. Although the Park Service discourages the creation of these kinds of trails they really do make life a bit easier. Finally you begin to see the canyon narrow, and the rock creek bed turn red.  The last mile is amazing. You come to a variety of cascading waterfalls. Take time now to capture these falls, because on the hike out the sun will be high in the canyon and too harsh to get any keepers. Don't spend too much time here either, or you will miss the light reflections in the Subway, and increase the chance of hiking in the dark later on. Archangel falls is one of the iconic falls that can't be missed, and it can only best be shot in the shade. Soon you will reach the Subway.

There was only one other person there, and he probably was about a half an hour ahead of us.  I gave him a wide berth and shot the lower part of the canyon, and a fissure with water flowing in it.  Eventually I made my way up. The guy was kind enough to offer to leave, but I stated we were going to have lunch and to keep shooting.  Just about the time we finished our sandwiches he began to move on.  Suddenly he slipped on the wet stone, landed on his butt and his camera, still attached to his retracted tripod went full force into one of the deep pools. He sat there stunned for a second then realized his camera was upside down in the bottom of the pool. I wasn't sure what model Canon he had but the look on his face wasn't good.  I asked if he was okay, he said he was, and kind of stumbled off.  I continued to shoot the Subway, looking for compositions that both had and hadn't (that I has seen) been done before. Alas it was time to leave, and I was satisfied that I had gotten some keepers.  The light was just beginning to change anyway.  We got there about quarter to twelve, and by one o'clock the light wasn't reflecting off the canyon in that special way anymore.  See, in the morning the sun will reflect off the western wall, and shine down the Subway 'tube'.  It is this effect that appears as if you were in a subway tube with  train lights approaching. The rest of the canyon was in full sunlight now, and the beautiful falls we had passed were covered in harsh shadows.  I was sure glad I got some shots in earlier. The hike out seemed to pass by quickly since I was done stopping and shooting. The weather warmed up a bit, and once we got to the bottom of the steep part the sun was just going down, so we could climb out in the shade. Once we finally got to the rim of the canyon, the hike to the parking lot seemed like it took forever.  We got to the van right at dusk, then made a bee-line to the pizza place in Springdale. Talk about a perfect day.  We weren't worried about returning the gear since we had a hike in the Narrows planned for the next day.

Save the Confluence

Water here in the desert high country is sacred. You can never take it for granted. It is the life force. The dry arid landscape lays dormant until it's arrival. Either in the form of run-off, snow fall or a monsoon downpour the power that water has is far reaching. It is also fiercely fought for. Water rights here in the west are continually being challenged. The Colorado River is methodically being syphoned off and consumed. Farmers, cities, tribes, outfitters, tourists and developers are all clamouring to get a piece of the pie. These rivers and streams bring life and prosperity. They are also threatened. Threats of contamination, and extinction. Threats of containment and threats of development. Even today the war hasn't but begun and it's more relevant than ever to raise awareness. There are plenty of battles conservationists haven't won, and water will continue to be the most important battle to fight.



Uranium mining near the Grand Canyon and the proposed building of a tourist attraction at the Little Colorado and Colorado River confluence are but a few hot issues we're facing today. I previously thought that the development of the Confluence was but an internal affair to the Native Americans, and believed that I would have no voice on the matter. Based on the reaction toward snow making on the San Francisco Peaks, I never would have imagined the issue to have progressed at all. After all the area is also considered sacred by the Hopi Tribe. Historically matters such as this, (e.g. a proposed bridge over Grand Falls ) would require a unanimous decision to get it done. This project is being handled behind closed doors, and opponents are being escorted from the chambers by police. Another issue associated with the Confluence project are the borders between the Grand Canyon National Park and the area of the Confluence. There seems to be two official maps, dated more than twenty years apart. The border issue here will likely be resolved in court. The good news is if the National Park Service maintains the Confluence to within the park, the public will be able to weigh in on the decision making. Here is where you can help. There are petitions you can sign and have your voice heard: If you want to get involved follow these links for more information

Grand Canyon Trust Uranium Actions

Save The Confluence .com

Grand Falls (Adahwiilíní)

It's been about three years since I've been to Grand Falls, even though it's only an hour and a quarter from home. The last time I went I remember it being really windy. So windy, the water was blowing around the whole canyon in a sticky muddy mist. It would cover the car windshield, and any camera lens with in the wind's reach. It was quite a sight, but not great for photography. This time I had the chance to catch the end of the year's run off. I planned a nice long evening to spend here and experience all it's grandeur.   The falls are absolutely huge and rivals the height of Niagara Falls.  The water, however, is quite a bit muddier. Some people call it the chocolate falls, or the mud falls. Spring runoff drains the Navajo reservation into the Little Colorado River, which in turn drains into the Colorado River. Adahwiilíní, the Navajo name for Grand Falls, is located West of Leupp, AZ.   Here is where volcanic basalt meet sandstone. As the story goes volcanic lava flowed from one of the many cinder cones in the area, blocking off the original course of the Little Colorado. The river was forced to change it's course over the cliff edge.



The north side sandstone  catches the last rays of sunlight in a bright orange reflection. Combine those colors with the light brown water, and sunset colors in the clouds, makes for one pretty scene.  The sun here is really intense, so even up to early in the evening the colors can remain quite harsh. You literally have to wait until the sun hits the horizon before the colors finally get warm.  There was a bit of a breeze this evening propelling a few puffy clouds around, slowly clearing over the course of the evening. Tourists rolled in took their snapshots and rolled back out again all before sunset. By the time the sun set, I was all alone. I found a pretty neat vantage point that was below the rim in a little valley out of the wind. That's where I settled in. The spot allowed me to get a shot that wasn't looking  down so much on the falls, helping me get more stars in the shot.   I brought an extra coat to sit on and some granola bars and water. Every few minutes I tripped the shutter trying to harvest the light for some exposure blending to be done in Photoshop. From sunset, to dusk to twilight to night. Then a half an hour with the intervolometer cable release to capture the movement of the stars ( or vise versa).  This is how the first image seen here was created.



Firstly I made an exposure for the falls at twilight, where there was enough light reflecting off the atmosphere to illuminate the scene. This method allowed for mostly even lighting, minimizing any harsh shadows.  Another benefit is it allows some extra shutter speed, smoothing out the water of the waterfall. I then waited for about another hour to let the sky go much darker.  This results in a brighter more defined starlight. I usually choose an exposure time between three and a half to five minutes, depending on how much light there is in the sky (from the moon etc..). Depending on my vision for the final image I will choose a total exposure time from a half an hour to an hour.  Anymore than that, the sky begins to look a bit gaudy, any less,  the viewer might feel wanting more. An additional consideration for choosing a final exposure time is the distance from the North Star. The stars rotate much slower the closer to the North Star, so a longer total exposure time is required to get the right effect.  This startrail image had a shorter stack of five exposures of five minutes each. Since the North Star was out of sight here, the stars tracked across the scene much faster.  Looking closely at the star image you can see a couple of interesting aberrations.  The first being the hint of a satellite tracking perpendicular to the stars.



It is really faint, but runs the entire length of the sky.  The second being what I believe is a shooting star.  In my first exposure,  I saw a falling star shoot into the field of view of the camera. You can see it in the lower center of the sky of the image. This is the first time I have caught a shooting star. I've gone out during a meteor shower before, but never had much luck at capturing one. The timing and positioning was always off, or the intensity was such that it became invisible to the camera sensor.  When I first saw the stacked image afterward, I was skeptical that I actually captured it. So I went back to the original digital negative.  I remembered that it was the first frame taken, and about a minute and a half into the exposure.  The image showed me that the meteor light began about a fifth of the way into the image. Additionally it arcs oppositional to arcs of the stars.  If it were a plane you would see its flashing marker lights dotted across the entire frame, and in a straight line, not a curved arc.  We've already identified what a satellite looks like. Of course I'm open to other theories.



This was taken three years ago just after a big winter. It is a more traditional view, were you can see the Little Colorado wind it's way to the confluence. It also gives a perspective on how much water can flow over these falls, not to mention the muddy color.

The Secret of Secret Canyon

Recently I posted some images on Facebook from a backpacking trip to Secret Canyon. Where's Secret Canyon? I was asked by more than a few locals. Having lived in Northern Arizona now for almost thirty years I have asked myself that same question on more than one occasion.  I kept hearing about Secret Canyon, but nothing specific in terms of where it was. I remember looking for it about ten years ago. I'm sure I never found it, at least definitively. I do remember some large pools surrounded by red cliffs, but that could easily have been anywhere.  Funny when you're hiking in a high desert climate, the hotter it gets, the hike begins to loose it's appeal and large cool pools of water begin to look pretty inviting. About three years ago I took up the search once again.  This time I brought a map. Such that it was. It was downloaded from the Red Rock Ranger District web page, and lacked any mileage or scale. There were plenty of canyons on the map. Long Canyon, Loy Canyon, Fay Canyon, Boynton Canyon. They're all on there. And they're all really cool and different. Some even have ancient ruins. Secret Canyon doesn't, but does have a  creek flowing in it,  mostly in the spring.  Until now I've never hiked Secret Canyon in the spring, but could tell you that there were some large pools of water in late autumn. Probably left over from our monsoon season.  So where's Secret Canyon?  The trail head used to be at the end of an old Jeep trail. The one that goes to all the arches (Vaultee, and Devil's Bridge). This year it was different. The forest service errected a new gate, and paved the first little rough part. I used to drive right to the trail head on the 4wd road.  Now we had to drive around the corner and park at the Long Canyon trail head.  This little change put about three extra miles on the trip. Normally I'd shrug. This time I had a nice 50lb pack. About a year ago we made it to the head of the canyon and hiked only a little ways up it.



We decided to make a loop out of it and another canyon, but didn't really explore Secret Canyon it for all it's potential.  We did, however, scope out some possible camping spots. We knew we'd be back.  We didn't know how much water would be there. Turns out, a  lot. The spring run off was in full force, and deep in the canyon we even found some pockets of snow. The map makes the cayon look like about ten dotted lines. The trail description says it goes for three miles and ends at a pool of water. Well I can tell you, it keeps going. In theory it continues to the top of Secret Mountain, but after hiking up it for three and a half hours it showed no sign of ending at some secret pool of water. After 25 (yes we counted) pool of water crossings we still hadn't found the end. I guess we'll just have to try again next year. The vistas are fantastic starting early on. You're surrounded by red rock, spires and of course the canyon.  We chose to bed down in a plateau area surrounded by desert scrub with views of the valley. Yucca, mesquite and juniper left us mostly exposed, but early spring is a bit chilly in the shade, so a litttle extra sun was welcomed. A little warmer, and we would have had to camp up the canyon which was much more shaded by large ponderosa pines, sycamore and maple.  The mesquite was in bloom and the sweet aroma of the little white flowers was starting to attract honey bees. Spring run off was trickling down the cliffs and into the creek.  The trail begins high,  follows the creek, and zig zags back and forth up and down.


The more impassable areas by-pass higher in the canyon on available terraces. Walking along the creek gives you the feeling of being in Zion.  High orange stained walls and deep under cut channels mimmick the back country canyons of Utah. Deep in the channel you can find a fairly large waterfall. If you were to follow the creek you would have to climb out one of the drainages to circumvent it. Its a little too large to be climbing through. Farther up the canyon the tall ponderosa pines contrast against the blue sky, and the red and orange cliffs. If you're observant you can see a natural arch high on the canyon wall. So where's Secret Canyon?  Just ask the helicopter pilots. For an extra few bucks they'll fly you along the length of the canyon in just a few minutes. Pay no attention to the hikers blatently exposing themselves to you from the canyon floor. They worked thier butts off to get there for a bit of solitude. So where's Secret Canyon? I could tell you, but then it wouldn't be a secret. Why would I deny anybody the joy of discovery?

Looney Guy at the Grand Canyon Lodge

 While traveling home from Cedar City's Shakespeare Festival last summer, we drove through Cedar Breaks and Brian Head ( see Twisted Forest ) and scheduled a night at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  On previous trips to the North Rim I've camped outside the park along what they call the Rainbow Rim. I haven't actually visited inside the park since I was in high school, so I figured that since I had a National Parks pass I'd continue to put it to good use and re-visit the North Rim. I got re-acquainted with the Grand Canyon Lodge with all it's little cabins. The terrace at the lodge is really an amazing sight.  Sitting in the Adirondack chairs and watching the sunset with a beverage is a nice relaxing way to spend an evening. Too bad I didn't do that.



  No that would be wasting precious time immortalizing it with my camera.  I did enjoy it all the same, except I can continue to enjoy those moments when I reflect back and look at the images I took. No, I was climbing up the rock spires and out on ledges to find that unique shot.  I even shot a guy climbing up rock spires and out on ledges shooting with his camera.  Truth be told we did have some beverages, albeit self served. We sat at the highest point along the canyon rim, watching the sun sink lower, casting its light show off the late monsoon clouds. The brilliant interplay of gradient yellows, oranges, and pinks morphing into new and interesting formations. Listening to the silence of the canyon absorbing the surrounding energy of the fading day.   The sun was gone, and so were our beverages. It was time to pack it in before it got too dark to make our way back to the trail. As I was slowly ambling back to the parking lot I saw that guy.



You know, the looney guy standing on the spire shooting with his tripod into the abyss. "Hey, you're that crazy bas#*rd that was shooting from that spire."  "Oh, that was nothing," he said like he does it every day.  We exchanged gear tech notes for a bit, and discussed our camping arrangements. We both had VW campers, and spoke briefly of all the virtues of a the mobile sleeper unit.  "You know, I have a pretty great shot of you on that spire. If you give me your email address I'll send you a copy."   We exchanged addresses and handshakes and parted ways.  Our paths crossed coincidentally a couple of more times after that both on some forest service roads and even here in Flagstaff.  I sent him a high res file in exchange for his model release. Currently the image is on Allstar Grand Canyon's tours website promoting thier tours in exchange for promotional consideration as well as shuttle service between the canyon and Flagstaff. It feels good to make these connections once in a while, and to be able to make people happy with an image I've taken. 

Toroweap Thanks for Giving

Beginning in the high elevations of the San Francisco Peaks near our hometown of Flagstaff, to the low canyons of Zion and the Grand Canyon, Kristi and I got to enjoy a nice long fall here in the Southwest last year. We had just gotten back from a trip to Zion when I had another trip planned, this time to the remote and rugged Toroweap area of the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Our preferred method of travel is the restored and retrofitted 76 VW camper, but this trip would probably see the van's demise. The rugged and unimproved sandy road to the rim is notably tough. The warnings from the park service state that a high clearance vehicle, spare tires and extra gas and water were highly recommended. Agreed, the last 10 miles were definitely an adventure. 70 miles from the nearest town, you don't want to be unprepared. The National Park Service maintains the small area, with composting toilets and a remote ranger station. They don't however, maintain the road.

I already serviced my 4Runner, and outfitted it with brand new BFGs with an extra thick sidewall. We packed the truck with gear and water then headed off. Kristi wasn't looking forward to the five hours sitting in the car, but I was determined to spend Thanksgiving far from any stores, commercials or Christmas consumerism that America bombards it's citizens with during the holiday season. I can remember driving through the area ever since I was about twelve years old. Back then I was bored to death and it seemed like an eternity to get to where we were going. Now as I drive through there I see nothing but photographic opportunities. I dream of the day when I can stop at every wide spot in the road and capture the amazing light bouncing off the red canyon walls. Too many photos to little time. Kristi, however, was bored to tears. I handed her my iPhone with some movies, and she settled down while I drove through the dreamscape that is Northern Arizona. We made decent time and arrived at the Canyon at about three thirty that afternoon. There were a few campers at the Tuweap campground when we got there, but the sense of quiet solitude was still present. We chose a nice spot facing the afternoon sun, just below a ridge of strange orb like formations. We immediately settled down, and tuned into the quiet. For four days we'd be gazing at the wide views, and listening to the gentle breeze.

There were only a few trails there, mostly along the rim. We carefully explored each one, analyzing the best viewpoints for later visits during sunset or sunrise. We were there undoubtedly for the photographic opportunity, but more importantly to relax and unwind. Sometimes photographers end up living through their lenses and not actually spending time absorbing the energy or the wildness of a place. Sure I made some images, but they mostly were squeezed in at the beginning or the end of the day. There was plenty of time to hike around and explore during the middle. We even played a few hours of Frisbee on a flat red slick rock near camp. After taking a couple of shots of the orb like rock formations, I got the impulse to set up a night shot. I had been watching the moon cast it's silvery light the night before and calculated that about 2:30 it would illuminate the rock and the canyon. I set my alarm, but like the many times before awoke shortly before it actually went off. I composed the shot, set my remote timer, and laid back down for the hour. Laying there staring at the stars I floated in an out of day dreams. Crickets and the gentle flap of the tent door were the only sounds....except... what was that? It was a sort of plastic rustling sound, and it was coming from the truck. My curiosity was piqued. I grabbed my flashlight and popped the hood to find a large mouse weaving in and out of the fan belts.



I wasn't sure I scared it off sufficiently, so decided to start the truck (if the wiring hadn't been chewed through). It started, but I stirred Kristi and had to explain we were being attacked by killer mice with death wishes. No doubt they were attracted by some coolant that had seeped around the hoses. I went back to sleep but with one eye open.  Wouldn't want to be mauled alive without a little warning. I came away with a couple of sunrise, and sunset shots plus a night shot and a couple of other flora shots. But the time outdoors watching the light and gazing into the deep canyon was what was really needed. Incidentally we were there during the first flooding of the canyon by the Glen Canyon Dam. They decided to let an enormous amount of water from the dam so it would create or recreate some beaches and mimic the ebb and flow of the river floods prior to the building of the dam.  From the rim you couldn't tell how much water was there, but I didn't have anything to compare it to.  They did continue the river trips, as we spent some time watching the rafts float their way down to Lava Falls. The weather here in Northern Arizona is usually really nice around Thanksgiving and I make a concerted effort to get outdoors, wherever it may be. Thanks Toroweap, for giving me a great Thanksgiving!

First Friday in February

I am pleased to announce that Vora Financial has asked me back as their featured artist for Flagstaff First Friday Art Walk. That's February First. I have almost thirty framed prints spanning the last few years of images. Many have never been seen until now. I've included images from Zion, from both the Subway and the Narrows, as well as my signature night and star trail photography. If you are in Flagstaff on February First head over to Vora Financial at 14 E Birch in downtown Flagstaff. A special thanks to Darmesh Vora for opening up his business space to display local art and artists. It starts at 5:30 and goes until about 8:30-9:00.