End of trail looks obvious, but aerial view of Pueblo Bonito is good from here
Petroglyph trail …
…petroglyphs
Pueblo Del Arroyo
Pueblo Del Arroyo
Pueblo Bonito (some excavated rooms destroyed by rock fall)
Pueblo Bonito
Pueblo Bonito
Casa Rinconada (Great Kiva)
Fajada Butte
Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness, Valley of Dreams
Three Wise Men area
…
Three Wise Men
Pieces of petrified trees
Alien Throne area
Alien Throne
…
…
…
Petrified tree trunk
Yucca
Ah-shi-sle-pah Trail
…
…
…
…
Relaxing after dinner at De-na-zin camp
De-na-zin Wilderness, Yellow Hoodoo
View from the top…
…real maze…
…passages too narrow to squeeze through…
…so we walked arround to look at the same rocks from the bottom…
…exploring some small “canyons”…
…
…and intriguing rock formations
Washes often serve as convenient approasch trails
Entering Bisti Wilderness…
…
Bisti Arch
Valley of Bones
Petrified wood…
…
…the largest specimen we saw
Petrified wood and mushrooms…
…mushrooms
Cracked Eggs…
…Egg hatchery
Dust storm intensifies as we are leaving the wilderness
Hovenweep towers…
…
…
…
Butler wash ruins (under the arches)
Cave Towers
Hous on Fire
…
Mule Canyon Roadside Kiva
View from Muley Point Camp…
…evening…
…and morning
Views from Muley Point…
…
…
Moki Dugway
Cedar Mesa – Valley of the Gods, view from Moki Dugway
Valley of the Gods
…
…
…
San Juan River in Mexican Hat
Monument Valley…
…views from Hwy 163
Navajo NM, view from our campsite…
…next morning on Aspen Trail…
…reconstructed hogan (dwelling)
Dinosaur footprint…
…
…Betatakin Cliff Dwellings
Rt 221 to Shonto
Colorado River
Navajo Bridge and new bridge across Colorado River
Just entered Buckskin Gulch (looking upstream)
Signs left by earlier visitors (nice bighorn petroglyphs)
Heading down into Buckskin slot canyon
High walls and 90° turns…
Meandering…
…
…with wider sections…
…and with GPS reading…
…
…then narrow again…
…
…
…narrower and darker…
…but sunny blue skye above…
…
…
…last rock fall before the confluence (Joanna was happy not to have to climb down the steps)…
…camping just below the confluence of Buckskin Gulch and Paria River
Heading up Paria River from the confluence with Buckskin Gulch…
…to the Arch…
…and then down the river
…
…side wall spring…
…
…wading through…
…
…collecting spring water…
…
…lunch…
…more canyon walking…
…campsite…
…big rock overhang (arch) above our tent…
…and the way out for next day
Paria River
…
Rusting pump from failed attempts to pump water from the river for farming on the mesa above
…
…
…
…
…
Way to Big Spring
Crystal clear spring water dripping into muddy pool and filling our bottles quickly
…
…
…
Shower Springs…
…and our camp on a sand bar across the river from the springs
Still a canyon…
…
Spring flowers
…more signs of desert vegetation
…
…
Walking on volcanic ash
Hard to find shaded lunch spot
But plenty of water around to soak-in/swim after lunch
Orange-pink dunes
Dry crossing
People came here, who knows when
…
At times dust in the air turned into sand storm (almost)
Wilson Ranch
Locals at our campsite (did not go to sleep until after dark)
People tried to settle here under the dunes (we camped here)
Shortcuts cutting across meanders…
…
…
Lonely Dell Ranch
Orchards at the ranch
Lees Ferry, Colorado River
Colorado River
Toadstool Hoodoos…
…
…
Upper Paria River near Cottonwood Canyon Rd
…and we are heading into Hackberry Creek canyon…
…
…
…
Camp at Cottonwood Creek (dry)
Cottonwood Canyon Rd
…
…
Cottonwood Narrows
…
…
Grosvenor Arch
…
…
Cottonwood Canyon Rd, Grand Staircase-Escalante
Kodachrome Basin in the distance
Scenic byway on the way to Escalante (Hwy 12)…
…and towards Boulder..
…Escalante River…
…Calf Creek
Walked to the end of short…
…Singing Canyon
Long Canyon, Burr Trail Rd…
…
…
View east from top end of Long Canyon
Capitol Reef NP
Lunch on top of Burr Trail Switchbacks…
The switchbacks down to…
…Notom-Bullfrog Rd
Hike to Headquarters Canyon
Entering Capitol Reef NP from west on Burr Trail Rd
View east from the top of Burr Trail Switchbacks through Waterpocket fold (Strike Valley and Notom Rd below)
Hiking towards Headquarters Canyon from Notom Rd trailhead (Capitol Reef NP)
Headquarters Canyon
…
…
Capturing narrow and deep slot canyons on film is quite difficult – they are way more impressive in real life. Video clips do not work too well because of wide lighting range. We tried “vertical panos” (on the left) with some success. Having a person in the frame helps set the scale.
…
Hiking back from Headquarters Canyon
Heading north on Notom Rd
Blacked-tailed jackrabbit
…
…
Sandy Ranch and Henry Mountains in the distance
Desert flowers
Hoodoos near Notom Rd
Camping under Oyster Shell Reef
Driving to Horseshoe Canyon
…
Driving through sand dunes
Horseshoe Canyon
Dinosaur track
Descending to the canyon
High Panel (the oldest pictoghraphs)
Horseshoe Panel
…
Great Gallery
Great Gallery
…
Alcove Panel
Alcove
Back at the rim
View from our campsite
…
Green River from the campsite
Happy campers
Lower San Rafael Rd
San Rafael River
Island in the Sky, Green River Overlook
Upheaval Dome, the hole is either volcano or meteorite crater
Grand View Point…
…trail along the rim
Looking through Mesa Arch…
…and above it right…
…and left
Shafer Canyon Trail, old mining road
Heading to The Needles District next day
Pot Hole Trail
Big Spring Canyon…
…overlook
Slickrock Trail…
…to the end on rim above Colorado River Canyon (river out of sight here)
Ancient granary (Roadside Ruin)
Our camp at The Needles
On the way to Chesler Park…
…
…
Looking back from the edge of Chesler Park plateau
…Chesler Park…
…meadow
…through slot canyons and narrow washes of Joint Trail…
…more needles…
…around in Chesler Park
…and we are heading back to Elephant Hill trailhead
Newspaper Rock
Treasure Falls CO
West Fork San Juan River valley CO
Back to the Rockies, near Buena Vista CO
Near Colorado Springs
Approaching Salina KS, sunset through otherwise overcast sky
