268) The Road West

Two of the highlights of my drive from Florida to Nevada were Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. The two parks are very close to each other, although they are in different states. Carlsbad is in New Mexico and Guadalupe is in Texas, and offers the highest elevation in the state. Although the parks are close to each other they are completely different.

Caves are one of those very few places that technology has helped us (me, anyway) appreciated a pristine wilderness better. If not for the artificial lighting there is just no way to be able to grasp the beauty and enormity of the inner depths of this cave system. That being said, it would have been really nice if they had commissioned someone like Ansel Adams to set up the lighting in the cave. It is very frustrating to photograph. For more thoughts and photos of mine from caves, check out this post from Laos. I took one of my favorite images there- it is a self portrait in the grand opening of a cave that features a giant golden Buddha.

What I found really interesting about these two parks is they are (in a very real sense) night and day difference from each other, yet so close and part of the same geologic forces. The ancient reef that was thrust upwards to create the Guadalupe mountains is also what allowed the caves to form. The caves work in complete silence and unthinkably long periods of time to build new stone and formations that sit alone in absolute darkness, completely unappreciated (until we came along and lit them up) and unlike anything most of us have imagined. While the Guadalupe mountains thrust upward in full view over the Chihuahuan Desert, full of life and beckoning to be noticed and appreciated, with a very long history of human use.

I hiked up a few miles to a wonderful campsite with a grand view. I was the only person in the backcountry of the park that night, and it was unreal. The full moon began to rise in the east just after the sun set. And then the moon began to set in the west just as the sun was rising. It was a fantastic site to see (twice).

267) Zion

I woke up out of the blue at 4am on my birthday. That was the sign I needed. Off to Zion.





I arrived at the park early. There was frost on the ground and it was chilly, but perfect for a good hike. The colors were so fantastic I felt like I was walking through a painting at times. Yellows, reds, greens and sage mixed with light bouncing off the canyon walls, it couldn't have been more perfect.





I really try not to take my sense of smell for granted. A good whiff of a particular scent can take me right back to an experience in my past. The smell of rancid urine, for example, takes me right back the streets of New Dehli where the piss flowed through the gutters like a golden river. Fortunately I was in store for a much more pleasant experience in Zion. The smells of sage, decomposing leaves, a desert river (maybe something like sweet willow) and alpine pine sap in the hot sun all mixed together to create something fantastic. In certain areas they would all hit at the same time, I can only assume that is what heaven smells like.





I turned a corner and stopped in my tracks when I saw a bright red maple leaf on the ground. I had been waiting to see some maples in full color. One thing I really missed while being in Florida was the beautiful foliage in fall.






This is my self portrait- me turning 28.

266) The Grand Canyon

Dad and I had about the best weather anyone could ask for in the Grand Canyon. It was warm but not hot, there were plenty of clouds in the sky and most impressively on multiple occasions the sky broke open and let out some beautiful and frightening desert rains. We were fortunate enough to have just finished hikes or just gotten into the car or hotel every time storms came through. There is nothing like being in a mile deep canyon when lighting strikes close- it could wake someone out of a coma.









Above is a long exposure shot of the canyon being lit by a full moon. Below is a shot a few minutes after sunset with some storms in the area.





Switchbacks are the name of the game on trails in the Grand Canyon.



We were lucky enough to have gotten a cabin at Phantom Ranch with virtually no notice. We awoke to find the crystal clear Bright Angel Creek red as blood because of storms during the night.