- Joined
- Apr 20, 2013
- Messages
- 1,304
Thanksgiving weekend.
After surviving a ratio of 10:1 kids to adults while my wife and her sister went shopping at 1pm Thanksgiving afternoon, including a 6 month old with a nasty cough... by Friday I had paid my dues to be gone the rest of the weekend with a friend.
Weather couldn't be warmer for Thanksgiving weekend, but days are short. So on Friday we arrived at the Wedge at dinner time, after dark, finding many souls with similar plans. We found ourselves a spot, talked long into the eternal winter night, and woke to a beautiful day.
The next day we drove down Buckhorn. Knowing daylight was short , there was not a real itinerary other than being outside. We stopped at a few places along the way, scaring up a big ram down in the wash with a broken tip on his horn, but he was too fast for a camera.
We decided to stick with easy and headed up the San Rafael with an idea of finding a spot for lunch and then getting back with enough daylight to find another good spot for the night. The air was so clean. The grass, leftover leaves... everything seemed golden, bright and stark.
As we hiked upriver toward the overlook, we decided on a side canyon, with a hope of gaining the larger shelf above, and a 1/4 mile later we scrambled up onto the shelf and had lunch in the sunshine and stratus clouds. Then we walked back in the already lengthening afternoon shadows.
We took a regulation site for the night, and were treated to an incredible sunset.
During dinner and into the rest of the evening we were entertained by an assertive fox.
Sunday morning came early for me. Going to bed early had me awake, like wide awake by 430am. After trying to convince myself to sleep, I gave up... My ears were ringing in the perfect silence (let's blame tinnitus from suburbia). I ended up putting on some music and watching time peacefully crawl by as stars disappeared behind passing clouds.
The warming light of dawn brought a sunrise so lively and colorful it was beyond my skill, but I tried.
The trip was laid back and perfect to recenter after what have been some very hectic months. The weather gave us pleasant temps when the sun was shining, but pull down your sleeves when it wasn't... no wind... gorgeous sights, sunrises and sunsets. It was fantastic.
Goofing around with night shots on a 1k'?-ish drop
The Buckhorn panel is intriguing.
Saw a nice sized ram down in the creekbed here.
All day was Fun With Clouds...
Going up San Rafael proper
Now more fun with clouds, and this beautiful wingate tower.
Climbing the wash with the tower for company.
Lunch and kicking back views.
Shadows spread so quickly...
Golden glowing up for sunset..
Our assertive dinner guest and entertainment. She hung out with us for a while. Eyes dancing in the headlamps and fire.
Late dawn and then sunrise from the overlook proper. Still starry while the horizon warmed up. This was a 10s exposure.
There's a window high on the cliff right near the trailhead down at the river below, and from the overlook with the sun rising you could see it clearly. It was harder to capture, but it is there bottom center of frame.
Panorama of the stunning Sunday morning.
There were so many clouds that once the sun came up it rarely broke through and the day had mellow light. I went down below the rim a little ways from the overlook, but the sun only broke through for a few minutes.
A goodbye shot.
After surviving a ratio of 10:1 kids to adults while my wife and her sister went shopping at 1pm Thanksgiving afternoon, including a 6 month old with a nasty cough... by Friday I had paid my dues to be gone the rest of the weekend with a friend.
Weather couldn't be warmer for Thanksgiving weekend, but days are short. So on Friday we arrived at the Wedge at dinner time, after dark, finding many souls with similar plans. We found ourselves a spot, talked long into the eternal winter night, and woke to a beautiful day.
The next day we drove down Buckhorn. Knowing daylight was short , there was not a real itinerary other than being outside. We stopped at a few places along the way, scaring up a big ram down in the wash with a broken tip on his horn, but he was too fast for a camera.
We decided to stick with easy and headed up the San Rafael with an idea of finding a spot for lunch and then getting back with enough daylight to find another good spot for the night. The air was so clean. The grass, leftover leaves... everything seemed golden, bright and stark.
As we hiked upriver toward the overlook, we decided on a side canyon, with a hope of gaining the larger shelf above, and a 1/4 mile later we scrambled up onto the shelf and had lunch in the sunshine and stratus clouds. Then we walked back in the already lengthening afternoon shadows.
We took a regulation site for the night, and were treated to an incredible sunset.
During dinner and into the rest of the evening we were entertained by an assertive fox.
Sunday morning came early for me. Going to bed early had me awake, like wide awake by 430am. After trying to convince myself to sleep, I gave up... My ears were ringing in the perfect silence (let's blame tinnitus from suburbia). I ended up putting on some music and watching time peacefully crawl by as stars disappeared behind passing clouds.
The warming light of dawn brought a sunrise so lively and colorful it was beyond my skill, but I tried.
The trip was laid back and perfect to recenter after what have been some very hectic months. The weather gave us pleasant temps when the sun was shining, but pull down your sleeves when it wasn't... no wind... gorgeous sights, sunrises and sunsets. It was fantastic.
Goofing around with night shots on a 1k'?-ish drop
The Buckhorn panel is intriguing.
Saw a nice sized ram down in the creekbed here.
All day was Fun With Clouds...
Going up San Rafael proper
Now more fun with clouds, and this beautiful wingate tower.
Climbing the wash with the tower for company.
Lunch and kicking back views.
Shadows spread so quickly...
Golden glowing up for sunset..
Our assertive dinner guest and entertainment. She hung out with us for a while. Eyes dancing in the headlamps and fire.
Late dawn and then sunrise from the overlook proper. Still starry while the horizon warmed up. This was a 10s exposure.
There's a window high on the cliff right near the trailhead down at the river below, and from the overlook with the sun rising you could see it clearly. It was harder to capture, but it is there bottom center of frame.
Panorama of the stunning Sunday morning.
There were so many clouds that once the sun came up it rarely broke through and the day had mellow light. I went down below the rim a little ways from the overlook, but the sun only broke through for a few minutes.
A goodbye shot.
