Tag Archives: hiking

April 3, 2021 · 6:47 am

Fairyland Canyon Scenery

*Fairyland Canyon Landscape, Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)*

I’ve been working on a series of short articles for the National Parks Traveler, titled “Traveler’s Checklists.” These are bulleted lists with tips on what to do, where to go, where to stay, what to eat, etc. for national parks and other protected lands I’ve visited. I’ve finished three already (Redwood National and State Parks, Big Bend National Park, Padre Island National Park) and each one is scheduled to show up weekly on a Wednesday.

I’m now working on my 4th Checklist, which deals with Bryce Canyon National Park. I’ve already found the images I’ll use for this Checklist, but as I was perusing the files, I noticed a number of images I have never worked on and thus never posted. So, I thought I’d do a little photo editing today, in addition to writing.This image was captured during my short hike along the Fairyland Loop Trail, in Fairyland Canyon, a separate amphitheater in Bryce Canyon National Park.

My one regret is that I never completed the 8-mile loop trail – I only hiked parts of it. Someday, when I return to this national park, I’m going to make it a priority to actually finish hiking the entire damned trail. It’s a well-maintained trail, and all I need to really remember (aside from bringing camera gear) is to take plenty of water. It doesn’t matter whether it’s hot or cold out there – the dry atmosphere will suck the moisture from your body in the blink of an eye before you even realize you might be dehydrated.

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Filed under Bryce Canyon National Park, National Parks, Photography, Travel, Utah

Tagged as Fairyland Canyon, Fairyland Loop Trail, geology, hiking, hoodoos, landscape, photography, red rock, scenery, trail, where the trails take you

March 20, 2021 · 6:23 am

Falling In Love With The National Parks

*A Minimalist View Along The Fairyland Canyon Loop Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)*

I just finished reading a very good opinion article in the NY Times, and thought I’d share it. The link is embedded in the photo above, so click on the image to be taken to the article.

As for this image: I’ve visited Bryce Canyon National Park twice in my life – both in 2018. My first time to see this geologically surreal place was in April 2018, and then again in July 2018, during my road trip move from TX to central WA. Each time, I ventured out on the Fairyland Canyon Loop Trail, but never completely hiked the 8 miles. I’d sure like to finish what I started, so maybe I’ll schedule a road trip back to this park in 2022.

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Filed under Bryce Canyon National Park, National Parks, Photography, Travel, Utah

Tagged as Bryce Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canon, fairyland canyon trail, hiking, July, leading line, photography, summer, trail, travel, Utah

March 13, 2021 · 7:05 am

Steps Up The Trail

*A leading line shot, Flood of Fire Trail, Foree Area, Sheep Rock Unit, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument*

It’s Saturday, folks! Or does it matter? For the past year, the days have all run together and I’m glad I have a calendar (a real paper one, no less) to which I can refer and find out what day it actually is ;).

This photo is looking up the very short .4-mile round trip Flood of Fire Trail in the Foree Area of the Sheep Rock Unit of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, in Oregon. It was the last trip I made pre-pandemic, before things shut down. Not the last trip I made during the entire year, mind you, but the last regular trip I made prior to Covid.

Anyway, if you are ever looking for a nice little road trip to make, a trip to any of the three units within this national monument will allow you to stretch your legs, since the few trails in each of the units are short. I really wish there were more, longer trails, but I have a feeling that perhaps, national monuments don’t get quite the love (or money) that national parks get. Then again, national monuments probably don’t get the visitor headaches that national parks get – or do they?

Last year, I saw a post, either on Facebook or Instagram, by this national monument asking that people park responsibily in the Painted Hills Unit. Apparently there was a crowding issue, brought on by people wanting to get out and away from Covid for a little bit. Many of those people were probably the kind who are only accustomed to water parks or theme parks, and a trip to an actual, outdoor, in-the-wild-type park unit is a new experience for them – an experience for which they don’t know how to practice the Leave No Trace etiquette.

But, I digress. Central Oregon is a place of winding roads, slower driving (so as not to hit the cattle ranging freely), stunning geology, awesome landscapes for your camera, but few large towns or gas stations. If you prepare accordingly, it’s a great excuse for a road trip.

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Filed under John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, National Parks, Oregon, Photography, Sony Alpha a7r IV, Travel

Tagged as a7rIV, central Oregon, Flood of Fire Trail, hike, hiking, John Day Fossil Beds, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, leading line, March, mirrorless, national monument, Oregon, photography, Sony Alpha, spring, trail, where the trails take you

February 22, 2020 · 8:03 am

Where Will The Trails Take You?

It’s the weekend! Where will the trails take you? Will you be hiking into adventure or staying closer to home. Wherever you will be, have fun, stay safe, and, if you *are* out hiking, then pack out what you pack in.

This image was captured at the beginning of my walk through the Hall of Mosses Trail in Olympic National Park during my August 2019 visit. The boardwalk made a perfect leading line, and I was hurrying with my camera and 14mm lens to get a nice, wide-angle shot of the boardwalk, the trees in the distance, and the couple on the trail before they disappeared within the shadows of the forest. I thought the two people made a nice bit of scale and reference to the scene.

Summer is a nice time to visit this park, believe it or not. There were lots of people, but nothing compared to the masses I encountered when visiting Yellowstone National Park the previous August of 2018. If you get out early enough, you’ll escape the crowds that appear later in the morning and afternoon.

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Filed under 5DS, Canon, Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II, Canon Lens, National Parks, Olympic National Park, Photography, Seasons, summer, Travel, Washington State

Tagged as 14mm, 5DS, Canon, Hall of Mosses, hiking, Hoh rain forest, leading line, National Park, Olympic National Park, prime lens, rain forest, trail, travel, Washington State, where the trails take you, wide angle

July 21, 2019 · 9:04 am

3 Days In Stehekin

My 3 Days In Stehekin article has been published in the National Parks Traveler. I once thought I would never want to visit an isolated community like that, and in 2019, I ended up spending 3 days there.

To read the story, click on the image above.

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Filed under Canon, Canon Lens, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, National Parks, National Parks Traveler, North Cascades Complex, North Cascades National Park, Photography, Seasons, Stehekin, summer, Travel, Washington State

Tagged as Canon, hiking, lodging, National Park, National Parks Traveler, North Cascades, North Cascades Complex, photography, Rebecca Latson Photography, rebeccalatsonphotography, Stehekin, travel, Washington, Washington State

June 15, 2019 · 11:11 am

The Searching Eye of Sauron in Nature

I have no idea what possessed me to look up at this particular juncture during my foray along the Grove of The Patriarchs Trail in Mount Rainier National Park. I think it might have been to see if I could spot the little bird that was singing so exuberantly. The moment my eyes lit upon this forked tree top and the spider web between the prongs, I immediately thought of Sauron’s searching eye in The Return Of The King.

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Filed under 24-105mm, 5DS, Canon, Canon Lens, forest, Mount Rainier National Park, Mt. Rainier National Park, National Parks, nature, Photography, Seasons, summer, Travel, Washington State

Tagged as 24-105mm, 5DS, art in nature, Canon, eye, forest, Grove of The Patriarchs, hike, hiking, June, Mount Rainier, Mt Rainier, National Park, nature, Sauron, Sauron's searching eye, serendipity, spider web, trail, tree, web

July 22, 2018 · 7:54 am

Looking Out Over Blue Mesa Trail

Looking over Blue Mesa Trail, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

I spent the day in the park, yesterday. It was a dry heat (grin). This place is pretty amazing. Oh, there are no mountains or rivers or streams, and I saw very little wildlife (a dear, a bunny, and a raven). The the geology is really cool. I mean, think about it a moment: this place, once a swampy area with tall, thick trees and dinosaurs, is now a semi-arid (felt totally arid, to me) land with the petrified (agatized) remains of fallen trees. The conditions at the time had to be just right in order to petrify the swaths of logs you can see from your car window and from the hiking trails.

This image was captured at a view area overlooking the Blue Mesa trail and surrounding scenery. The rocks really *are* blue (and purple, mauve, beige and buff), with fallen logs, many longer than I am tall with a girth of 2-4 ft.

If you ever have the chance to visit this national park, you can see it in a day, although I always advocate maybe 1-1/2 to 2 days exploring. The first thing you should do when the park opens up at 7am is to hightail it out to the Blue Mesa Trail to hike it when it’s coolest and when the sunlight is angled just right.

Now, it’s on to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

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Filed under Arizona, Geology, National Parks, Petrified Forest National Park, Photography, Travel

Tagged as Arizona, Blue Mesa, Canon, hike, hiking, landscape, National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, photography, Rebecca Latson Photography, rebeccalatsonphotography, scenery, trail, travel

June 25, 2018 · 4:36 am

Getting Close To The Edge

Close to the edge at Scouts Lookout, Zion National Park, Utah

There have been more than a few times when I’ve gotten “close to the edge,” but that’s been a 9-to-5 work thing as opposed to literally being close to the edge as in this shot.

I have a fear of heights. Of course, this generally doesn’t stop me, as you can see in this photo; when I am focused on photography, my fear dissipates. However, this mild acrophobia gives me a healthy awareness of my abilities and limitations, since I have rheumatoid arthritis and also am not the most sure-footed of creatures. In this instance, I stopped at Scouts Lookout and did NOT finish that last .5 mile to Angels Landing. I knew my physical limitations (mental ones, too) and knew I could not go any further with all the stuff I was lugging with me. And I was (and am) totally fine with that. I still remember my legs shaking just a little bit, from both the uphill climb as well as the fact that the rocks tilt a little bit in the Scouts Lookout area and it’s a lonnnnnng way down. Heck, I was thrilled I’d made it that far, having come from sea level elevation 2 days prior.

Moral of the story: you may not always be able to (or want to) reach the very end, for whatever reason, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come away with some cool experiences/photography along the way there and back.

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Filed under National Parks, Photography, Travel, Zion National Park

Tagged as Angels Landing, Canon, fear of heights, hiking, landscape, National Park, photography, red rock, scenery, Scouts Lookout, travel, UT, Utah, Zion

June 22, 2018 · 5:10 am

Hiking The Trail And Leaving No Trace

One of today’s newly-published articles in the National Parks Traveler is titled “Leave No Trace This Summer As You Explore The Outdoors.” This article reminded me of this image that I had just reworked, so I thought I’d post it along with the advice to leave no trace and pack in what you pack out. Is it possible to really leave no trace? Well, go read the article in the Traveler to find out.

This image was taken 10 years ago, during the very first photo workshop I’d ever taken, using one of my very first full-frame cameras (Canon 5D). The workshop took place in Glacier National Park, Montana and – while a bit strenuous in terms of hiking for my tastes and physical capabilities – was a worthwhile event that led me to continue joining up in other photo tours and workshops (yes, there is a slight difference between the two and I actually wrote an article about it in the National Parks Traveler back in 2014).

This image is looking back on part of the trail from St. Mary Falls leading onward to Virginia Falls.

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Filed under 24-105mm, 5D, Canon, Canon Lens, Equipment, Glacier National Park MT, Montana, National Parks, National Parks Traveler, Photography, Travel, Travel and Photography

Tagged as Canon, forest, full-frame, Glacier National Park, Glacier NP, hike, hiking, Montana, mountain, mountains, National Park, National Parks Traveler, photo workshop, photography, trail

April 22, 2018 · 9:34 am

Happy Earth Day 2018!

Happy Earth Day to you, this April 22nd, 2018. I feel like I experience Earth Day every time I visit a national park. On this occasion, I was up with scads of other people at Sunrise Point in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, watching: the sunrise.

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Filed under 5DS, 5DSR, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canon, Canon Lens, Geology, Landscape, National Parks, Photography, Seasons, Spring, sunrise, Travel