19 days
~4000km/2500 miles
7x National Parks, 4x State Parks, 3x National Forests, countless BLM lands, 5x Wildfires.
Day 1 - Land in Denver
AM - Denver
Picked up my friends, A&A!
PM - Rock Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
Saw some bison way out in the distance. Tons of prarie dogs!
A prairie dog stretching after emerging from its den. Sony A1 ii
Day 2 - Drive to Alamosa
AM - Garden of the Gods National Natural Landmark
Hiked several trails!
Strange rock formations in the Garden of the Gods. Sony A1 ii
PM - Great Sand Dunes National Park
Met up with more friends, K&C, short hike & star gazing!
The many layers in Great Sand Dunes National Park. It’s hazy from all the wildfire smoke. Sony A1 ii
Day 3 - Exploring Public Lands
AM - San Isabel National Forest
Waterfall hike that involved wading through the coldest water in the world
A long exposure of a waterfall. Fuji X100VI
Blanca Wetlands
Salt flats and lagoons found on BLM lands. DJI Air 2s
PM - Great Sand Dunes National Park
Climbed High Dune for panos & astro !
A panorama of Great Sand Dunes after sunset. Sony A1 ii
Day 4 - Exploring Public Lands
My friend posting with a headlamp in Great Sand Dunes. Sony A7 RIII (H-Alpha Modified)
AM - Great Sand Dunes National Park
Bunch of short hikes
PM - San Isabel National Forest
More short hikes for sunset!
Great Sand Dunes at sunset, from afar! Sony A1 ii
Day 5 - Drive to Moab
AM - Rio Grande National Forest
Waterfall hikes, scenic overlooks!
Me standing at a viewpoint looking at a waterfall. Sony A1
Lunch @ Riff Raff Brewing! Fantastic beer.
PM - Arches National Park
Met up with K&C for more star gazing!
The Milky Way rising behind an arch. Sony A7RIII (H-Alpha modded)
Day 6 - Exploring Public Lands
Full Day - Arches National Park
Arches, arches, and more arches! All the arches!
My friends posing for me under an arch. Sony A1 ii
Day 7 - Exploring Public Lands
AM - Island in the Sky District, Canyonlands National Park
Layers of canyons in Canyonlands National Park, partially obscured by wildfire smoke. Sony A1 ii
More arches, massive canyons, strange rocks.
PM - Moab
Explored some BLM lands nearby the city for sunset
The sun setting on a rock feature near Moab. The sky is a strange orange glow from the sunlight diffusing through the wildfire smoke in the air. DJI Air2S
Day 8 - Exploring Public Lands
Full Day - Island in the Sky District, Canyonlands National Park!-
A massive panorama containing myself in Canyonlands. Sony A1 ii
Some light bouldering, scrambling, exploring the canyons, and caught the sunset + some astro at night!
A long exposure image of star trails in Canyonlands national park. Sony A7RIII, Sony A1 ii
Day 9 - Exploring Public Lands
AM - The Needles District, Canyonlands National Park
A massive panorama of The Needles in Canyonlands. Sony A1 ii
Been very smokey and hazy the whole trip due to wildfires, but today was by far the smokiest and haziest.
PM - Arches National Park
A long exposure of star trails in Arches National Park. Sony A7RIII, Sony A1 ii
Saw more arches that we missed earlier, then more stargazing and astro at night
Day 10 - Exploring Public Lands
AM - Dead Horse Point State Park
An incredibly smoky Dead Horse Point. Sony A1
PM - Colorado River, Sand Flats Recreation Area
More exploring BLM lands, then a 4x4 off-roading adventure in UTV’s!
My friends driving and sitting up front while scaling an incredibly steep hill. Sony A1
Day 11 - Drive to Escalante
AM - Exploring Public Lands
Goblin Valley State Park
Toadstool hoodoos in Goblin Valley. Fuji X100VI
Factory Butte
A panoramic drone photo of Factory Butte - DJI Air2S
PM - Capitol Reef National Park
Sunset hikes
Capitol Reef National Park. Fuji X100VI
Day 12 - Exploring Public Lands
AM - Slot Canyons on BLM land!
A Black and white image of a tree branch wedged between the two walls of a very narrow slot canyon
PM - Sunset drive down Hole in the Rock Road (BLM 200)
The sun setting between a set of hoodoos. Sony A1
Day 13 - Drive to Kanab
AM - Scenic Byway 12
Stopped randomly
Strange white rock features. DJI Air 2s
Bryce Canyon National Park
Kodachrome Basin State Park
More strange rock formations out west. DJI Air2s
PM - Kanab
Explored Sand Caves on BLM land. Eroded by wind over millions of years - now vandalised, disrespected, and disregarded by humans.
A photo of a heavily vandalised sand cave near Kanab. Sony A1
Day 14 - Exploring Public Lands
AM - Zion National Park
A panorama of a viewpoint in Zion National Park. Sony A1 ii
Angel’s Landing permits secured!
PM - Bryce Canyon City
K&C’s friend, G, was participating in the Bryce Canyon Rodeo, so we had to stop by!
Our friend, G, riding a bronco. Sony A1 ii
Day 15 - Moab
AM - Exploring Public Lands around Moab!
The entrance to a tunnel, also heavily vandalised by horrible people. Sony A1 ii
Slot Canyons we stumbled upon in BLM land - Sony A1 ii
PM - Zion National Park
Sunset hike with K&C&G
The last of the sunlight in Zion National Park - Sony A1 ii
Day 16 - Drive to Grand Canyon National Park
AM - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Horseshoe bend! Insanely hot. Seriously way too hot. We nearly got heat exhaustion on the 15 minute walk.
Horseshoe Bend - Sony A1
PM - Grand Canyon National Park
Dragon Bravo fire still burning strongly…could see the actual flames actively burning
The Dragon Bravo fire actively burning along the North Rim, Grand Canyon. Sony A1 ii
Day 17 - Drive to Las Vegas
AM - Grand Canyon National Park
Sunrise hike!
The sun rising above the canyons. Fuji X100VI
Went back to hotel to sleep, late check out
PM - Kaibab National Forest, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
A view of Hoover Dam. Fuji X100VI
Lake Powell, Hoover Dam!
Day 18 - Exploring Vegas
AM - explore Vegas
A (left) and me (right) playing a construction simular arcade game in Las Vegas
PM - Get food poisoning and rot in the hotel haha
Day 19 - Home
I get to go on a plane with food poisoning. Luckily, I had a whole row to myself and was near the bathroom.
Made it back in time to snuggle with kitty!
Bingus the cat
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