@canyonbirds
Wandering the American Southwest on foot.
An ordinary scene along the upper Paria River, no longer a part of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Kane County has long wanted to put a road through here. As a society, we're profoundly lost. #YellowThu #hiking #backpacking
Bear with me while I grieve. I found a map of the new boundaries of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and they're ridiculous. Only a short segment of the upper Escalante River remains protected; this segment is SOL. #RedWed
Donald Trump and his cronies don't think this is worth protecting. Wahweap Hoodoos near Big Water, UT. #RockinTuesday
I am not surprised, yet absolutely furious, about Trump's decimation of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. Here's an example of what's now open for destruction.
For #RockinTuesday, how about a nice arch? This is Trinity Double Arch in Capitol Reef National Park.
A hike along the Waterpocket Fold on a warm morning in May. I was taking a shade break, steeling myself for the slog up the Burr Trail switchbacks, when a NPS vehicle started up the hill. I flagged it down and hitched a ride. Sometimes the universe says that everything will be okay. #OrangeSun
On a Friday morning sometime in the Cretaceous, a marine critter burrowed through the mud. A hundred million years later, fossil casts of the burrows are exposed in the Dakota Formation. #FossilFriday
An early morning walk in the middle Jurassic Entrada Formation near Lake Powell before the day heats up. #RockinTuesday
Strike Valley Overlook in Capitol Reef National Park for today's #BlueSkyArtShow theme #wide.
Happy #FossilFriday! There was a week during which I found two dinosaur trackways in the Vermilion Cliffs. This is one of them. At the time I joked that I'll never find another, and so far that's turned out to be true.🙄
I hope you all have a great week! Be sure to wear sunscreen and drink enough water. #BlueSkyMonday #hiking
A fun find from a morning walk a few days ago. There are many styles of black-on-white Puebloan pottery. That's about the extent of my knowledge, so I can't say specifically which one this represents. Just a reminder: take only photos, leave only footprints. #BWFri
For #OrangeSun, let's chill at 10,000 ft at Cedar Breaks National Monument. The calendar may say it's the first day of summer, but at that elevation it feels like early spring. #Stunday #scapes
For #RockinTuesday, some sculptural tafoni rock weathering, Capitol Reef National Park.
I hope you're all in the pink for Monday. #PinkMon #BlueSkyMonday #hiking
Some red, white, and blue for Flag Day. This country's public lands are something we can all celebrate. #scapes #Stunday #hiking #backpacking
Hanging gardens along the East Fork of the Virgin River just outside Zion National Park. #GreenSat #ShotsInSlots #hiking #backpacking
So much water in the desert...this pool on the lower Paria River has been changing over the past couple of years. I've waded it when it was thigh-deep; on this trip one could skirt around to the left. #AlphabetChallenge #WeekWforWater #hiking #backpacking
I hope you all have a delightful day. #AlphabetChallenge #WeekWForWater #backpacking #hiking
For all those addicted to the NYT Spelling Bee...a friend just sent me this. My goal every morning is to reach Genius before finishing my coffee; this big mug improves my chances. 😄 #YellowThu
For #RockinTuesday, veins and layers of gypsum running through rock of the mid-Jurassic Carmel Formation, Capitol Reef National Park.
Sunday prescription: get outside and breathe some fresh air. #Stunday #OrangeSun #hiking #backpacking
It's Saturday, so it must be time for #ShotsInSlots. I hope you have as much fun today as I had going through this. #hiking
I spent the morning hiking at around 6,000 ft just to beat the heat. I hope that wherever you are, the temperature is perfect.☀️