calicamper
Expedition Leader
Awesome pictures nice job! I read your post the day you put it up showed my wife and told her thats the stuff I want to go see we need to get back into camping and just go do it!
6 days in the desert
- Thread starter hitek79
- Start date
Part 2
So after the quick overnight back in Vegas, I headed back out the following day. I was hoping to hit Stud Horse Point but I decided to check out another spot that was a bit closer on my way to Page. It turned out to be a good decision.
I cruised around for a bit and found a good camping spot, but only after realizing that there is almost no open camping in Arizona as it's all Navajo Indian land. I crossed back in to Utah and camped there for the evening. I woke up the next morning and decided to hit up Horseshoe Bend for sunrise. I've been here a few times before and never hit really good lighting conditions. This trip wasn't all that different. It's still a cool spot to hit up though.
From there I headed off to do a tour at Upper Antelope Canyon. I came here once many years ago, but I was just getting in to photography, so I've always wanted to make it back there. I hit it mid week, and in Feb, so luckily it wasn't all that busy. Apparently it's now the most photographed area in the US, so it gets really crowded. It's easy to see why people want to experience this place though. It is incredible.
If you follow the river south from Horseshoe Bend, the very next bend is equally impressive. I've see some pictures from there, and I thought I had found a road there. I was in search of this on my first trip when I ran in to the locked gate. As I was heading to my sunset area, I found another road that looked like it might get me there. I followed it for a couple of miles and hit my third road block trying to get to this area. Oh well. On to my original spot, which was Stud Horse Point. Really cool hoodoos here. It's a small area, but really unique.
I had a chance to fly my drone around some before sunset got really good, and after sunset as I was walking back to the bus, the sky was still looking pretty interesting so I snapped some pics of it.
My next destination was back in to Utah. It's a place I've been interested in for quite awhile, but it's not easy to get to, so I've never been. It's about a 4 mile drive up a canyon where I camped, but it's a 5 mile hike from there. It's best photographed in the early morning, so that meant I needed to be on the trail by about 5:30am. After I pulled in to the trailhead I jumped out to see the stars and took a quick snap of the bus under the Milky Way.
The next morning I was up early and on my way. I didn't know quite what to expect when I got to the Wahweap Hoodoos, so as a precaution I had my bag loaded up with gear. Luckily the hike was up a massive wash, so there wasn't much elevation gain. There had been some rains earlier in the week, so it was pretty muddy along the way.
The wash I was in was a half mile across at some points.
35 pounds of gear and water.
As the sun started coming up it was pretty easy to see where I was headed. Good thing too, because my brand new GPS was totally locked up and wouldn't move past the start up screen. The Wahweaps are the perfect example of just what is so unique about the Desert Southwest. This wash goes on for miles and miles, and for the most part the canyon walls along each side all look pretty similar. You round a single bend though, and out of nowhere there is something that is totally amazing. There are two coves that have hoodoos. Both are only about 150 yards by 150 yards. It really makes you wonder just how many tiny areas like this exist throughout the entire region.
The other amazing thing about the desert is just how hot it gets really quickly. When I left in the morning it was 35 degrees. By the time I made it back to the bus at 11:00 it was 68, and in the direct sun it was pretty warm. After 10 miles I was ready to get that backpack off. From there I started to make my way back to Vegas. Thanks for taking the time to read all this. I'll work on the video from part two in a few days.
So after the quick overnight back in Vegas, I headed back out the following day. I was hoping to hit Stud Horse Point but I decided to check out another spot that was a bit closer on my way to Page. It turned out to be a good decision.
I cruised around for a bit and found a good camping spot, but only after realizing that there is almost no open camping in Arizona as it's all Navajo Indian land. I crossed back in to Utah and camped there for the evening. I woke up the next morning and decided to hit up Horseshoe Bend for sunrise. I've been here a few times before and never hit really good lighting conditions. This trip wasn't all that different. It's still a cool spot to hit up though.
From there I headed off to do a tour at Upper Antelope Canyon. I came here once many years ago, but I was just getting in to photography, so I've always wanted to make it back there. I hit it mid week, and in Feb, so luckily it wasn't all that busy. Apparently it's now the most photographed area in the US, so it gets really crowded. It's easy to see why people want to experience this place though. It is incredible.
If you follow the river south from Horseshoe Bend, the very next bend is equally impressive. I've see some pictures from there, and I thought I had found a road there. I was in search of this on my first trip when I ran in to the locked gate. As I was heading to my sunset area, I found another road that looked like it might get me there. I followed it for a couple of miles and hit my third road block trying to get to this area. Oh well. On to my original spot, which was Stud Horse Point. Really cool hoodoos here. It's a small area, but really unique.
I had a chance to fly my drone around some before sunset got really good, and after sunset as I was walking back to the bus, the sky was still looking pretty interesting so I snapped some pics of it.
My next destination was back in to Utah. It's a place I've been interested in for quite awhile, but it's not easy to get to, so I've never been. It's about a 4 mile drive up a canyon where I camped, but it's a 5 mile hike from there. It's best photographed in the early morning, so that meant I needed to be on the trail by about 5:30am. After I pulled in to the trailhead I jumped out to see the stars and took a quick snap of the bus under the Milky Way.
The next morning I was up early and on my way. I didn't know quite what to expect when I got to the Wahweap Hoodoos, so as a precaution I had my bag loaded up with gear. Luckily the hike was up a massive wash, so there wasn't much elevation gain. There had been some rains earlier in the week, so it was pretty muddy along the way.
The wash I was in was a half mile across at some points.
35 pounds of gear and water.
As the sun started coming up it was pretty easy to see where I was headed. Good thing too, because my brand new GPS was totally locked up and wouldn't move past the start up screen. The Wahweaps are the perfect example of just what is so unique about the Desert Southwest. This wash goes on for miles and miles, and for the most part the canyon walls along each side all look pretty similar. You round a single bend though, and out of nowhere there is something that is totally amazing. There are two coves that have hoodoos. Both are only about 150 yards by 150 yards. It really makes you wonder just how many tiny areas like this exist throughout the entire region.
The other amazing thing about the desert is just how hot it gets really quickly. When I left in the morning it was 35 degrees. By the time I made it back to the bus at 11:00 it was 68, and in the direct sun it was pretty warm. After 10 miles I was ready to get that backpack off. From there I started to make my way back to Vegas. Thanks for taking the time to read all this. I'll work on the video from part two in a few days.
guidolyons
Addicted to Gear Oil
Wow. wow. wowzers. Awesome trip and even awesome-er pictures. :sombrero:
Glad to see Das Wine Bus getting out for what it was intended for.
Glad to see Das Wine Bus getting out for what it was intended for.
nocensorbo
Observer
im going to be in that whole area on my trip. never been out that way
dieselfuel
Adventurer
Beautiful photos, you really nailed it! That's an area I'd love to go explore someday. I like your bus too. Where in Vegas do you live? I'm in Henderson.
Yuman Desert Rat
Expedition Leader
Thank you for this.... I painfully miss the desert.