Headin' East

I'm back on the road, heading on an eastern jaunt.  Came down the Big Sur coast to start the trip on Sep 6.  Cruising with the top down, a condor flew just a few feet above me.  I stopped at a nearby turnout and there were three of the critters cruisin' around.  I got this shot of one below me.

A couple days later, I visited Kolob Canyons, a part of Zion NP.  It's in the NW corner of the park, a long way from the main area of Zion Canyon, but right next to I-15.

I went for a hike in one of the canyons.  Nice little stream, fine rock formations, and quite a few wildflowers.  It was warm and dry on this day, but must have rained in the recent past.  

The canyon I was in was homesteaded in the fairly recent past.  This cabin was occupied around 1930.

I advanced to Bryce Canyon, and went into the park at sunset.  Fine light.

Hoodoos in the soft light of dusk.

Bryce really is Ma Nature at her impressionist best.

The next morning, from Sunrise Point, the light was much different.

I went for a hike down into the canyon. As usual, a majority of the hikers were Euros.

Here's Queen Victoria, presiding.  Looks like a dragon lounging just to the right of her.

Down in the canyon, the scene is finely eroded hoodoos, stately ponderosa pines, and a deeeep beautiful blue sky.

I hiked farther than I had originally planned, and exited the canyon via Wall Street, a narrow cleft in the hoodoos forested with ponderosas and Douglas firs.  It's quite a unique place.  It's a very steep ascent, but cool and mostly shady.  I took it slow and took a lot of pictures, and made it out OK...but it's not as easy as it used to be!

This pic looks down into Wall Street.

Driving northeast on Utah highway 12, I came upon this slickrock scene near the somnolent town of Boulder.  It was a bright, sunny, warm day.  The last time I passed through here, almost exactly three years ago, heavy rain showers were falling; the streams were roaring; and I even ran into some fog at high spots on the highway.

More cool slickrock, with a few audacious trees growing somehow.

The highway ascends to 9600 feet between Boulder and Torrey, towns about 3 thousand feet lower in elevation.  It's several weeks until peak aspen color season, but a few trees are getting started nicely.