This week’s Thematic Photographic is “curves”. If you are interested in joining in, or just looking at a bunch of cool pictures, then click the banner at the bottom. If not, hopefully you at least enjoy these.
This first picture is of the Colorado River as it weaves it’s way through Canyonlands National Park, just upstream from where it meets with the Green River. I took it from atop Deadhorse Point, a butte that juts out towards the river. The view is amazing from up there, you can see for miles and miles, with the only evidence of humanity being dirt roads criss-crossing the plateaus.
If you look just a little bit away from the river, you realize that you are in fact in the middle of a desert. This second picture is taken from the same overlook, all I did was turn 90° to the right and look downward.
Just before getting to the Deadhorse Point Overlook you come across a dirt road heading off to the left. Over a hundred miles of dirt roads, switchbacks and rocky roads bring you from the same altitude as the pictures were taken from, all the way down to the river itself. The park rangers thought I was crazy when I told them I was going down it in my Subaru, but I’d been down it before in a Jeep and knew that, despite a few low-clearance scrapes, I’d make it fine. We (Writer was on this trip with me) did, and even went by the ranger station the next day and let them know we survived. Truth is, I think their comments were more a case of CYA, a lot of people come down to the area completely unprepared and unaware of how dangerous it can be, and the rangers figure if they make it sound worse than it really is, only the people who actually know what they are getting into will continue. Or, at the least, when the survivors sue (which happens often) they can at least say they were told it was dangerous.
And finally (for today), this guy threw me a curve ball, right there at the Ranger Station. Dogs in trucks are common here, but this guy looks like he just drove up and is about to get out, run over to the vending machine and get himself a diet Coke.
If you look just a little bit away from the river, you realize that you are in fact in the middle of a desert. This second picture is taken from the same overlook, all I did was turn 90° to the right and look downward. Just before getting to the Deadhorse Point Overlook you come across a dirt road heading off to the left. Over a hundred miles of dirt roads, switchbacks and rocky roads bring you from the same altitude as the pictures were taken from, all the way down to the river itself. The park rangers thought I was crazy when I told them I was going down it in my Subaru, but I’d been down it before in a Jeep and knew that, despite a few low-clearance scrapes, I’d make it fine. We (Writer was on this trip with me) did, and even went by the ranger station the next day and let them know we survived. Truth is, I think their comments were more a case of CYA, a lot of people come down to the area completely unprepared and unaware of how dangerous it can be, and the rangers figure if they make it sound worse than it really is, only the people who actually know what they are getting into will continue. Or, at the least, when the survivors sue (which happens often) they can at least say they were told it was dangerous. And finally (for today), this guy threw me a curve ball, right there at the Ranger Station. Dogs in trucks are common here, but this guy looks like he just drove up and is about to get out, run over to the vending machine and get himself a diet Coke. 
10 comments:
Your pictures capture the majesty of a place I've always wanted to visit. I hope I get to do just that sometime soon. Until then, know that your wizardry with a lens somehow turns a two-dimensional view into a spectacular vista. How do you DO that? :)
And that dog pic? Best pooch-at-the-wheel shot I've ever seen. Bar none. What a wonderful way to kick off this week's theme!
Y'know, there's just something wrong when a theme makes ME think of a car and YOU think of the Shafer Trail. That's just backwards. You're the car freak; I'm the one with the ancestors in that part of Utah.
Of course you know I'm going to say what stunning country, and it's a different kind of desert than I'm used to seeing at my grandfather's place in Florence, AZ but still one to be aware of what you're up to when out and about...BUT naturally without a doubt the cutest finest moment and snap shot is of the doggie on a mission! Very cool Max...and what a tremendous trip that must have been! peaceful beauty! BTW missed seeing your comments hope you're healed!
Carmi - If you do head down to my neck of the woods be sure to let me know, I love showing off my territory.
Writer - ROFL. There must have been a flip in the Earth's magnetic field or something. And it didn't even occur to me.
Karen - Thanks, I'm feeling a lot better. I spent most of this week going to work and then coming home and going right to sleep. Hopefully this weekend I'll find some time to clean this mess I call a house. :)
These are wonderful. I wonder if a Jeep Liberty could make it down...
It all depends on the experience of the driver, the Jeep Liberty itself is fully capable. But I've seen inexperienced and over-confident people do the stupidest things in fully capable vehicles.
It looks like an awesome place to visit - so arid, and spectacular. And the dog is clearly an experienced driver! :)
It is spectacular, and there's only 1 highway patrol trooper for every 100,000 miles (160,934 km)* of road, so the dog isn't likely to get pulled over.
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*I just made that number up, but they are sparse down there.
Spectacular views of Nature's world! I guess you would get a very real sense that here is Time shaping the world! Very beautiful! And the dog at the wheel is like a guy on a mission! Love it!
So beautiful, amazing photographs, you must have been at some height taking them, looks more like an aerial shot.
The dog is brilliant too, all he's missing is a baseball hat:)
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