Saturday August 12th 2017

I spent the day reading, watching TV and reflecting on yesterday’s trip to Canyonlands National Park. I’ve included a few more pictures of the canyons in this blog entry.

There are strong winds on the edge of the canyons. Dead trees finally give way to the wind. (Note: Picture taken with cell phone.)

Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are only about 30 miles apart so it is tempting to compare them, but they are very different. At Arches National Park you are in the middle of the rock formations. It is an immersive experience. Most of the time there is something interesting to see in every direction. The Islands in the Sky unit of Canyonlands National Park is on the top of a mesa at around six thousand feet. This is high desert land that isn’t very interesting. The beauty at this park are the views from the edge of the mesa. Some of the viewing areas are a few hundred feet from the parking lots and for others you need to hike a half a mile or more. Either way its well worth the effort.

The Colorado River is at the very bottom of this canyon. The area is known as Grand View Point for the original name of the river. Originally it was only known as the Colorado after it merged with the Green River.  (Note:  This picture was taken with the Canon camera. )

View from Grand View Point.  (Picture taken with Canon point and shoot camera.)

Yesterday I was very frustrated taking pictures with my Canon point and shoot camera. The cloudy day didn’t provide enough light to get good sharp pictures. I was getting much better results with my cell phone. I like the Canon for its 12x zoom lens in a very small package. The zoom is very helpful getting a nice shot of distant objects. The cell phone is very good for wide shots and panoramas. At both Arches and Canyonlands I used the Canon point and shot on my way out on the trails and used the cell phone on the way back to the car. Comparing the images on my computer the cell phone pictures have more vivid colors and are generally sharper. I’m going to start looking for another small camera with a good zoom lens. I’ll probably have to replace the phone soon too. The screen is developing a crack in one corner.

Another view at Grand View point. (Picture taken with Cell phone.)

Tomorrow is my last full day here in Green River UT. I will be moving back to the west on Monday. From Richfield UT I’ll visit Capitol Reef National Park. I expect to see a different take on canyons and rock formations, but still no real forests or dense vegetation. After more than a month and a half in high desert, I’d like to find a nice wooded area.