Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/17

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Re: visiting southern utah
From: Summicron1 at aol.com (Summicron1@aol.com)
Date: Fri Sep 17 22:43:05 2004

a few tips before visiting southern utah:

zion is lovely, but expect crowds. Bryce and others nearby are less so. The 
drive through Monument Valley is sublime, but get reservations in Mexican 
Hat 
or somewhere else before you go because the motels fill up fast..

Parks in the southwest part of Utah are the most famous and are too busy 
with 
tourists as a result. Go east -- Dead Horse Point is to die for, especially 
at sunset. Canyonlands national Park is breathtaking, the most magnificant 
sunsets I've ever seen, ever. As good as the Grand Canyon.. Go to the north 
half, 
it looks just like the grand canyon without the squalling tourist babies. 
I've 
sat on a bluff there at sunset with just me and my wife and a hundred miles 
of golden glowing rock and clouds.

Arches National Park is where God lives. No kidding. Double Arch (opening 
scenes of the third "raiders" movie) is like nothing anywhere. Easy hikes 
everywhere.

always carry water. always wear a hat. Always wear good sturdy hiking 
boots/shoes. Never,ever, hike alone. You might end up having to cut your 
hand off 
like that other idiot did. Hell of a way to get famous -- for breaking the 
rules.

travel light. Pick one good camera, a couple of lenses, lots of film. My 
Leica CL is my favorite. Wide angle lenses work very well down there, but 
some 
things are impossible to photograph. Accept this.

Read Edward Abbey's "Desert Solitair" before you go.

never go looking for pictures between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. It is hot, the 
light 
sucks, the place is full of tourists. In fact, avoid the parks between these 
hours, for the same reasons. Find a nice air conditioned book store.

always look for pictures at dawn and dusk -- light is best, and the 
restaurants in town are open late enough so you can shoot the fading light 
and still 
get back in time to eat. Also, the parks are nearly empty in these hours 
because 
everyone else is back in town feeding their face. No lines, no crowding, no 
interruptions, just you and beauty.

Food you can get anytime. Sunset in Arches, or at Deadhorse, or in 
Canyonlands, is once in a lifetime.

plan to come back again. You can never see it enough.

Charles Trentelman
Ogden, utah -- 5 hours from Moab.