Light Backpacking in Zion and Arches National Parks

On my way to Rocky Mountain Natl. Park I camped in Zion and Arches. Already enthralled to be leaving the nest, the scenery and silence woke up my senses and gave me quite a long awaited jolt of euphoria. I want to spend many years getting to know these places, these parks, intimately. I am in the right profession.










I have to be conservative about the pictures I post- I have taken many more, but the process of posting is extremely time consuming. You can tell my interest in the landscape is more botanical than topographical

Mojave National Preserve - April 4-5, 2009

I needed to flee the city for a bit, so I drove to MOJA, stopping by the CA Poppy Preserve in Lancaster first, to test out a new camera I bought (Nikon D60) on desert wildflowers. A good area to camp is 1 mile south of the Midway campsites, and west of the last remaining stand of junipers after the last Mojave fire. I hiked in about 1.5 miles.



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::Kelso Dunes::

A gem.
The part of the gem that sparkles.

The place where light unites,
and burns a hole in your retina.

"One, two, and three," pushups from territoriality. This little guy was checking himself out in the reflection of my camera lens, defending his hole under a shrub. He didn't see the big eyes and maw of my face that would have warned him that I, in my rolled up jeans and floppy straw hat, could be a predator. So, I was able to get within a few inches of him.