You Really Can't Beat (A) Dead Horse

Dead Horse State Park that is...

Monday, August 8

Ring ring ring went the alarm. The plan was to get up early and be on the road before the heat and when the light is better. Well, I think someone hit the snooze button too many times. Riley, why did you do that?

Rex and I were heading to Dead Horse Point State Park, part of the beautiful Utah state park system, with hopes of viewing some of the Colorado River’s 180-degree turns. We saw a few, but nothing I thought worthy of recording for this blog. In some places, the river views are outstanding, but often you need to travel to the end of forever-meandering dirt roads or take long hikes to get a glimpse. Rex doesn't do dirt roads; in fact, he will refuse. I might consider the hikes but not in this heat.

There were plenty of “hole-in-the-ground” views that were just as impressive as those at Canyonlands. But, because we already did that for the blog, I concentrated on something Dead Horse has in abundance — Mother Nature's bonsai trees.

I think whoever discovered the art of bonsai must have visited Dead Horse Point first. The park has hundreds of these botanical micro-scenes. The junipers in this climate become so twisted and wretched, they are beautiful. The seed (juniper seed) has been planted for a photo essay book. Please enjoy my limited recordings of Mother Nature’s botanical mastery.

On the way we stopped at an abandoned railroad structure.
I think it was used to load ore of some kind. Can you see Rex?

That vertical piece will swing down to about the height of a gondola car.

My Favorite.

 Textures also abound here. Some of the many I recorded.

That is the Colorado River down there.

On the way back to Roz (and air conditioning) I saw a scene I want to see at sunrise. Once again the alarm is set for 5 AM. Now Riley, leave it alone.

I had more success on Tuesday getting to the site I wanted to see at sunrise. I was not disappointed.

Cell phone photo of my setup.

How I interpreted the scene. Yes the Balloon and moon were there.
This is an HDR (High Dynamic Range) composite image of 5 photographs.

A bonus scene found on the way home.

There will be more coming in a few days from a sunset series, all taken within a few hundred yards of the road.