Grand Canyon Pictorial

December 13th, 2020 If you’re just tuning in, this is my final post about the Grand Canyon. Over the past week I’ve been sharing photos, section by section, of a one-day Rim-to-River-to-Rim trip I completed in October. On that day, we drove to the South Rim, parked the car at the Bright Angel trailhead, rode our bikes to the South

Grand Canyon: Colorado River Back to the Rim

December 12th, 2020 After yesterday’s lunch by the water, we’ve resumed our hike along the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The Bright Angel Trail leads across the next bridge, back to the south shore of the Colorado River. Looking left, we see horses and riders moving slowly along a narrow lip of the canyon wall.  Sunlight hits Bright Angel Gorge

Grand Canyon: The Tipoff to the Colorado River

December 11th, 2020 Yesterday we stood near the Tipoff and savored the view of the Colorado River. Let’s get moving on the trail so we can stop for a dip! The trail continues around a promontory and emerges on the other side with a layered view to the north. Looking down from the trail, the terrain drops off steeply all

Grand Canyon: Skeleton Point to the Tipoff

December 10th, 2020 Yesterday we continued on the South Kaibab Trail to this precipice below Skeleton Point. I love this view not only because of its dramatic location but because it’s another moment where the length of the day’s route comes back into focus. A dozen switchbacks etch the slope below. They only take you as far as the next

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

Bryce Canyon Sunrise

December 1st, 2020 Today we’re starting a new journey in Bryce Canyon National Park. With the sun rising, this unique landscape of hoodoos and pine trees is starting to illuminate. More tomorrow,Kelly Photos of the Day: Adding a bit of light to the darkness as we get through the pandemic together. This series features travel photos from my archives, shared

Afternoon at Zion

November 28th, 2020 Just around the corner from yesterday’s plain view, the road to Zion National Park descends into a canyon while the surrounding landscape protrudes suddenly in sedimentary peaks. The geology of Zion spans up to 270 million years, connecting with Bryce Canyon to the north and the Grand Canyon to the south. While researching this, I finally came

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