Moab 2017: Arches and Canyonlands

Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are two places that I've visited time and time again and I still have a new adventure every visit. As a Christmas present this year my sister Melissa gave us a week stay at her home in Moab and that made for an awesome basecamp for our adventures.

Trip Summary:
Adventurers: KP, Mary, Bennett, and the neighbors Dustin, Danie, and Sage Romrell
Distance: 205 miles each way
The Hikes: Devils Garden loop (5 miles) Delicate Arch- 3.1 miles, Mesa Arch-1 mile, Windows and Turrett Arch 1 mile.
National Parks: Canyonlands and Arches- 0 New-
All Time Total: 47 parks down, 12 to go

Courthouse Towers of Arches National Park- we had the park to ourselves tonight, so we drove passed a view times to capture the taillights along park road. the moon gave more than ample light, as flashlights weren't even necessary.

Playing with my flashlight and long exposure at Balanced Rock turned out pretty cool.

Night photography in the winter means no Milky Way photos, but the moonlight still made this night shot interesting. Arches National park on the Balanced Rock trail.

I put this photo on social media, and pointed out how Bennett made sure to notice all of the details. He spent his whole time at Arches playing in the dirt. 

Petrified Dunes in Arches and the La Salle mountains as a backdrop

The snow capped La Salles and the spires in Arches made for quite the contrast

Dustin and I drove faster than the recommended speed to make it to Mesa Arch before Sunrise. It paid off

Mesa Arch in Canyonlands makes for a perfect place to watch a sunrise

if you want to know how to capture a photo like this, turn off the Auto mode on your camera. Canyonlands is not a place for Auto mode.

Choose the smallest aperture possible, and the adjust the other settings to compensate. With a fraction of the sun peeking through you get this star look which makes all your sunlight pictures more interesting. 

Canyonlands really does provide some of the most spectacular views of the world below

The suns rays lit up the canyons below. It made me think of Mustafa telling Simba that everything the light touches is their kingdom.