A Week of Contemplation, Two Lane Roads, and Spectacular Environments

A few observations from the road.

Vermillion Cliffs, northern Arizona.

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I love driving.

Whether by motorcycle or car or SUV or… I love it all.

Last week we spent on the road doing a mini road trip.

I am making plans for 2025, and being on the road gets me out of my head a little, and provides a way for me to block out the office and think bigger. Without the walls around me.

We traveled up 89 and 89A from Phoenix to Panguitch, Utah.

Spent some time in the Dixie National Forest, Bryce Canyon, the Escalante, Torrey, UT, and the Vermillion Cliffs.

As many of you know, this area is my favorite place.

I thought I would share a few images and possibly a thought or two from the trip.

There was no plan or project involved here, it was simply a road trip for fun.

I shot a lot of images on some days, few on others.

Too much to think about, and when I am traveling with family, I tend to be with them rather than ignoring them and running around making photographs.

Something I can do from sunrise to sunset.

All of the images I am sharing are from my iPhone 13 Max.

Haven’t had a chance to process the DSLR images yet.

The first image above is from 89A which goes along the base of the Vermillion Cliffs, an amazing section of the Grand Staircase area of southern Utah. There are many examples of these ‘standing rocks’ which seem to defy gravity.

Panguitch, Utah. Snowstorm pending.

While in Panguitch we experienced the first snowfall of the year. This little town of less than 1500 people is one of my favorite staging towns. I can get to Bryce, Torrey, Richfield, Brian Head, Zion, and Cedar City within a few hours.

These are some incredibly beautiful areas perfect for being inspired and making images.

Fall colors, Panguitch, Utah

I did not expect to find any Autumn colors at this late date, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a little color hanging on. This is my favorite time of year, and love the colors, the crispness of the air, and the angle of the sun.

With the sun going so far south, we have backlight all day.

And I like backlight.

The Pando, near Loa, Utah.

I visited the Pando a few months ago. One of my new favorite places.

The Pando is the oldest living creature on the planet. From 100,000 years to a million years, depending on who you talk to.

This visit finds the trees devoid of color, it is about 10,000 feet above sea level, so the color has been gone for a month.

But it is still incredible. This is a single tree.

Over 450 acres of a single tree with all of these singular trees growing from the same root system. It looks primeval, and I am fascinated by the textures and colors.

I am planning a multi-day shoot for this coming spring.

We spent a night in Torrey, and since we were so close, I wanted to share Capitol Reef with my daughter and my wife.

They were both blown away.

And I was super excited because fall colors were going strong at this elevation.

Fish Lake, Utah.

Fish Lake is a huge lake at a very high elevation (10,000+) and quite beautiful.

We couldn’t see the lake as it was snowing rather blustery. Cold cold cold, with the snow flurries flying horizontal in a super stiff wind.

I had to brave that cold to make the shot above, but I really had to get it.

Fruita, UT is an area, not really a town. This area is in the canyons of Capitol Reef on Highway 24. This photo is right in front of the visitor center.

If you haven’t visited Capitol Reef, you are not alone.

One of the least visited National Parks, Capitol Reef is very far from anything.

The closest town is Torrey, Pop. 850. Hanksville, just slightly larger is the next closest town. This is way out in the boonies.

And worth every pain in the butt it takes to get here.

We had great light and wonderful skies, and it was a high point of the trip for me.

Colorful trees and magical sandstone are such a delight to photograph.

Astounding rocks near “The Gosenecks” in Capitol Reef.

I want to spend a week photographing the rocks, cliffs, and slots of Capitol Reef. It is one of the most impressive places I have ever experienced. And now that I know that late October and early November has color there, I have already begun planning my next Fall trip.

Deep into the Goosenecks, a few colorful trees hold their stand.

The Goosenecks are part of Sulphur Creek, and they are spectacular. However, I am going to need a Drone (if even possible) to get the full view. Look at the striations in the walls, and know that this is a telephoto shot… a seriously deep canyon in a forbidding landscape.

The next morning we left for Bryce Canyon through the Escalante and encountered a small snowstorm off in the distance. The photo below shows the Henry Mountains far to the right, and Capitol Reef hidden behind the treed hill.

A snowstorm is happening in the Capitol Reef National Park..

We headed toward Bryce with random storms that would last about 20 minutes, then it would clear up, only to start again.

A fabulous day on the road.

The Escalante River gorge is full of color.

I am so excited for next fall’s road trips.

Our house will be done, and I will be able to spend some serious time up here.

At the end of October, the Dixie National Forest will provide some amazing color opportunities, and staying on the road until mid-November will allow me to delve into the area and do the portfolio I have been wanting to do for over 10 years.

This photo is from Highway 12, noted as one of the most beautiful roads in the world.

Ride it on a bike. Ride it on a motorcycle, or take the family mini-van and stop in Boulder for an amazing lunch at either of the two restaurants.

So those were a few of the highlights of the trip.

I am excited by my plans and will be sharing them as we make a pivot. Or two.

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