Great Smoky Mountains perhaps

Considering a trip South this October.

Black Bear

Black Bear Cub

Green Stream

Green Stream

Tom Turkey

Skunk Family out to Lunch

Yesterday I popped out to unload the shopping out of Kelly's car and WOOOHHH look what was munching the bird seed.

Skunk Family Lunch

Burro's

I had to look up what a Burro was, apparently it's another name for a donkey they use in the SW. I like donkey's. Our first 2 nights in the SouthWest was spent on a ranch motel about 15 miles or so outside of Las Vegas. It was in the desert at the foot of this range of hills. There were several birds, Jack Rabbits and Wild Burro's. They were just cruising around doing their own thing. They were not bothered by our presence at all so we just took photos of them.

Wild Burro

Wild Burro

Wild Burro

Wild Burro

Common Yellowthroat, Song Sparrow and Bobolink.

After reading a report of a singing Prothonotary Warbler a trip out to Middle Creek was in order. No sign of the Prothonotary but we did see the Alder Flycatcher that was also reported. Driving round there were a few other nice birds singing away in camera range.

Common Yellowthroat

Song Sparrow

Bobolink

Monument Valley Part 2

The Monument Valley drive was amazing, scenic views everywhere. Incredibly dusty, the guided tours in open trucks looked .... erm ......interesting. The majority of people wore medical face masks due to the fine red dust kicked up.

Elephant Butte

Dunno but it was big!

Moon Rise

Long Shadows

West Mitten Butte

Sunflower

Horseshoe Bend and Monument Valley Part 1

Horseshoe Bend, just South of Page Arizona is on the Colorado River downstream of the Lake Powell Dam. The unfenced cliffs are 1,100 ft above the river down below. I wonder just how many of the "selfie" contingent are recipients of the Darwin Awards each year. It's frightening to get anywhere near the edge with them prancing and posing "Look at MEEEEEEE, I'm SO COOOOL" see how close I can get to the edge.

Heading North East for another couple of hours and 120 miles or so brings you to Monument Valley on Navaho Nation Tribal Land. The valley featured in many old Hollywood Western movies. 

Monument Valley Panorama

West and East Mitten Buttes

Elephant Butte

Elephant Butte

Camel Butte

Large Butte with nice flower.

Moon over large Butte

White Pocket

The itinerary for Wednesday had been determined a long while as it entailed renting a White Pocket capable vehicle. We rented a Jeep Cherokee from XPress Rentals in Kanab. There were several to choice from but the ladies wanted a red one, so red it was.

Jeep Cherokee at White Pocket.

The first 30 miles were on regular paved roads then onto House Rock Road and the dirt. Dirt isn't strictly the correct description. There were rocks, ditches, gravel, washboards and more washboards, more rock and washboards. With a 25 mph speed limit it was hard to arrive at a speed to reduce the chattering and shaking inside. I settled on about 20 mph mostly which lessened the vibration a little. Maybe a more modern vehicle wouldn't have been so bad. I would not have attempted the drive in our Alamo Dodge Durango. All the terrain looks the same, Sage Brush and Junipers and sand. We turned at the derelict Corral  after 20+ miles onto the easier of the routes to White Pocket. The BLM map splits the route into segments each with a mileage so it's important to keep zeroing out the tripmeter at each segment. White Pocket Map After another 16 miles or so along deeply rutted deep sand tracks (no way are they roads) we made it to White Pocket.

White Pocket Brains

Who needs "The Wave"?

White Pocket Wave

White Pocket Wave

Ogre's Skull

More Checkboard Effect

Not just rocks

Bit of wildlife.

I actually got a strong cell phone signal from here.

Geological

Navaho Sandstone

Bryce Canyon National Park

After an overnight recovery (and several Tylenol) from the Zion hiking/scrambling/mountaineering we headed for Bryce Canyon National Park. Along the way we came across this area of Hoodoo's, I think it was called Red Canyon. We had a good walk around here for about 1/2 an hour at least before carrying onto Bryce Canyon NP.

Red Canyon Hoodoo's

Red Canyon Hoodoo's

On to Bryce Canyon, I'm not sure of the name of the viewpoints as we went to most if not all of them during the course of the day. Whatever the first few pictures are; I know thats the one we walked a long way down into the canyon only to walk back up. Not my idea I might add.

Bryce Canyon (Sunrise or Sunset Point)

Switchbacks

See the tiny little people on the bottom right?

That wasn't us.

Rain in the distance.

Bristlecone Pine

Clouds and Shadow

The light was constantly changing.

We even got hailed on for a couple of minutes.

Bryce Canyon Afternoon Light

Zion National Park - Checkerboard Mesa

On the way East out of Zion NP along Route 9 you go past the Checkerboard Mesa and it's amazing geological features. Just how they were produced millions of years ago is beyond me.

Checkerboard  Mesa

Similar Mesa

Checkerboard Mesa

Checkerboard Mesa

Checkerboard Mesa

Ripples