Zion The Beautiful

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Matt Hunt

I woke up well before sunrise in my tent in Page, AZ. Since I was up so early, I thought I’d give it a shot to get some Milky Way photos prior to making the 2-hour drive to Zion National Park. I returned to the Horseshoe Bend area, and just set up quickly in front of some bushes. Since dawn was soon upon me, the sky ended up having a beautiful blue tone to it. It was a decent shot, but unfortunately I didn’t take the time to get the foreground bushes in complete focus. Oh well.

After just a few shots, the sky was getting too bright, so it was time to head on up to Zion! This entire drive is beautiful, and I made a few stops along the way to take pictures on the side of the road. I arrived at Zion a little after 8am, and got my bag together in preparation to make the Angels Landing hike!

During the warmer months (I was there in April), public vehicles are not allowed to drive through the canyon, so you must park at the Visitors Center and ride the shuttle. They come by often, so there’s not a lot of waiting around. I got on the shuttle and was on my way.

It was actually a pretty chilly morning, but as I started my hike, I quickly began shedding layers. Even with the fairly gradual slope at the beginning, I had a big bag with my camera, a couple lenses, tripod, water bottles, and some snacks on my back, so it wasn’t long until I was in a t-shirt and shorts.

The hike is pretty strenuous, especially when you reach Walter’s Wiggles, a series of 20 switchbacks with a steep incline. When you get to the last 1/2 mile or so, it goes from a hike, to basically a climb. There are several ledges in this section that do not have a ton of room, and are situated on the edge of a 1,200 ft drop to the canyon floor below! In fact, six people have fallen to their deaths on this hike since 2004, according to the sign at the base of the trail. There are chains bolted to the rock in these locations for hikers to hold onto, just in case. Don’t let this scare you away from this hike, however, as there is still plenty of room to get by without being too close to the edge. You should not be completing this hike in running shoes, though. Get some real hiking shoes/boots. You’ll be thankful for the extra traction. On the way back down, the girl in front of me was slipping and sliding all over the place, while I never had an issue.

Anyway, the climbing part isn’t that strenuous, because you’ll be taking frequent breaks to wait on others to come down, or on others in front you to get up. Once you reach the top, you’re treated to the most incredible viewpoint ever!

I spent a great deal of time just sitting at the top of Angels Landing, taking in the view. I was grateful in that moment, just to be there. Life doesn’t always give you what you want. I always wanted to be married with kids by age 34. However, if that were the case, I probably wouldn’t have been there, in that moment. So there are advantages to any situation. I still hope to have a wife and kids someday, but in the meantime, I’ll continue to cherish the opportunity to go on adventures like this!

Going down was much easier than coming up! That’s an understatement! Once I got back down to the valley, I looked back up at where I had been. I had to take a picture of that! It was crazy to see just how far I had climbed!

At that point, I was starving, so it was time for my first real meal of the day! In hindsight, I should have stopped for a big breakfast prior to that hike, but it’s whatever! I went into Springdale, and with the help of Yelp, found a place called Whiptail Grill. I chowed down on some chips & salsa and carne asada tacos, and washed that down with a Corona! It was perfect! I can highly recommend this place, and in fact I plan on going back when I’m in Zion again next week!

After getting my campsite set up, organizing my car a bit, and taking a shower, it was just about time for sunset. While on the shuttle bus, the driver mentioned that the Watchman at sunset, photographed from one of the bridges, was a popular spot for photographers. Alright, I’m game.

There I got to talking with a nice photographer from California. We shared some of our favorite images with each other. He had an amazing photo from a lake out in California! It was fun chatting while I let my camera snap away on interval shooting.

I wasn’t done yet. After sunset I went up to the Canyon Overlook, as I knew the moon would be out, and thought it may light up the canyon. Yes, it was a little eerie hiking out there in the dark! I hadn’t actually been there yet, so I was completing that short 0.5 mile hike for the first time! I was also the only one up there, which I found a little hard to believe! Why were all the other photographers going to bed? They were missing some great shots!

Nope, I STILL wasn’t done! I stopped on the side of the road (the one you see there where the light trails are) and continued to shoot in the dark. After a few minutes, a truck pulled up and the guy asked if I was getting any good shots. I told him I was getting some great shots! He asked if I’d mind if he tried, too. Of course not! Well he only had an iPhone, so he wasn’t able to do what I could with my Nikon, but nonetheless, here was another cool person I chatted with. His name was Cody, he was originally from North Carolina. He had spent the winter working at a ski resort near Salt Lake City, I believe he said. He had just arrived at the park, and didn’t even have any reservations! He did have a camper that he had built on the back of his truck, so he really just needed a place to park, but still. I love that, though. I love that sense of adventure, and spontaneity! We talked for quite some time, and he even tried to convince me to go on a night hike with him. I passed in lieu of sleep, and then he said something that has stuck with me, “you won’t be telling your grand kids stories about sleeping.” Touche, Cody.

I still went back to get a little bit of sleep, but it wasn’t long before I was up again.

I knew that the moon would set well before sunrise, making the Milky Way visible. Once again, I was up before any signs of daylight, packed up my campsite, and went out to shoot some more!

I went to the parking lot of the museum to get a shot of the Milky Way above the Watchman. Unfortunately, there were a few thin clouds in the sky, but I just kept shooting and shooting hoping they would clear enough for a good shot. It was cool, and WINDY that morning! Once again, pretty eerie being out there by myself. I had a headlamp around my head, and my flashlight in my pocket. I kept my head on a swivel, looking around for other vehicles, or anything else out of the ordinary. Then I heard a rustle in the bushes. I quickly turned my headlamp on and looked that way, but didn’t see anything. There are mountain lions in this park, you know. So then I got my flashlight out of my pocket and shined it in the direction of the noise. Ah, there was something heading this way! I couldn’t tell what it was at first, then it got closer and became clearer. A raccoon! They can be mean, and have rabies! The hairs were standing up on my neck, and I was preparing to do my best Pat McAfee impression and unleash the boomstick on this dude! Luckily, he thought better of it, and turned around and ran the other way. Whew!

So yeah, here was the shot I got out of all that!

After that I got in my car to warm up and avoid anymore wildlife run-ins while waiting for the sun to come up. Another popular shot here is first light hitting the Patriarch’s, which were right behind me, so no need to go anywhere!

This time there were a couple other photographers out, completely unaware of the Milky Way shot they had just missed!

The sun was blocked by many clouds that morning, and there was just a narrow window of opportunity with at least some visible light on top of the cliffs, but nonetheless, I made it work out okay!

After that I went back to the Canyon Overlook for a daytime shot.

Then I traveled back through the eastern part of the park, which is also beautiful, on my way out to Monument Valley!

Zion just might be my favorite place I’ve ever been! I know this is a place I can come back to and spend a week, and never run out of trails to hike, or pictures to take. If you’ve never been, I would definitely recommend putting it on your list! I’ll be back next week to hike the Narrows, and probably Observation Point!

Horseshoe Bend

Posted on July 17, 2016 by Matt Hunt

An epic day that included the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon ended at another amazing place called Horseshoe Bend. This is one of the most photographed landmarks in the country, but of course I had to get my OWN photo of this iconic bend in the Colorado River at sunset!

It is not difficult to get to. The hike is only 3/4 miles from the parking area. The Colorado River is 1,000 feet below the cliff where numerous tourists gather to enjoy the view. There are no railings or official viewpoints. I found a great rock and sat there for quite a while taking it all in.

Pictures don’t give you a good idea of the scale of this place. It requires a wide-angle lens to fit it all into one picture. I know I say this all the time, but you really do have to go and see this place with your own two eyes to really appreciate it!

While I sat there, I met several interesting people. There was a guy from Slovakia, now residing in California, who was retired and now doing a lot of traveling. He was shooting with a Nikon D810 and 14-24mm lens, which I was jealous of! He talked about a lot of his buddies, and it sounded like he ran with a very active, athletic crowd. He told me about friends who ran races, and went canyoneering. Very nice guy.

There was another guy shooting with a D7100 that I actually let borrow my Tokina 11-16 so that he could get the whole canyon in one photo. He was there with his wife, who kept getting onto him about being too close to the edge! Cute old couple!

On the other side of that couple sat a young woman from New Zealand who had quit her job and was traveling around the world! That’s something I dream of doing, so I was a bit jealous, but also admired her for being so bold. She was traveling alone! I actually ended up running into her again a couple days later at Monument Valley!

Finally there was a young couple from Houston, who were actually staying in Hurricane, UT near Zion National Park, but had made the drive down to check out this place. Neither of them had a camera, but they had lens attachments for their phones. He was asking me about my camera, how much they cost, etc. I enjoyed chatting with them as we watched the sun duck below the horizon. It seems as though you just don’t meet bad people at places like this!

Even though I was bracketing my shots, they all turned out darker than I thought they would be judging by the histogram. Nonetheless, I was able to put together this HDR shot in Lightroom, and it turned out pretty good!

In The Slot

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Matt Hunt

I arrived an hour early to my Antelope Canyon photo tour as a result of the confusing time zones in this area! Arizona and Utah are in different time zones, and cell phones and GPS units have a difficult time getting it right if you’re near the border!

I wasn’t the only one to make this mistake, so at least I had another photographer, John, to chat with while waiting. He was from Washington state, and made the drive out to Page from Las Vegas, where his wife was attending a conference. Really nice guy!

I was a bit concerned about some pop-up thunderstorms that could be seen in the surrounding areas, but luckily that was never an issue, as the sun continued to shine over Page for the entire duration of the tour.

It’s not a very long drive from Page out to the canyon. Our guide wasn’t wasting any time, as he went flying down the dirt and sand to the entrance to the canyon. A bit of a bumpy ride, but we got there quickly!

He informed us that we’d be starting the tour by chasing the light beams throughout the canyon, and that it would be very fast, then we’d slow down and go back through the canyon. He told us to have our cameras ready to go, and not to really worry too much about settings, just get the shot!

This was the first shot we got upon entering the canyon:

Despite how it may look, this canyon was PACKED with tour groups! Our photography tour group was small, 6 people plus our guide. Some of the general tours had 20 or so people in them. And there are several different tour groups in the area. There had to have been a couple hundred people total in that canyon. Luckily our guide was very good at being just plain bossy and telling people in the other tours to move, or wait for us to get the shot!

We made several stops through the canyon to get shots of numerous light beams. Some of them we watched dissolve as we shot them. Timing is everything, and I was thankful our guide knew exactly when to be where in order to get these shots!

Once we had made it through the canyon in that fast & furious rush to get these light beam shots, we slowed down and chased the different lighting in the various “rooms” of the canyon as the sun moved along in the sky above.

I think that’s about all that needs to be said, so enough talking, here are a ton of shots I took on the tour!

If you have a DSLR, I highly recommend doing the photography tour over the general tour. The general tour is cheaper, but you won’t get the same clear, people free shots that you’ll get on the photography tour. If you do not have a DSLR and tripod (a tripod is necessary, the light is low, and long exposures are needed), then you’ll have to do the general tour. That is their rule, and rightfully so.

The Grand Canyon

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Matt Hunt

Tuesday April 12, 2016. This was a significant day. Not just because I had three stops (Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend), but because on this day 23 years prior my father passed away from cancer. It’s hard to believe it has been that long.

I got an early start out of Flagstaff, because I wanted to be at the Grand Canyon by sunrise. I didn’t have much time, since I needed to be in Page for my Antelope Canyon tour by 11 am. More on that later…

It was freezing that morning. Literally freezing. The temperature was 32 degrees when I woke up in Flagstaff. That scent of the Ponderosa Pine was in the air as I loaded my bags back into my car and hit the road. It was an easy drive through mostly flat grasslands, and more Ponderosa Pine forests, which became more prominent as I approached the park.

While cruising along, I saw something unexpected. There was a bull elk, grazing right along the side of the road! I had to stop and take pictures, of course! I quickly put my telephoto lens on and went to work.

Gosh, what a beautiful animal. There were actually two of them, but this one was closer to the road. The other one was further back into the woods, and I couldn’t get a clear shot. I snapped a lot of pictures, and also spent some time just admiring this majestic creature. I only wish they had their full antlers!

As they both ventured further into the woods, I decided to move along, but I didn’t get very far before spotting another elk on the other side of the road! I pulled over and snapped some more photos!

By this time the sun was already rising, so I continued into the park. I didn’t have to pay, because I had my America The Beautiful Pass! If you’re planning on visiting 3 or more National Parks in a year, this pass will pay for itself. I was doing just that on this trip alone, and planning two more trips this year that will take me through another half a dozen or so parks, so this pass is more than worth it to me!

So I got into the park and headed out to the overlook, where I was greeted by the first light hitting the cliffs on the west end of the canyon.

Oh. My. Gosh. I was absolutely floored by the sight of this place! Of course I had seen plenty of pictures, but seeing it in person was something else. I immediately realized that no picture could ever do this place justice. It is simply stunning. It is massive. It makes you feel small, as well as grateful to live on such a beautiful planet!

I spent some time walking along the trail on the canyon rim, just looking for good spots to stop and take photos. I was looking for any kind of foreground interest to add to all of that wide open space on the horizon.

While I wasn’t doing anything as risky as I saw others doing, I did get out on some ledges. You feel more alive when you are closer to death! There are no railings along this trail, and one wrong step would be the end of your story with such a steep, and long drop to the canyon floor below.

That picture describes my feeling perfectly. How can you not love it? How can you not look out over this massive canyon and feel like the world is yours? The world is yours… to explore! Why would you ever want to just stay in the same place forever with all of this beauty out there?

After the above picture I decided it was time to move along to another lookout point. When I got to my car I punched in the address in Page that I was heading to (where I needed to be by 11 am, remember?), and it said my arrival time would be… 11:02 am! Oh no! I had to go!

If you know anything about time zones, you know that Arizona has its own time zone. They do not participate in daylight savings time. Utah is on a different time than Arizona, even though it’s in the same latitude. Page is just south of the state line, very close to Utah. So when I got to the Antelope Canyon tour place, the lady said she’d go ahead and check me in, but it was only 10 am. Oh no! I could have spent another hour at the Grand Canyon!

That was my biggest regret that morning. So if you’re going to be in this area, and you’re going to be doing things that require punctuality, make sure you know before you go about the time zones, and don’t rely on your phone or GPS to give you an accurate time!

I guess that just means I’ll have to go back to the Grand Canyon again! Really, I would recommend you spend far more than an hour there when you go. I would at least dedicate a whole day, so that you can see the sunrise and the sunset.

Red Rocks Rock!

Posted on May 7, 2016 by Matt Hunt

What can I say about Sedona? It is truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. It’s a photographer’s dream. It’s a spiritual haven… apparently. It’s a hiker or mountain biker’s paradise. It’s a great place for a vacation. While I only spent a day here, I could easily have spent a week.

It was a jam-packed day for me, which started with a hike to Bell Rock. This hike was a bit longer than I expected, but had some pretty good views from an elevated spot of the rock, though I think the rock itself was pretty spectacular, too!

By the time I got back off of that trail, it was time for lunch. I stopped at a great little place called the Red Rock Cafe where I had a wonderful chicken melt sandwich, sweet potato fries, and key lime pie! I didn’t feel guilty at all about that meal, because I had just come back from a long hike, and was about to go on another! I can’t speak for any other restaurants in the area, since this was the only one I went to, but I can highly recommend Red Rock Cafe! They seem to be very popular for breakfast, and I was very close to getting breakfast for lunch!

After lunch I headed to the Airport Vortex. There’s some kind of special metaphysical energy you’re supposed to feel at this spot. I guess I’m not into that sort of thing… I didn’t feel any different! It does have fantastic views, however! It’s a very short hike up from the parking area, so this is a good place for everyone to go and experience.

I sat up there for a while, just taking it all in. Not that I had time to explore the whole town, but I’d have to say this is the spot for the best views. Considering how quick and easy it is to get to, it’s a must stop if you’re in Sedona!

Next up was my favorite part of Sedona… the hike to Devil’s Bridge! If you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle with a high clearance, or you rent one, this hike is considerably shorter. If not, you’ll have to park an extra mile and a half or so from the trailhead. This would not have been that difficult of a hike, but after climbing Camelback Mountain in Phoenix the day before, and hiking Bell Rock earlier in the day, my feet were downright killing me by the end of this one! It felt like I’d get one big blister on the ball of each foot! So unless you’re in the same boat, this one isn’t too bad. There is a pretty steep climb to get up to Devil’s Bridge, but anyone in moderately decent shape should be able to handle it without issues.

The view is, of course, amazing. From this location you cannot see any houses or other buildings, it’s just those beautiful red rocks, shrubs, and trees! The above picture is a wide angle shot, and doesn’t really do the drop-off justice. If you fall from the top of Devil’s Bridge, you probably won’t survive. However, it is not as sketchy as it looks from this angle. It’s actually very wide, even at its most narrow point, where I’m standing. You’ll have to wait your turn to get a picture alone, hopefully not as long as I had to wait for this group that sat out there forever taking selfie after selfie after selfie! Annoying.

After that, it was about time to start thinking about getting the shot I really came here to get; Cathedral Rock at sunset! Unfortunately on this day, the clouds had other plans. I also had a difficult time finding the spot I wanted to shoot from. It is actually called “Secret Slickrock Trail”. There is no official parking area for the trailhead, you just have to park along the side of the gravel road. But in my opinion, this is the best viewpoint of Cathedral Rock, and not quite as over-shot as the Crescent Moon area below this slick rock.

At least there was some water in that pool, but I was definitely hoping for more sunlight on the rock. Thin high clouds were muting the sun quite a bit, so this was about the best I could do. I’m still happy how it turned out, though!

I left that spot before sunset, and debated on where to go from there, thinking there was a chance for a good sunset. I decided to head back to the Airport Vortex, and right as I arrived, the spectacular sunset was taking place! Unfortunately it was packed! I could not find a place to park! I finally parked in a little gap on the end that was actually a parking spot, but my car fit! I had to run to a little ledge above the road, as I didn’t have time to get to the top of the Vortex.

That ended up being a great way to end the day in Sedona! Accommodations in Sedona itself are quite pricey, so I had reserved a room about 45 minutes to the north in Flagstaff. It’s a windy road with a big elevation climb once you leave Sedona, and suddenly you go from the Red Rock desert, to a pine forest! There was also quite a temperature change!

As I was making this drive, I looked up and saw that the stars looked brilliant in the breaks between the clouds, and I envisioned how great that would look in a picture above the tall pines, so I found a spot to stop along the side of the road! Sometimes these impromptu shots end up being my favorite shots, and this one was no exception!

The orange glow on the bottom right is a result of the city lights of Flagstaff. The trees at this spot weren’t perfect, but for a shot that was completely unplanned, I’ll take it! There was also quite the change in temperature at this higher elevation, and I had to get my winter coat out to shoot from here!

Those Ponderosa pine trees had a very unique aroma. I can’t really describe it. They did not smell like what you think of as a traditional pine. It was not bad, by any means. I actually liked it! Some say it smells like vanilla, but I didn’t think so. I wonder if the people living in Flagstaff even notice it, or if their olfactory centers have gotten used to it, and they smell nothing? It’s probably the latter, but for an out-of-towner, it was a lovely welcome to town!

Sedona is definitely a place I want to go back to and spend more time. I’d love to get some sunrise shots, and some better sunset shots as well, particularly at Cathedral Rock. If you have never been, I highly recommend it! You will not be disappointed! As always, pictures do not do it justice, you’ll have to go see it with your own eyes!

The Valley of the Sun

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Matt Hunt

Since I was not able to camp at White Sands, and started the morning an hour further west, I had a little more time than I had expected on day 2 of my road trip. Heading into this day, stopping at Saguaro National Park in Tucson, AZ was a possibility, but now it was certain!

I was very excited to cross the state line into Arizona. It’s a state I had been wanting to visit for such a long time, and I was finally there! What beauty there was for my eyes to behold. All of the various plants lining the desert floor, while the mountains overlooked them. These are the kind of mountains I like. The rest of the land around them is perfectly flat!

Saguaro National Park is actually split into two separate sections; the Tucson Mountain District to the west, and the Rincon Mountain District to the east. I only stopped at the latter, and went around the loop drive, which was about 8 miles total.

Despite this being one of the hottest and driest deserts in all of North America, there is quite a variety of plant and animal life here, and I was able to sample a good bit of it all!

Of course this park is named after the most recognizable cactus of them all, the Saguaro. These cacti are exclusive to the Sonoran Desert, and symbolic of southern Arizona. They can live for up to 200 years, and grow to be 60 feet tall. When fully hydrated, they can weigh over 4,000 pounds! The blooms of the Saguaro represent the Arizona state flower.

I was also lucky enough to get to see some animal life while in the park! I ran into these two right on the road! A rattlesnake and a Gila monster!

Maybe I’m a little crazy, but I had been hoping to see a rattlesnake! I was definitely watching my step everywhere I went, because I don’t want to invade their space, but I did want to see one with my own eyes, as well as get a photo. I think they are beautiful creatures! How lucky was I to be able to do just that in one single trip around the loop drive?!

After leaving the park and picking up some tacos for lunch, it was on to Phoenix! I just had a couple of goals for my visit to Phoenix; hike Camelback Mountain, and get a good skyline shot.

It was raining when I arrived in Phoenix. What kind of luck is that? How many days a year does it rain in Phoenix, like three?! I was watching the radar closely, as well as noting the clearing visible to the west. The rain did let up by late afternoon, so off I went to Camelback!

Temperatures were only in the 60’s, yet I was still sweating like crazy on this hike, or climb, as it would be better described! There are two options to get to the summit; the Cholla Trail, and the Echo Canyon Trail. I took the Echo Canyon Trail, which is 1.23 miles in length, with a 1,280 ft elevation climb. The summit of Camelback is 2,704 ft above sea level. If you ever plan on doing this hike, bring plenty of water! I only had one bottle, and downed the whole thing before reaching the peak, and it was a cool evening! I can’t imagine doing this in the typical desert heat!

The views from the top are fantastic, of course.

Since they ticket anyone in the parking lot after dusk, I had to get down and go elsewhere for my skyline shot. Luckily I had spoken to a park employee before the hike and found out that the Piestewa Peak Park, not too far away, stayed open until 11 pm. So that is where I went to get my skyline shots. I didn’t actually climb to the peak, as that was about the same climb as Camelback. Instead I formed my own trail in a way, and went to a smaller peak to the south, where I was able to capture the skyline.

Conditions weren’t perfect for the shot I really wanted, but since it was my only night in Phoenix, it would have to do! It was certainly better than nothing. The Phoenix skyline itself is not anything spectacular, but the mountains in the background make it special! Blue hour from that spot was pretty cool, too!

I did have one more shot I wanted to get in the Phoenix area before leaving, and I pursued that the following morning. I wanted to get a good shot of the jumping cholla cactus with the backlit sun at sunrise!

For this shot I went to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Gateway Trailhead in North Scottsdale. I had scouted out this location the day before. The only downside to this spot is that McDowell Mountain blocked the very early morning sun, so by the time the sun peaked over the mountain top, it was a bit more intense, and not quite as golden in color. Still, the shot turned out okay!

The jumping cholla is an interesting cactus, and probably my favorite one! It is covered in spines, which feature tiny barbs, helping them stick to anything they touch! You have to be extra careful around these cacti. The branches are segmented, allowing smaller sections to break off. This is how the seeds are spread, and why you typically see these cacti in groups that are close together. In the picture below, you can see all of the little segments littering the ground around the cactus!

What a cool plant! I really enjoyed the Phoenix area. It is beautiful, of course, and features a wide array of outdoor activities and life. If I lived there, I’d hike Camelback a few times a week for a cardio workout! I hope to visit again some day and stay longer, but if I don’t get the chance to, I’m glad I can say that I conquered Camelback Mountain!

White Sands New Mexico

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Matt Hunt

When I crossed the state line from Texas into New Mexico, that marked the 30th state in the USA that I have visited. Only 20 left to go, and I’d add two more in the coming days! My destination in “The Land of Enchantment” was the White Sands National Monument. It’s a beautiful place if simplicity is your thing. Bright white sand dunes, with the backdrop of the San Andres Mountains to the west, and the Lincoln National Forest to the east. The monument sits just to the west of Holloman Air Force Base, and south of a missile testing range, which results in closures of the park.

I lucked out, because the previous three nights the park was closed to back country camping. I had planned on camping in the dunes, as that is the only way to shoot the sunrise in the park. The gates did not open until 8:00 am, and sunrise was about 30 minutes prior to that.

I hit a snag when I arrived and the back country camping permits were sold out! They only have 10 campsites available, so if you plan on camping in the park, my best advice is to get there early! It is first come, first serve. They do not take reservations.

Be sure to bring your sunscreen, as the sun is bright and in abundance out here! The high that day was only in the low 70’s, but it sure did feel much warmer than that. I suggest not walking very far barefoot. While the sand is pretty soft in some spots, these dunes don’t get a ton of foot traffic, and as a result the sand has settled pretty well, and is relatively hard-packed. Walking a good distance barefoot is a good way to pick up a few blisters!

Even without a lot of subjects, with some creativity, the picture opportunities are endless. I knew I wanted to get a few shots of myself with nothing but the sand and the sky. My main subject for the evening, however, was the Yucca plant. There are quite a few of them out here.

There are actually 40-50 different species of Yucca, so don’t ask me exactly which one these are! I noticed that most of them grow in the valleys of the dunes, making it difficult for me to find the shot I really wanted with a Yucca in the foreground, and the San Andres Mountains in the background.

I spent at least a couple hours trying to find the perfect subject, parking in several spots and walking a great distance. Since I did not have my back country camping permit, I needed to be out of the park by 8:00 pm, so I didn’t want to be too far away from my car. I finally did find my subject with a couple hours to spare until sunset.

If taking photos is not your thing, or you have kids that you want to keep entertained while here, a popular activity is sledding on the sand dunes! They sell sleds at the visitor’s center. That, to me, sounds much better than sledding in the cold, wet snow!

As the last bit of sunlight gently kissed the white sand, turning it orange and pink, I was finally able to capture my shot!

This shot had everything I wanted: a Yucca in the foreground, the ripples in the sand illuminated by the last bit of sunlight, and the mountains in the background. Perfect!

After the sun goes down is one of my favorite times, as the sky gets a band of pink/orange to the east. At this point I was literally running from one Yucca plant to the next and snapping photos, as I was running out of time before I needed to get out of there!

It was unfortunate that I missed getting a sunrise shot in the park the next morning, as the sunrise was truly brilliant! I had spent the night in Las Cruces, almost an hour to the west, and as I was leaving, I noticed the high clouds in the sky. I had to stop and get a shot of the sunrise over the town, with the backdrop of those same San Andres Mountains, this time off to the east.

The sky definitely cooperated with me on this morning! It was a wonderful start to the day, and while I was wishing I would have been in the dunes for this moment, having those mountains as my foreground was not a bad consolation.

I hope you enjoy these photos! I’m thinking that at least one of them will be printed and hanging on a wall somewhere in the near future!

Texas Wildflowers

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Matt Hunt

It’s spring in Texas, which means it’s wildflower time! The Texas bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) is the official state flower, and while you may find a few in Oklahoma, Louisiana or Florida, it’s primarily a Texas thing! I had originally planned on traveling to Ennis this past weekend, where there are large fields full of bluebonnets, but reports from the area stated they are not in full bloom. In fact, it may be an off year for the Ennis fields. Thankfully, the bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, and other wildflowers were in full bloom in the Texas Hill Country, especially in and around Llano, TX.

Patches of various wildflowers were on display along the side of the road from Dallas all the way to Llano. The fields became truly brilliant near Baby Head Cemetery.

I continued south on SH 16 and out RR 965 to Enchanted Rock where I was planning on hiking to the top. Unfortunately the park was closed when I arrived, and while it appeared to be temporary, there was already a long line of cars along the side of the road waiting for them to re-open, so I decided to skip that. There were several more thick beds of bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes along the sides of RR 965, which is where I got this close-up view of the Indian paintbrush with the bluebonnets behind it.

After that I continued south on SH 16 to the Willow City Loop. This is a scenic loop with a lot of wildflowers, prickly pear cactus, oak trees, and the rolling hills that make this part of Texas so beautiful! The Willow City Loop is also home to the famous “boot fence” where each fence post is adorned with a cowboy boot.

Cowboy boots and bluebonnets… the only thing missing is a longhorn, and that’s about as Texas as you can get!

I took some photos at the railroad tracks near Buchanan Dam, but they did not turn out well due to the angle of the sun at that time of day. I should have been at that location much earlier in the day.

As sunset approached, I ventured back to the area around Baby Head Cemetery, as these were the best looking fields, with both sides of the road covered in a sea of red & blue.

On the drive back up to DFW, I just happened to look out my window from the rural pavement of FM 2005 somewhere northeast of Goldthwaite, and noticed how brilliant the stars looked! I had to find a place to stop and get some pictures! After several failed attempts, missing side roads and driveways until I was past them, I finally decided to let the car behind me go in front, slowed down, and found a good spot. I didn’t even realize I had stopped in a perfect location with some trees (bur oak, maybe?) on the other side of the road. It was a perfect opportunity to do some light painting with my new flashlight that I got for just that purpose! It turned out great!

Prior to leaving that area, I had one more idea! While the image above was shot at ISO 1600 (f/2.8, 20 secs), for the one below I wanted to capture a more realistic view of what could be seen with the naked eye out there. I used the same settings, but turned the ISO down to 250. This is still a little more than what I could pick up with my own eyes, but it’s not too far off! It’s also a perfect display of what I love about having a sunroof!

I hope you enjoy looking at these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!