( 28th Oct. – 12th Nov 2009 ) The iconic Zion National Park in Southern Utah is regarded by some as the most beautiful place in America. This 100 year old National Park is the jewel in the crown of Southern Utah’s incredible desert landscapes and is home to a diverse collection of geological wonders including the 2200ft Great White Throne, The Towers of the Virgin, Angels Landing, The Watchman and The Checkerboard Mesa just to name a few. With its towering cliffs, deep red walled canyons and intimidating remote slot canyons, the natural masterpiece that is Zion will have you gaping in awe at every turn.
When I first ventured into Zion in the Winter of 2008, I was blown away by the sheer scale and enormity of the canyon walls and imposing massive monoliths that overwhelm you from every angle as you drive along the canyon floor. From that time on I vowed to return time and time again to explore this great place that casts a spiritual and mystical spell like no other place I’ve ever been.
I began my two week photographic expedition leaving the action of Las Vegas for the peace, beauty and tranquility of Bryce Canyon via Zion. Although Las Vegas has its place, a few days too many there drives me up the wall ! I wanted to take the detour through Zion in order to check the progress of the fall color which was due to peak in the next week or two. Approaching from the South-Western side of the park, I was overwhelmed by the Fall colors along the Virgin River amongst the layered bare desert sandstone mountains so common to Utah’s south, and I knew there and then that I’d timed my trip to perfection. A couple of days in Bryce then a whole week booked for Zion to explore, hike and photograph…….Gotta love that !

BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK – I spent two days in Bryce Canyon doing a few hikes and driving all the way to the end of the canyon. I’d been here before in Winter but so much of the park is inaccessible at that time due to snow cover. I did manage to shoot a couple of nice panoramas (‘Good Morning’ & ‘Winter Hoodoo’) last time in between fresh snow falls which was such a memorable shoot. This time I concentrated my time on the areas around ‘ The Silent City ‘ and the sweeping panoramic outlooks of ‘ Inspiration Point ‘ and ‘ Bryce Point ‘. The Silent City are a bizarre horseshoe shaped amphitheatre of eroded rock forms known as ‘ Hoodoos ‘, which in the late afternoon light glow in an amazing transluscent backlit orange hue. Thousands of these Hoodoos grace the canyon floor and are best viewed at sunrise or sunset when the warm light brings them to life. I braved the 20 deg.F (-6C) early morning freeze in order to shoot from Bryce Point although at least this time I wasn’t up to my knees in snow ! I also took the time to hike the Navajo Loop trail as I wanted to see ‘ Wall Street ‘ (below) and the hoodoo known as ‘ Thors Hammer ‘. Wandering at ground level amongst these huge hoodoo’s was a fantastic experience with some of the worlds most weird and wonderful landscapes. The park gets its name from Morman pioneer Ebenezer Bryce who once described the landscape as ” a hell of a place to lose a cow “……………well I’d have to agree with him on that one ! It was good to get back to Bryce and have access to all areas this time, but it was time to head to the lower altitude warmth of Zion for a week of photo heaven.

ZION NATIONAL PARK – I used the first few days in Zion to scout for locations amongst the lower canyon, and I spent a lot of time searching along the banks of the Virgin River with only Mule Deer as my company. I generally felt safe walking alone amongst most of the park although its not recommended, and the chances of a face to face meeting with a Mountain Lion at least in the lower canyon are unlikely. But Mountain Lions are common within the park, and although generally quite reclusive, are still regularly seen on the Upper Plateau and Kolob Canyon sections of Zion. I guess for me part of the attraction of Zion is its mix of danger and beauty, and although I’m no thrillseeker, this place certainly has an addictive intimidation factor. From the moment you first drive into Zion you are mesmorised by its massive scale, yet amongst the most perfect of scenery is a combination of seriously scary cliff edge hiking, constant flash flooding risks in the slot canyons and the ever present unwanted wild animal encounter. But none of this was going to stop me enjoying the park, because my main reason for being here was to capture the raw beauty of Zion, and I wasn’t going to let a few long and difficult hikes get in the way of a great photo opportunity. Nor was I going to miss the chance of traversing some of the most famous and notorious hikes in the American National Park system.
The Virgin Narrows or ‘ The Narrows ‘ as its more commonly known, is a long, strenuous and potentially dangerous slot canyon hike through the Virgin River which winds its way through the middle of Zion National Park. Known as a river hike, around 60% of the 16 mile walk is negotiated through freezing cold water mostly between ankle and waist deep free flowing water. I had this hike in my sights even before I arrived into Zion, as I knew that if I could get some panoramic images from within the narrow walls of the Virgin River, I’d have some unique ultra-wide angle images that not too many have achieved within the confines of The Narrows. I managed to lug the pano camera all the way in despite the logistics of having to fully waterproof my backpack and carry an awkward Tripod and gear etc. All this combined with drypants, neoprene socks, special canyoneering shoes and several layers of warm clothing in order to not get hypothemia in the 50 deg F (10deg C) water. It was certainly all worth the logistical inconvenience as shooting in the serenity and isolation of The Narrows was without question the highlight of my trip and without doubt one of the highlights of my photographic life.