Photography: My Shot – Nature’s Color Palette

October 14, 2019November 25, 2019Jeff

There appears to be a little-known gem in near Winslow, Arizona. It is to be found in Navajo County. It is a beautiful natural land mass that unfortunately receives little or no care from the federal, state or local governments. There are volunteers who try to keep the sparkle on this natural wonder.

The area is known as the Little Painted Desert and it is very much as pretty as many areas of the Painted Desert National Park. We happened to stumble upon information about this natural display of formations and colors and decided to visit the property to see it for ourselves.

This is just one small area and you can see how beautiful the colorful hues of purple, grey and brown mix together for a stunning display. Nature truly is the best at providing exquisite vistas upon which we are fortunate enough to gaze.

If you are on your way to Winslow, AZ near the Petrified Forest/Painted Desert Natioinal Parks, I think you would enjoy a brief stop at the Little Painted Desert as well. Just be aware that it is easy to miss as there is no signage and the rim road is in very poor, but drivable condition if you take it slow and exercise care.

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Metadata

File Name: paint_desert_pet_forest_XT2A2810.RAF
Capture time: 2:35:45 PM
Capture date: Sep 9, 2019
Exposure: 1/50 sec @ f/16
Focal Length: 55mm
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Fujifilm X-T2
18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS

Edited in Lightroom

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Adventures in Oregon: Adventures in Oregon: Cape Lookout, South Trail

January 16, 2018Jeff

It had been raining the day before and we had previously had our share of grey, misty days so we were excited to find the clouds lifting and the sun breaking through.

The majesty represented by a beautiful tree and a well-populated forest always resonated with my spirit and the South Trail on Cape Lookout did not disappoint in this respect.

The trail begins very modestly.

The South Trail of Cape Lookout Begins

Soon the coast appears to add interest to the hike. The fog was still rather low, but was beginning to lift.

The fog was lifting to reveal more of the ocean

As we moved further inland, the forest began to reveal some of its interesting sights. The ferns growing in the nooks and crannies of the tree limbs are known as basket ferns. This area is close enough to the shore to provide ample moisture for these plants to thrive.

Ferns growing in the crooks of tree limbs known as basket ferns

As the trail meandered through forest and intermittently along the coastline, we were treated to vistas of the ocean and shore.

The trail reveals vistas of the coast

This was a picturesque cove that we stopped to admire both coming and going!

A picturesque cove shows can be seen through a break in the tree line

The path was very muddy in places because of the recent rains.

The path was muddy from overnight rains

On the return trip, we began to encounter more hikers. Luckily we started early enough to have the trail to ourselves during most of the hike to the cape. In season, I would anticipate larger crowds.

This (below) was one of my favorite stops along the trail. The colorful browns and greens and the mist-laden atmosphere was very captivating.

A serene landscape along the trail

Here is another shot of the coast showing one of the panoramic views from the trail.

A panoramic view of the coast

Not actually a flower, this Chicken of the Woods wild mushroom (Laetiporus sulphureus), was as nice as many wildflowers.

Nature’s art seen in a beautiful wild mushroom

As we neared the parking area, we came across yet another Banana slug. They grow them big in this wooded area as the quarter coin next to it demonstrates!

Large Banana slug

While some may feel that the South Trail of Cape Lookout does not have a remarkable payoff at the end, it is a nice vantage point for whale watching and looking at the ocean. Keep in mind that getting there is more than half the fun!

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Read previous posts about our adventures hiking and exploring in Oregon:

Exploring Astoria, Oregon – Part 1

Exploring Astoria, Oregon – Part 2

Exploring Astoria, Oregon – Part 3

Adventures in Oregon: Warrenton to Seaside

Adventures in Oregon: Hiking at Indian Beach

Adventures in Oregon: Views from Ecola Point

Adventures in Oregon: Movin’ On Down the Road

Adventures in Oregon: Garibaldi’s Graces and Pier

Adventures in Oregon: Tillamook – Cape Meares Lighthouse

Read more Hiking and Exploration posts HERE

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All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross – 2018 – JBRish.com

Cape Meares, lighthouse, ocean, pacific, beach, scenery, history, landscape, pacific ocean

Hiking: Brins Mesa – Sedona, AZ

October 19, 2017October 19, 2017Jeff

Years ago we tried to hike the Brins Mesa trail with some visiting friends, but they weren’t hikers and soon decided that they weren’t prepared for the adventure so we returned to the car to visit other nearby and easily accessible vistas.

The Brins Mesa trail is probably best described as moderate to a bit more than moderate (at times). The trail is relatively well marked, but it is primarily uphill if you are starting from the main trailhead at the outskirts of town.

Soon after starting the climb, this is one of the scenes you will see.

One of the reasons for undertaking this hike is to admire the beautiful scenery and red rock vistas encountered along the entire trail.

There are what has been referred to as “natural stairs,” but the operative word there is natural. Creating steps from a rock face formed by nature is no easy task and as you might imagine, the spacing is not always ideal. Hiking sticks may be helpful for those who are less sure-footed.

In almost every direction, the red and sand-colored rocks rise above the trees to the wonder and appreciation of trailblazers.

You don’t see the mesa itself for a while, but persevere and you will come to a shelf-like geological feature that is the Brins Mesa (pictured below).

It is unfortunate that years ago there was a fire that destroyed many of the trees and the carcasses of those sentinels can be seen along the mesa’s trail.

For those who enjoy photography, there are numerous opportunities to capture memorable landscapes.

As we were hiking along the trail, we noticed what looked like a ledge (drop off) and a valley. We also spotted an outcropping or rather a small hill and we decided to explore. There is a trail leading in that general direction.

The picture below was taken while I was standing at the ledge. Notice the darker, reddish dirt in the valley.

I took a couple of panoramas (linked below) as the red rock mountains were spread out before me. It was too wide and too beautiful for me to capture in just one or two pictures. After some exploration and appreciatiion, we decided to return to the trailhead. Although it was mid-October, the day was quite warm and we had a long day. This is the scene looking back toward the ridge and surrounding mountains.

One rule of photography is to look behind you as you travel because sometimes, the best view is not in front, but in back. When returning along the same trail, this maxim becomes self-fulfilling. These are a few of the pretty formations we captured during the return to the trailhead.

Famous Bell Rock can be seen in the center of the photo below where the sky seems to meet the low-lying structure. It is hard to pick out, but look for the little nub on top.

Red rock spires and hoodoos (column of rock) are abundant.

Here are the two panoramas…

To see a larger photo of the scene, make your browser window larger and click HERE

To see a larger photo of the scene, make our browser window larger and click HERE

More information about the Brins Mesa trail can be found at the following links:

Brins Mesa Trail No. 119 – Forest Service (USDA)

Brins Mesa Trail – AZ Highways

Read more Hiking and Exploration posts HERE

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Hiking the Peralta Trail, Gold Canyon, AZ – 20160625

June 25, 2017Jeff

NOTE – Keep in mind that we took this hike and these pictures represent the trail as we saw it in December, 2009. The trail may have changed a bit since them and some of the flora may no longer be exactly where we are reporting, but this is a good representation of things you may find along the way. Perhaps you will find even more intriguing highlights.

Of course the large rock formations and mountains will remain largely unchanged.

A view from close to the saddle near the top of the Peralta Trail

As hikers continue to climb, it pays to look back “down” the trail. In some cases, hikers may find that the best views are behind them. This photo was taken as we began to approach the part of trail leading to the saddle, but looking back toward the trailhead.

Read more about the Peralta Trail HERE.

Previous posts and photographs in the Peralta Trail series in chronological order:

Trailhead – Posted June 3, 2017

Trail Sign – Posted June 4, 2017

Rugged Terrain – Posted June 5, 2017

Hands Up Saguaro – Posted June 6, 2017

Mountains beckon hikers to travel upward – Posted June 18, 2017

Window Rocl – Posted June 19, 2017

Mountains in the distance – Posted June 20, 2017

More rock formations – Posted June 21, 2017

Interesting rock formations abound along the Peralta Trail – Posted June 21, 2017

Saguaros appear along the trail – Posted June 23, 2017

Human-like Rock Formation – June 24,, 2017

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Trail Ridge Road (RMNP) Marmots

September 25, 2016September 25, 2016Jeff

The first marmot I saw, as far as I know, was at Yosemite National Park. I thought it was a beaver scampering across Tuolumne Meadows, but after doing some research and speaking with others, I came to the conclusion it was indeed a marmot. I had never heard of a marmot before that encounter.

“Yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) are one of the largest members of the squirrel family. They can be two feet in length and weigh up to 11 pounds. Their large body size is an adaptation to the cold, high elevation sites in which they live. Marmots have reddish-brown fur and a yellow belly, from which they get their name. They are related to woodchucks and groundhogs in other parts of the country.” (Via link below)

We recently visited Rocky Mountain National Park and they have their share of marmots as well. One day we drove along the Trail Ridge Road picking spots to get out and hike. It was bitter that day especially when considering we were coming from the N. Phoenix (100+ degree) area. The temperature was 34 degrees with serious wind gusts. Nevertheless, we braved the wind and cold to see beautiful vistas and whatever else we came across.

As I emerged from the car wearing a hiking shirt, hoodie, nylon rain jacket, lip balm, gloves and toting two cameras, I walked to the end of a paved path outpost and sunning themselves on the distant boulders to gather whatever heat they could were two marmots.

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Capture time: 8:46 AM
Capture date: Sep 15, 2016
Exposure: 1/400 sec @ f/7
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ISO 100
Canon SX50 HS

You can read more about marmots here – Rocky Mountain National Park (Service)

JBRish.com originally published this post
See previous JBRish posts and pictures about wildlife HERE

JBRish.com – quips & queries

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vistas

Photography: My Shot – Nature’s Color Palette

Adventures in Oregon: Adventures in Oregon: Cape Lookout, South Trail

Hiking: Brins Mesa – Sedona, AZ

Hiking the Peralta Trail, Gold Canyon, AZ – 20160625

Trail Ridge Road (RMNP) Marmots