Tag: National Parks

Monsoon thunderstorms and lightning over the Grand Canyon in Arizona

The North American Monsoon was going strong in late August and I decided to take a day trip up to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. My goal was to photograph lightning — both during the daytime and in the twilight hours — over and in the canyon.

I wasn’t disappointed. There were only a few thunderstorms around and that makes for better chances since there are fewer intervening storms and there is a better chance of catching some of the sky.

The first two images are of fairly weak thunderstorms producing only a few flashes as they traversed the canyon from south to north.

Early afternoon lightning over the Grand Canyon.
Early afternoon lightning over the Grand Canyon.
Afternoon lightning over the Grand Canyon from Grandview Point.
Afternoon lightning over the Grand Canyon from Grandview Point.

Later in the evening there was thunderstorm activity over the Kaibab Plateau and the north rim. This image captures the small thunderstorm as well as the stars overhead and the lights of the North Rim buildings.

Evening lightning over the Grand Canyon from Grandview Point.
Evening lightning over the Grand Canyon from Grandview Point.

The last image was taken as the storms ended leaving only a thin layer of clouds with the stars shining brightly and the inner canyon illuminated by the light of the full moon.

Full moon light shining down into Grand Canyon.
Full moon light shining down into Grand Canyon.

A few notes of interest. While taking lightning photos using my lightning trigger, a group of four photographers showed up at the same viewpoint — all with the same lightning trigger. And later, during the twilight hours, another group of lightning photographers arrived at the same viewpoint. Turns out these were folks from News9.com (an Oklahoma City television station). It’s not clear to me how lightning over the Grand Canyon is part of the news team coverage for Oklahoma City.

Thunderstorms and lightning have returned to northern Arizona

The North American Monsoon (NAM) got off to a slow start across northern Arizona this year despite a few predictions that it would start early and strong. It did in some locations but northern Arizona was not one of them. But after a few false starts, the rainy season is in full swing here. We’ve had a couple of days with substantial rainfall and that has — finally — put an end to the extreme fire danger.

Cloud-to-ground lightning from a distant thunderstorm at twilight.
Cloud-to-ground lightning from a distant thunderstorm at twilight.

And, with all the thunderstorms, comes another chance to photograph lightning. Yesterday (15 July 2012) turned out to be a very good day for lightning. By late afternoon, storms were weakening across northern Arizona but there remained a chance that there would be another round in the evening. And there was. At one point in time, I was observing lightning in all directions — none of it close however.

Thunderstorm lit from within by lightning during twilight hours.
Thunderstorm lit from within by lightning during twilight hours.

I found myself in Wupatki National Monument during the evening. I stopped at one of the many pullouts along the road that afforded me a view in multiple directions and set up to photograph. Initially, the best storms were to my north but since they were moving to the north they eventually were too far away. At the same time, a cluster of storms was moving northward across central Arizona. I could see only the tops of these storms but they still managed to light up the sky. Because they did not fill the sky yet there were plenty of stars visible as well. I was happy with the results: bright stars overhead, distant thunderstorms lit from the inside by lightning, and wonderful colors and light reflecting off the clouds in all directions.

Stars shine overhead as a cluster of distant thunderstorms light up the far horizon.
Stars shine overhead as a cluster of distant thunderstorms light up the far horizon.

It was amazingly quiet in the Monument. Only a few cars drove by at that time of the evening and the storms were distant so that the thunder was inaudible. It was so quiet I could hear the bats flitting around.

An amazing evening.

Buckskin Gulch sans water and mud

Three of us recently did a day hike in Buckskin Gulch. This is a well-known slot canyon on the Utah side of the Utah/Arizona border. The canyon is about 13 miles long making it one of the longest slot canyons in the southwest — and possibly the world.

A climbing move is required to bypass this boulder in Wire Pass -- a tributary of Buckskin Gulch. The pile of boulders at the bottom helps.
A climbing move is required to bypass this boulder in Wire Pass — a tributary of Buckskin Gulch. The pile of boulders at the bottom helps.

In normal years rainfall during the summer, fall, and winter leaves ankle- to knee-deep pools of cold water in the canyon. Hiking through here under these conditions is tricky since the pools are often scoured by the rushing water which may result in one side being deep and the other shallow as the sand or rocks build up. With muddy water it is impossible to see under the surface of the water and a walking pole is used to probe carefully before placing each step. A mis-step can result in going from knee-deep water to chest-deep water in one quick step!

Dry and sandy narrows through Buckskin Gulch.
Dry and sandy narrows through Buckskin Gulch.

Some years, however, the fall and winter months are dry and the canyon floor is dry in the spring. That was the case this year. After a wet fall, a dry winter and spring followed and this allowed the canyon floor to be water free — at least in the first few miles that we traveled.

Reflected light illuminates a far wall deep within Buckskin Gulch.
Reflected light illuminates a far wall deep within Buckskin Gulch.

The first time we did this hike (2004) it was dry and we mistakenly assumed this was normal. Returning to hike in 2005, 2006, and 2007, we were greeted each time with water. So it was a pleasant surprise to return after a few years absence and find it dry.

A narrow beam of light penetrates deep into the narrows of Buckskin Gulch and gently illuminates the side walls of the canyon.
A narrow beam of light penetrates deep into the narrows of Buckskin Gulch and gently illuminates the side walls of the canyon.

What was less pleasant was seeing how visitors to this amazing place have left graffiti along the canyon walls. There was no graffiti the first three times we visited and only one defacement the last time. This time there was graffiti in many locations in the first few miles of the canyon. It is truly saddening that people would do such a thing in a beautiful place.

Exquisitely textured walls found within Buckskin Gulch.
Exquisitely textured walls found within Buckskin Gulch.

Still, we had a great time walking a few miles down canyon, eating our lunch in the cool and quiet narrows of the slot, and enjoying our brief visit to this remarkable place.

Annular eclipse over the Grand Canyon

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Did you see it? There was an annular eclipse of the sun across the southwest today (20 May 2012). An annular eclipse occurs when the moon’s apparent diameter is just a bit smaller than that of the sun leaving a brilliant ring of fire.

The weather was magnificent with cloudless skies, warm temperatures, and light winds. The first two are common around here in the spring; the latter — not so much.

Although the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park was not on the center line it was close enough. Radio announcements all weekend indicated that there would be telescopes and free viewing/safety glasses for the public at Grand Canyon NP as well as other parks in the area. It was sure to be crowded and by early afternoon the Park Service was closing roads to some of the most congested viewpoints.

I ended up at Navajo Viewpoint and it eventually filled with many visitors and eclipse viewers. Telescopes and cameras were all lined up near the edge (but not TOO near the edge) of the Grand Canyon. Then we waited — and were rewarded with a spectacular show.

Composite image of the annular eclipse seen over Grand Canyon National Park.
Composite image of the annular eclipse seen over Grand Canyon National Park.

This is a composite of images taken using a 50-mm lens between 1723 and 1929 MST at 3-minute intervals. The background image was taken a few minutes after sunset and shows some of the smoke near the horizon from the many wildfires burning in the southwest.

The setting sun -- stil in partial eclipse -- as it dips behind the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
The setting sun — still in partial eclipse — as it dips behind the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

The middle image (600 mm focal length) captures the setting sun as it dips behind a tree-topped mesa on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Cameras and telescopes line the edge of the South Rim of Grand Canyon awaiting the annular eclipse.
Cameras and telescopes line the edge of the South Rim of Grand Canyon awaiting the annular eclipse.

The bottom image shows some of the cameras and telescopes lined up along the edge of the canyon.

Next: transit of Venus across the face of the sun on 05 June 2012.

Edit: fixed typos.

Desert View Watchtower at Grand Canyon National Park

Recently some friends visited northern Arizona and we gave them the quick, one-day tour of Grand Canyon National Park. We visited many of the easily accessible overlooks as well as a few that required some hiking which gave us some moments of solitude. The canyon is spectacular, but on this day I was more intrigued with photographing the interior of the Desert View Watchtower.

Mural on the wall of the Desert View Tower at Grand Canyon National Park.
Mural on the wall of the Desert View Tower at Grand Canyon National Park.

The Desert View Watchtower was the last of the series of Mary Colter-designed visitor concession structures at Grand Canyon National Park and was designed to resemble the Ancient Pueblo Peoples watchtowers found at Hovenweep National Monument and Mesa Verde National Monument. From the tower there are majestic views of the North Rim, South Rim, and East Rim as well as some of the better views of the Colorado River below as it turns westward.

Looking up through the grand staircase at Desert View Tower.
Looking up through the grand staircase at Desert View Tower.

The tower rises as an open shaft lined by circular balconies overlooking the central space and the interior walls contain many murals, including this one by Fred Kabotie. Many other petroglyph-style decorations art adorn the walls.

...And looking down on the visitors...
…And looking down on the visitors…

Looking up…and down…gives a grand sense of the structure.