Grand Canyon: South Rim to Ooh Aah Point

December 7, 2002 Yesterday, we began the journey at the South Rim. I said I would share a photo or two each day but… five seems about right! Today we’re moving deeper into the Grand Canyon, from South Kaibab Trailhead to Ooh Aah Point. We start in shadow, winding our way down the canyon wall on a well-constructed trail. At

Simply Grand

December 6th, 2020 Two months ago, I hiked rim to river to rim in the Grand Canyon. The day after, I wrote a story about the trek and shared 10 photos from my iPhone. This week, we’re going to revisit the Grand Canyon through more detailed photos I captured on my DSLR. I’ll share one or two each day and

Sunset of the Week

December 5th, 2020 It was a “Pull over!” kind of sunset on Thursday. I was driving home along the east shore of Lake Tahoe. It started out as a pretty golden glow on the water and, in 15 minutes, exploded into a fiery swath across the sky. I pulled over to capture it and everyone else did, too. For a

Bryce Canyon Pictorial

December 4th, 2020 After yesterday’s geology lesson about hoodoos, today we’re finally entering Bryce Canyon! My pictorial takes us from Sunrise Point to Queen’s Garden Trail, up the west side of Peekaboo Loop to the trail leading up to Bryce Point (last photo) with return to Sunrise Point on the Rim Trail overlooking the canyon (about 10 miles/16 km in

Hoodoo Geology

December 3rd, 2020 Understanding the geology of Bryce Canyon is essential to any visit, so here’s a quick lesson as we look at our first hoodoos. Sixty million years ago, this area was a lake. Sixteen million years ago, the force of the earth uplifted the Paunsaugunt Plateau to 8,000 ft /2440 m, and the Aquarius Plateau to a lesser

Into the Slot Canyons, Part 2

November 15th, 2020 Yesterday, we navigated through Dry Fork Slot Canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah. Today, we’re continuing on the trail through Peek-a-Boo and Spooky slot canyons. Peek-a-Boo Slot Canyon starts with a 12-foot climb at its entrance. Shallow depressions in the sandstone can be used as hand and foot holds but they’re so smooth, they’re of little

Yellowstone’s Old Faithful

November 13th, 2020 Old Faithful has captivated audiences for decades. When we arrived to view it last month, several hundred people were sitting in its half-circle amphitheater (socially distanced, for the most part) awaiting its eruption, which happens reliably about 20 times per day — hence the name Old Faithful. Lucky for us, our timing was fortuitous — we only

Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring

November 12th, 2020 Picking up from yesterday’s daily post, today we’re taking a walk around Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring. To understand what an anomaly the spring is in the context of the surrounding landscape, it’s helpful to look at the aerial map view: The spectrum of colors catches the eye, and the white deposits of the silica-rich water extend all