Capital Reef

Drawn to Capital Reef as the first National Park to visit when I moved to Utah, in  May 2012 we stayed in the Sleepy Hollow campground in Cainville. It was in the Waterpocket Fold. 

It was such a treat to be sleeping in one of the oddest land formations on the planet. We spent as much time there as we did in the National Park. There were these crazy looking

plants/flowers that I never was able to identify. Anyone??

I was overwhelmed with the variety of land formations in one spot

and learned that the same spot changed radically depending on where the sun hit it. Petroglyphs need shade.

The last afternoon the wind kicked up and we thought about leaving before our tent blew away. Instead we got inside the tent to hold it down and I let the ferocious wind speak to me.

Zion National Park

I attended the Springdale Main Street Gallery Walk on Friday night. There were many fun galleries and friendly people. It is pretty much a tourist town on the edge of the park. I particularly enjoyed the DeZion  and Worthington Galleries.

 

I participated in the Zion Fifth Annual Plein Air community Paint Out on Saturday November 9, 2013 from 11 am-2 pm. There was a pretty cool energy in grove in front of the Lodge where us amateurs were able to paint next to the 24 invited artists. All were happy to talk about their work and process. While I was somewhat intimidated by the visitors talking to me while I was painting. It was a totally new experience for me. 

I went back to campsite and caught the internet to touch base with my online classes. Then I took the bus to Canyon Junction, walked about 4 miles on the Parus Trail to the Visitor's Center. I car camped in Watchman Campground the park. I did the Watchman Trail at sunset, but it was very steep and narrow so I didn't feel  I could get down after dark. Didn't make it to the sunset watching site. :( It was very cold, but I had a fire at night.

On Sunday I took the first bus to the Temple of Sinawara. Did the 2 mile Riverside walk then rode down to Weeping Rock and hiked to it. Back on the bus to Grotto and did a 1 mile trail to Zion Lodge. There I did the Emerald Pools trail. Cars are rarely allowed in Zion. The bus seems to be a good solution to the exhaust  problem and it runs every 6 minutes.  Got back to SLC Nov. 11 in the evening. 

Arches National Park

Since National Parks are free on Martin Luther King's birthday I spent the day in Arches in 2014. Even though it was snowy I arrived at the crack of dawn to experience sunrise and moon set.

The Mighty Five

With my visit to Canyonlands I completed the "Mighty Five" National Parks of Utah. Although I've yet post about my visits to Arches, Capital Reef, and Zion,      (which I'll do in May) I wanted to comment on the five as a group. Each has unique land formations not found at the others. Light is the most  important feature of each place. One can sit in one formation and watch the place change as the sunlight moves across the sky. The hike in is completely different from the hike out. And to quote Ed Abbey "You've got to get out of the car".

Canyonlands National Park

April 19^th and 20 the National Park entrance fees were eliminated to kick off the beginning of National Park Week. I celebrated at Canyonlands, the largest of the "The Big Five" in Utah. I expected to be underwhelmed since I already visited the other four. However, on Hwy. 313 before I entered the park I realized I was in for yet another unique experience. Vast.  Expansive.  I determined that video was the only way to capture this place but it turns out that my photographs captured the depth better. 

I choose the Upheavel Dome as my first adventure. I loved the way I had to get personal with the rocks, trees and moss to get there. Immediately I was connected with my environment. Since I’m experiencing a great upheaval at the moment in my life this place resonated with my spirit. See a short video here...

http://youtu.be/ENs8mXsfl8k

The night was the biggest surprise. After Bryce and Great Basin, the two parks that tout their night skies, I didn’t expect Canyonlands to compete. Of course, the phase of the moon matters a lot. The first time I awoke after drifting off, the sky was filled with stars. Magically, I drifted back off only to be awoken later by a bright waning moon and the stars were gone. In my dreams I unzipped the night sky. 

Since my second day at the park was Easter I did a performance piece, Contrasts, wearing my Easter dress, pink cap and I carried a basket of 2 plastic eggs. I was interested in the juxtaposition of the pastel “Easter colors” of the dress; the harsh plastic qualities of the eggs; the natural twined basket; and the environment of Canyonlands. Not one person questioned my attire (at least to my knowledge) but there were comments about my positioning of the basket of eggs in the landscape and taking photographs.

Bryce Canyon National Park is not a canyon...perhaps an amphitheater

My partner in this adventure was Luke Skelly. After an aborted attempt to do this trip in fall of 2013 due to a curling accident, we left Sandy, UT Friday afternoon at the beginning of rush hour traffic on I-15. Temperatures dropped and darkness fell before we arrived at North Campground.  A fire, snack and the view of a partly cloudy night sky ended the evening before crawling into our bags.

We began the next day at Sunrise Point

And ended at Sunset Point 

I was drawn to the scraggly, barely hanging on Limber Pine trees.

Luke, the gadget guy, downloaded a book on Bryce and we listened to a description at each destination along the way as we traveled to Rainbow point and back to our campsite. When we did our own thing late in the afternoon I found a perfect tree for sitting it. It hugged my body as I watched the snow fall. I made a short video about that experience...http://youtu.be/r-EVuAZHxqU

Less Than 24 Hours in Great Basin National Park, Snow in higher elevations, closed roads, only new Bristlecone Pines, cold flowing water and biggest night sky. Fire. High Altitude.

The day I arrived home I installed Recharging My Chakras @Great Basin Night Sky in the Rockwood Artist Studios

SugarHouse, Salt Lake City, UT