American Southwest Landscape Photography:

Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah in 2.5 weeks

In mid February 2022 I had 2.5 weeks to go somewhere and take pictures. I chose to drive through the American southwest; Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. The choice was simple; it’s where I could leave directly from my house, drive in a loop full of amazing spots, and make it back home in time without spending a fortune on travel.

I realized that trips like this have become normal fare for me because I do live out west where I can just take off in my truck. But the places that I saw are world-class destinations on most photographers’ bucket lists. I still remember the euphoria that I felt as a young buck seeing the west for the first time. Being cognizant of that made me thankful for being able to see these places. I got to see a few new places, which gave me that old taste of euphoria.

This trip was physically and creatively challenging in the way that makes one evolve. The freedom of living out of my truck on the open road with my backpack and camera was the perfect reset for my soul. Mid February isn’t normally an ideal season to photograph. While it wasn’t bad in snow-covered Colorado, it was pretty bare elsewhere in the southwest without foliage, snow or clouds. But austere conditions make one’s creativity build its muscles.

Stop 1. Isak Heartstone the Breckenridge Troll

On my way to Crested Butte I finally had a chance to visit Isak Heartston in Breckenridge.  After a short stroll through the forest I saw this giant character smiling at me through the trees. It made me feel like a kid. Isak rises to about 50 ft. tall when he awakens at night and roams the forest. Serendipitously, I arrived just when the sun was diffracting through the branches to form a beautiful sun-star in the frame.

Stop 2. Crested Butte, Colorado

I was in CB for one night and a sunrise. In Winter, impassable snow closes all of the classic photography roads in the area, e.g. Kebler Pass, Washignton Gulch and Gothic roads. This leaves the city lights of Crested Butte itself with Mt. Crested Butte in the background as the subject. Having just a single night to shoot CB from various angles made for a cold, fun and intense evening. Each vantage point took a bit of post-holing through knee-deep snow to get above town.

The low temperature at night was -14° F, but it rose to 0° F by mid afternoon. That’s hot if you’re a Penguin. I slept comfortably in the topper of my truck inside my burly -35° sleeping bag. I built a DIY tent heater out of candles, metal hardware and flower pots, but it had absolutely no effect. It was much more challenging keeping my toes and fingers warm during the day while shooting. In cold like this you have to snuggle inside your sleeping bag with everything that can’t be allowed to freeze. That included my contact lenses/solution, phone and camera batteries. My 8-gallon water jug froze solid and my camp stove didn’t work the next morning.

I woke before sunrise to around Crested Butte, but with clear skies, didn’t get any shots that I liked so I drove along the Taylor River. With the frosted trees and steam rising off the water, the scenes along the river strongly conveyed the bitter cold. I left the Crested Butte area by late morning destined for the San Juan Mountains.

Stop 3. Ridgway/Ouray, Colorado

From CB I arrived in the San Juan Mountains by late afternoon. I tried to shoot sunset in Ridgway, but without clouds couldn’t top what was already in my portfolio. Clear skies may suck for sunset, but they’re what you need for astrophotography. I headed south to Ouray to shoot 90 minute star trails over the city lights. I spent another cozy night in my truck, but tonight it was an easy 0°.

Stop 4. Bisti Badlands, New Mexico

Bisti is an epic playground for photographers(and rockhounds, geologists and paleontologists alike). It’s a 45,000 acre mudstone wash filled with odd hoodoos and balanced rocks. The fun for photographers is discovering the abstract shapes and textures in all directions as you aimlessly wander.

I only had one sunset and sunrise here. That wasn’t nearly enough time to successfully scout and shoot. As a result, I squandered both golden hours by frantically trying to shoot everything and capturing nothing.  Good thing I already covered this spot a while back. At dusk I set out to repent for my folly by methodically seeking out a stunning foreground to photograph star trails later in the night.

I managed to find a bizarre amalgamation of hoodoo spires and buttes that made for an eerie sci-fi setting, fitting of the cosmic theme. I shot a 30 minute of star trail with a bright half-moon to illuminate the foreground. Photographing towards the east yields interesting star trails that diverge into opposite directions down the center of the frame. Tonight was much warmer in the low 20’s.

Stop 5. Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Never have I so underestimated a place only to be proven wrong. I arrived disappointed to discover that PFNP is a drive-through park with just some short nature walks. Even more disappointing, the seasonal hours were 8 AM to 5 PM, ruling out shooting dusk and dawn. Thinking that I should have kept driving, I nonetheless stopped to walk some paved nature trails. I guess you can’t really call walking on a paved trail “hiking”.

Immediately my interest was piqued by the countless petrified trunks that once stood as a lush forest strewn across this now barren desert.  I couldn’t wait to research how petrified wood forms, gets covered, and then exposed again in perfect form. Though the Park narrative describes a process of millions of years, I noticed a pattern of a resent cataclysmic erosion throughout the Southwest from which the landscape is still scarred and recovering.  Emerging information both old and new seems to support this (Younger Dryas Impact, Ice Age Floods, Genesis).

Just as my exploration was gaining momentum, 5:00 came and I had to leave before rangers rushed me out of the park. The next morning at 8:00 I was the first one at the park gates. I chose to explore a nature path that was only a 1 mile loop, and ended up spending  4 hours being drawn to interesting artifacts. I could’ve photographed forever, but had to drive on. The park was mine for this Monday morning without another soul on the path. What looks like brown soil in the distance is actually a substrate of petrified wood shards.

Outside the park I passed though Holbrook, AZ.  Here, stump dealers stored vast “lumber” yards of petrified wood that was plucked from nature and destined to become lawn art. This made me realized the importance of PFNP and its recent expansion. Later during this trip I stopped at Escalante Petrified Forest State Park in Utah. It’s tiny compared to PFNP, and most of the wood had long been pilfered.

Stop 6: Secret Spot, Arizona

Somewhere in Arizona I stumbled upon one of the few spectacular natural areas in America that’s still relatively unknown, where you can still take original shots. I was tempted to not even post these pictures, but what would be the point of taking them if they just sat in storage? It was the most bizarre expanse of spectacular eroded rock formations I’ve ever seen, and the most exhilarating “wander aimlessly” session that I’ve had.

Stop 7: Sedona, Arizona

I have a love/hate relationship with Sedona, as I’m sure many folks do. The massive crowds (even in Winter), limited parking, and gated trailheads with limited hours make access extremely difficult. Capturing good photos in Sedona requires planning, compromising, luck, and accepting failure. This of course is because Sedona has such a wonderful climate and so many ethereal views that are reached by easy hikes. Personally, I’m infatuated with the Agave plant, which is an otherworldly fixture in the Sedona landscape.  I’m willing to deal with Sedona’s fuss to photograph beautiful Agave in situ.

By day it was in the 60’s in Sedona. I had to dig out my warm weather after coming from sub-zero temps a few days ago. It was plenty warm for outside showers.  I travel with a 5 gallon solar shower.  When it’s time to wash, I find a discrete dirt road, usually in a National Forest, and hang my shower from a tree (or throw it on top of my truck if there are no trees). The trick is that I don’t actually heat the water up with the sun. Instead I fill it up with hot water at a gas station after tanking up and buying some licorice.

 

Stop 8: Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah

This vast area is larger than the state of Delaware.  I explored a quiet valley for a mere half day. Grand Staircase epitomizes the bizarre brand of beauty that Utah is so good at serving up. GSENM was a gorgeous wasteland of perplexingly beautiful red, pink, purple and white striations laid down and then eroded away. I was the only person in this remote branch of the monument.

Stop 9: Zion National Park

My visit to Zion was a good recon, but unsuccessful as a photo trip. Winter isn’t a good time for Zion photography unless there’s fresh snow. Cottonwoods are such a prominent part of so many compositions that you have to come when they’re in foliage. Otherwise, drab tree skeletons dominate the picture. My visit here inevitably fell on a weekend. It got so crowded that they closed sections of the park where I wanted to hike.

Stop 10: Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Bryce Canyon was an epic photography experience because there were fantastic light and clouds for the brief evening and morning that I was here. There was even remnant snow for a nice accent.  My favorite part was hiking from the rim down into the canyon floor among the hoodoos. It was pretty quiet for such a famous National Park, and the few tourists stuck to the parking lots. The orange canyon glows like honey during the brief golden moments of sunrise.

Stop 11: Mt. Sopris

I lingered too long in certain places, forcing me to drive straight home without stopping at my intended final destinations. It was a long sprint from Southwest Utah back to Fort Collins in 2 days. My mouth watered at the beautiful places I was having to pass by like spectacular Utah Hwy 12. I did stop in Moab, but the weather didn’t cooperate.

Frustrated at the prospect of driving 625 miles without being to take any shots, I was determined to work one in that wouldn’t delay my return home. I decided that Mt. Sopris would fit the bill. I drove from the Utah/Colorado state line early in the morning and my arrival there couldn’t have been timed better. Fresh snow had fallen overnight. As I approached the mountain it was completely cloaked behind clouds. The precise moment that I arrived, the clouds lifted to form a dramatic crown around Sopris’ peak. The crown remained exactly long enough for me to set up and take my shot before it dissipated into a dull, empty sky.