A view of the loneliest part of Canyonlands- the Maze District, from Cleopatra's Chair sandwiched by the Henrys, across Turks Head with the Green River flowing around its White Rim cap, then south (left) past Ekker Butte and the Chocolate Drops barely visible on the far left. This view (from Green River Overlook) is one of my favorites off the Island in the Sky, though it is so massive and lacking of a main subject, it relies on the beauty of the gestalt to keep the eye entertained.
I will be out of Flickr action for about 3 weeks, though will hopefully be able to check in periodically- would hate to miss your wonderful posts!
Tags: Canyonlands National Park Canyonlands Green River Overlook Cleopatra's Chair Maze District Turks Head Winter Henry Mountains
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The view from Bighorn Mountain looking southeast across Fourmile and Boulder Canyons, towards Green Mountain, Bear Peak, and South Boulder Mountain. In the gap between the bare sunlit slope and the forested hill in the distance you can make out the tops of the 3 iconic Flatirons, and above them the skyscrapers of downtown Denver.
The barren slope is a reminder of the September 2010 fire that roared through Fourmile Canyon. After six days the fire had singed 6181 acres (10 square miles), and destroyed 168 homes.
On the two summits in the middle of the photo (Bear Peak and South Boulder Mountain) you can see a bare area burned by the Flagstaff Fire of 2012, which burned 300 acres, and put part of the City of Boulder on alert for evacuation.
Tags: Bighorn Mountain Gold Hill road Boulder County fire scars forest fires Fourmile Canyon fire Flagstaff fire
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… on a windy day
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3QqWErne1w
A male Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) glides toward the nest occupied by his mate, eagerly anticipating his arrival home. While the gusty wind made his landing a bit less graceful than usual, it did ruffle his mates plumage in a way that made him recall Marilyn’s stance over the steam vent, stirring his ardor a bit and warming the homecoming.
This angle on the male reinforces my amazement that these birds only weigh around 5 to 6 pounds (2.5 kg) despite their relatively large size. Evolution’s masterful engineering yields this wonderful feat mostly as a result of their hollow bones.
Tags: Great Blue Heron Ardea Herodias Crane Hollow Boulder County Colorado heron nest mated pair late afternoon light windy
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On a clear morning the early warm light begins to illuminate the sky above the Henry Mountains and the Blue Hills. The latter are often compared to a lunar or Martian landscape. The eroded Mancos shale (capped by Ferron sandstone) that makes up the Blue Hills doesn’t support much vegetation, laying bare the easily eroded Cretaceous age deposits of siltstones. If you’ve ever tried to drive through soil eroded from Mancos shale when it is wet you know something about how it turns into a goopy, tire eating mess. The Henrys rise to 11,600’ (3500 m), around 6000’ (1800 m) above the viewpoint where this shot was taken (~ 5000’/ 1500 m).
Tags: Blue Hills Henry Mountains moonscape overlook sunrise dawn Mancos shale Ferron sandstone Utah erosion
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Late day sun lights up the buttes and monuments of Canyonlands National Park, including both the Maze and Island in the Sky Districts. In the center Ekker Butte is framed by a peninsula of rock extending from Panorama Point, with the Manti La Sal mountains above it, and a weathered juniper branch reaching out to touch it. In the valley below the Green River cuts through the White Rim as it rolls to its rendezvous with the Colorado River.
3 shot focus stack
Tags: Canyonlands National Park Ekker Butte Panorama Point Maze District Island in the Sky Manti La Sal Mountains Sunset Utah public land for public use
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