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Today our photographic journey begins at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park .
Of course that means we rise before dawn for the 45-minute drive from Moab into the Island in the Sky portion of the park.

Once again, it’s dark when we take the short hike to our destination. Other photographers have arrived before us but there’s still room to set up tripods before the sun rises. Now, we must wait for the perfect shot.

The early morning start is worth it. As the sun rises, it lights up the arch with a yellow-orange glow. Taking a shot of the distant rock formations through the colorful arch provides the classic photograph of Mesa Arch.

After the sun rises, the group drives to the Green River overlook where nature has created a rugged land of canyons. A river twists and turns through the landscape while the faint lines of numerous dirt roads beckon to be explored.

The photography group practices shots of grand vistas then turns to close-up portraits of the nature that sits near the rim of the overlook.

On the way back to Moab, Jim directs us to Potash Rd where petroglyphs decorate a section of rock walls that line the road. The animals and warriors carved into the rock have an eternal view of the scenic river that sits on the other side of the road. On another section of rock, climbing instructors make their own mark as they chisel handholds into the rock so that newbies can practice the art of traversing the steep stone.

Later in the day, we take the 50-mile drive to The Needles area of Canyonlands for a sunset shoot. But first, we stop at Wilson Arch, where another photographic opportunity waits to be captured in our camera lenses.

At Needles Overlook, a vast land sits before us. We take the trail that provides a view of ranchland, rock monuments and more canyons. Before it was a park, the land was part of a ranch that was bigger than the state of Rhode Island. Dirt tracks criss-cross the area, tempting our curiosity. What is it like to travel those dusty roads? Ah, another tempting journey.

The sun rewards us with a golden-red show before our drive back to Moab.


To read more about our photo workshop experience with Jim Altengarten, vist this page at my blog about baby boomer travel, My Itchy Travel Feet

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