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Rafting the Grand Canyon & Other SW Adventures

My friend, Andy, the Starr Van and I spent a month in the Southwest in April & May. The trip’s impetus was a ten day photography workshop we signed up for last year to raft the Grand Canyon’s Colorado River. And we added 10 more days on both sides to explore other locales in the region. In chronological order, we visited:

* The eastern rim of the Little Colorado River Gorge;
* The South Rim of the Grand Canyon;
* New Mexico’s Bisti and Valley of Dreams badlands;
* The monumental Chaco Canyon pueblo ruins;
* The Zuni Pueblo, including a ceremonial dance;
* The Grand Canyon, via a raft;
* Backcountry roads around Escalante, Utah;
* Badlands around Hanksville, Utah.

Learn more about the trip, and see its images, here: Grand Canyon Rafting & Other SW Adventures Image Galleries.

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Lake O’Hara, Canadian Rockies

Martha and I took a 3 week adventure in the Starr van up the Olympic Peninsula and around the Canadian Rockies. The impetus was to escape Central Oregon’s wildfire smoke and we succeeded. The trip’s high point was miraculously securing a 4 day stay at Lake O’Hara Lodge in the Rockies after years of trying — we serendipitously learned of a last minute cancellation when we were less than an hour away from the lodge. And to cap it all off: the larch trees above the lake were just a day or two past their peak color, and there was a new dusting of snow on the peaks. Up to this point in the trip, my camera hadn’t seen the light of day because I’d previously photographed most of the trip’s stops under better conditions. But my new Canon R5 Mark II camera came out for Lake O’Hara.

Learn more about the trip, and see its images, in the Lake O’Hara Image Gallery.

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Spring Road Trip

I spent the last 2 weeks of April on yet another road trip exploring the Southwestern U.S. and SE Oregon. I had the vague goal of visiting past favorite areas in more depth, while having my eyes & ears peeled for any significant flower blooms. Serendipity and the elements resulted in the following itinerary:

* A few days in the Factory Butte area between Utah’s Hanksville and Capitol Reef NP;
* A rough-but-scenic drive down Utah’s Burr Trail and Smoky Mountain roads;
* Visits to Lake Powell’s Alstrom Point and nearby Studhorse Point;
* A stay in Kanab to perform some van repairs and visit the nearby Great Chamber;
* A multi-day visit to northern Arizona’s fantastical White Pocket;
* A drive back north toward northern Capitol Reef’s Cathedral Valley, which was thwarted by wide-spread rain & snow;
* A few days exploring the back roads of Oregon’s Owyhee River Canyonlands.

It was a great trip, all-in-all. Although the photographic results were a little lean, I thoroughly enjoyed having the time and capable vehicle to explore a myriad of very sparsely traveled backroads to remote locations.

Learn more about the trip, and see its images, in the Spring Road Trip Image Galleries.

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Southern Patagonia Trip

In late April/early May I took my fourth trip to Southern Patagonia as part of a Marc Adamus photography workshop. Over two weeks we visited Argentina’s Fitz Roy range and then Torres del Paine & the fjords around Chile’s Puerto Natales. Unfortunately, almost the entire trip had terrible weather. But I was still able to come back with a few good images.

Learn more about the trip, and see its images, in the Southern Patagonia Image Gallery.

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