Vermillion Cliffs National Monument

Damn, that was close...

Wanted to visit Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. Several people have told me what a special place it is. So, yesterday I drove my truck down Rt 89 to the dirt road that provides access to the trails and features of this area. Explored the road from north to south and then back again before the sun started disappearing below the western hills. Arrived late in the afternoon and didn't have time to register with the BLM for a camping permit so I just stopped at the northern entrance and parked my truck, intent on sleeping there until sunrise. It was a miserable night with wind and some rain but we got thorough OK. Around 6 I woke up and dressed for a cold day as there were overcast skies and lots of dark clouds. Can't say I was thinking about rain all that much as the West is in a drought. Found Wire Pass parking spot (this is also the entry portal for 'the wave' but you need a special access permit for that). Loaded up all my camera gear (a big mistake) and started hiking down the dry riverbed toward where the slot canyons were supposed to be. Walked for what seemed hours, with a very heavy camera bag and tripod bag weighing me down with each step but never got to the canyons. Knew something was not right but didn't have my brain working well enough to figure out what it was. Discouraged, I walked back to my truck and decided to wait an hour plus I dumped all the unneeded camera gear but my body, the wide angle lens and the tripod sans carrying case. At 10 I started walking again and, this time, the going was much easier. Roughly 1/4 mile past where I gave up there it was ... the first of a long string of slot canyons. Some were narrow while others were wide and very deep but each was a structural masterpiece. The camera was overloaded with images. Not that the going was all roses ... several places were blocked with debris which is not cleared (this area has been given the wilderness designation meaning almost zero interference with natural processes in the canyons) but those were minor compared to the drama unfolding before my camera. Tired but happy I reluctantly turned and headed back to my truck.

I'd had a hard night so decided to catch a bit of sleep before starting back to the main highway. The sky was cloudy but not in a really threatening way so I was surprised to awaken to the sound of hard rain hitting the truck's metal roof. I looked around and could see people frantically working to stow gear and get out of the lot. The dirt road, under these conditions, would quickly become a quagmire. With some trepidation, I started driving north and it soon became apparent the drive would not go well. About 4 miles from the main road my truck, a rear wheel drive pickup, started swerving violently and soon I was half on/half off the road. As most people had already left the park, I worried I'd be staying in this position for at least the night if not longer. However, fate smiled and a BLM ranger plus a big 4x4 came tooling up the hill and rescued me. The Jeep easily pulled my truck off the edge and towed me all the way to the main highway. The driver was such a good guy he refused any renumeration for his wonderful deed. And, the folks from BLM were more than helpful getting me back on my way.

Rain has been a scarce commodity in the West for some time so it was a big surprise when a huge storm swept thru the area and dumped a ton of water. The road into Vermillion Cliffs was just graded a few days ago and is now badly rutted and in terrible condition again. The folks from BLM tell me it will be 3 months or more before another grading is offered so anyone going in or out of the monument is in for some rough driving. We all had a good laugh about the coincidence with the repairs and the bad weather but it's unfortunate this happened. But it's also a warning to me ... don't take these dirt roads lightly. I'd planned to take another dirt road to the Grand Canyon's north rim but it too received lots of rain so that's off for now. I'll have to wait for May 15 when the paved road is opened. I can wait as I have no desire to spend many days stuck in thick, sticky mud and perhaps even hurt myself. No picture is worth that much risk.

Vermillion Cliff Slot Canyon

Most of us are familiar with Antelope Canyon, the iconic slot canyon just south of Page, AZ. My AAA atlas' cover photo was taken there. The most expensive photo every sold (don't get me started on that again} was also taken there. It's a beautiful place and well worth visiting if you have the chance. Vermillion Cliffs also has slot canyons ... miles and miles of slot canyons ... but they receive very few visitors. Why, you ask? First, it's Vermillion Cliffs, a monument administered by the BLM, not the Park Service. It has zero amenities and only the bare essentials for it's clients. No flush toilets (just crude chemical tanks that you look into as you sit and do your duty), no electricity, no running water (or water of any kind), no internet, no cell phone ... no anything so It only attracts the most hardy or foolish of us. The road in is not for the faint of heart. And the slot canyons are not well maintained and are in a very natural and chaotic state. Second, there are no guides so you have to figure out everything for yourself. There aren't any signs telling you which way to go. There's no one to even warn you if a flash flood is coming. It's all very primitive and you're definitely on your own. But, and this is the big positive but, there's no $100 fee, no guide telling you to hurry along so the next group can enter and no herd of people randomly snapping away while you try to capture a picture worth remembering. Oh ... and the canyon walls are basically only 2 colors ... vermillion (thus the name) and black. Antelope canyon is a bit more colorful. You decide which is a better bargain...

Vermillion Cliffs - 1mm (1.6 crop), f/18, various exposures, ISO 100, license CC BY-NC 4.0

The dynamic range in the slots was all over the place. Near the bottom you could barely see while the open top was ablaze with light. I did bracketed exposures (5 with 1 ev between them) to get all the shades and that probably wasn't enough. I then put these images through Photomatix and, as usual, I tried not to get too carried away with my sliders. Just blacks and whites and strength in the tone mapping. Then back to Lightroom for some final tweaking of clarity and vibrance. Now, I've got maybe 28 sets of pictures so there's a lot more to process. I quickly scanned the lot and picked a representative but interesting image to process. I'll do more as time permits and, if they're worth it, I'll post them here later.