Saturday & Sunday, February 4-5, 2012
It was a lazy weekend for me and I ended up not venturing very far from home. I did manage to get out for a few hours each day and take some photos and do a little exploring in my Jeep. Here’s a few photos I took over the weekend.
I was originally planning on heading down to The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park on Saturday, but as I was driving towards Moab I realized that I had forgotten my circular polarizers at home. They would have come in handy for photographing some new rock art sites I was looking for, so I decided to cancel that plan and make the trip another day. I continued driving to the Richardson Amphitheater and waited for sunrise. Unfortunately, there was not a cloud in the sky this morning.
Early morning sunlight strikes the Priest and Nuns formation near Castle Valley.
Priest and Nuns by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
The sun strikes the red rock cliffs on the other side of the Colorado River.
Road & Fence by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Driving back towards the highway as the sunlight creeps down the cliffs and fills the valley.
Onion Creek Bench Sunrise by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
I liked the way the early morning light struck the branches of this dead tree as I explored a rough trail on the Onion Creek Bench.
Morning Tree & Mesas by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
A view from the Onion Creek Bench towards Castle Rock and the Priest and Nuns.
Onion Creek Bench by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
As I drove back home I spotted this Golden Eagle on a power line not far from the road.
Golden Eagle by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Later that evening I drove up to the Colorado National Monument for sunset and found this pothole that reflected the lichen above.
Reflection Point by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
As I was leaving the Monument I noticed the moon was rising between Balance Rock and the nearby cliff, so I had to stop for one last photo.
Balance Rock & Moon by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
After a lazy Sunday I went back up to the Monument to take a few more photos before sunset. As I drove up the switchbacks beyond the east entrance, I stopped for a quick photo looking back towards the Grand Mesa.
Monument & Mesa by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
I liked the way the light was falling on the monuments in Monument Canyon when I arrived.
Monuments by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
A closer look at the light falling on the Kissing Couple.
Kissing Couple by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr