Grand Canyon North Rim

Kanab UT, Sunday and where to go. The weekend, so crowds at all the National Parks. Obvious choice is the North Rim Grand Canyon, It's only 80miles away and an easy drive so thats where we headed. It only receives about 10% of Grand Canyon visitors due to it relative remoteness. You drive South on the only paved road in through the Meadows of the Kaibab Nation Forest where we saw quite a lot of wildlife, Western Tanager included.

Kaibab Nation Forest Meadow

Our first stop in the National Park was Point Imperial.

Point Imperial

Point Imperial

Point Imperial

Point Imperial

Point Imperial

After a good wander around taking in the scenery and a bit of birding (Violet-green Swallows and White-rumped Swifts mostly) we headed back aways to the Cape Royal turn.

Cape Royal

Cape Royal, Angels Window

Cape Royal, Angels Window

Cape Royal

After Cape Royal we headed to the roads end at the North Rim Lodge. This is where the "selfie" crowd had congregated. "OOOOO. Look at Me. Look at MEEEEEEE. I'm so COOOOOOOL". I took a photo of Dumb Bimbo #16 (on her shirt) posing out on a very high, dangerous narrow ledge I don't normally take pictures of people or bimbo's but I thought I might have been able to post it to the Darwin Awards as the bimbo eliminated herself from the gene pool. No I'm not going to add it to this blog even if she did fall.

North Rim View

This Rock Squirrel has more brains than Dumb Bimbo #16

Death Valley

How best to describe Death Valley? How about Hot! Damned Hot. How people survived before vehicle A/C I have no idea. Did I mention it was HOT!

We started the day at Zabriskie Point, a couple of hours after the ideal sunrise time of day but we had quite a long drive to get there.

Zabriskie Point

Zabriskie Point

Zabriskie Point

After a visit to the Visitor Center at Furnace Creek we stopped off at Salt Creek to see the Pupfish in the creek.

Pupfish

Pupfish

We left after I started getting attacked by humungous flies to drive North to Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. The tree in the second picture was extremely popular with the Tour Bus crowd. They would all rush up to drape themselves over the branches so Husband/Wife/Significant Other/ Boyfriend/Girlfriend could take their picture. Bunch of poser's!

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

Posing Tree

After a sandwich lunch at the hottest part of the day we headed for the lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin at -282 ft below sea level. Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the Midday Sun. Yep, we did. We were hoping for the geometric shapes and salt crystals but I think heavy rains in the recent past have dissolved them for now until they can grow again. Did I mention it was hot!

Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin

Heading back the way we came we stopped off for the different colors of the rocks and minerals along Artists Drive. 

Artist's Drive

Artist's Drive

To cool off after Badwater Basin we headed up to Dante's View at at  5475ft above sea level. The temperature dropped considerably as we gazed down at Badwater Basin below us.

Dante's View

Dante's View Panorama

After Death Valley it was back to overnight at Bonnie Springs near Las Vegas before the journey North and East to Kanab in Utah which was to be our base for the week ahead. 

Willow

Willow posed for me. I bounced the manual flash off the ceiling after taking a reading with an external flash meter to get the exposure just right.

Willow

Nocturnal Visitor

Looking out on the back yard the other night I saw one of the Skunk's strolling across the lawn heading for the water in the stream. Grabbing my camera and flash I went out and he/she didn't seem at all threatened. I didn't get too close obviously so I came away unscathed.

Skunky