Arizona Strip, October 7-9, 2019

Mark, Father Charlie, and I went up north to the ‘Arizona Strip’ on October 7-9. It was a photography trip, in search of fall colors, and vistas from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

The Arizona Strip is an area in Arizona north of the Grand Canyon and south of the Utah border. There are a lot of scenic red-rock canyons, forests, and wildlife there. It includes the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, and the Grand Canyon National Park (North Rim).

It was a great trip. We hit the fall colors at their peak. Mark was a great guide. He knows the area very well, and took us to some really cool spots. I always learn something about landscape photography when I go out with Mark and Fr Charlie.

There are more photos than my normal post, but it is for all three days. Following is a brief travelogue, and then the photos.

DAY 1

We left on the morning of October 7th for our lodging at the Cliff Dwellers Lodge at the base of the Vermilion Cliffs. On the way we stopped at the Navajo Bridge Viewpoint, and then at Lee’s Ferry, and Lonely Dell Ranch. We also stopped for some pictures of the Vermilion Cliffs, and balanced rocks.

Lonely Dell Ranch was established in the late 19th century by early settlers. The National Park Service now maintains it. There is an orchard with apples, pears, peaches, plums, and apricots. Visitors can pick up to 5 gallons per day of fruit for free.

The Vermilion Cliffs form the Paria Plateau. They are beautiful layered cliffs with a lot of red. They are part (the second step) of the so-called Grand Staircase that goes from the Grand Canyon up to Bryce Canyon.

The Cliff Dwellers Lodge was built in the 40s. It was rustic, but a nice room. It also has a store (geared to campers and fishermen), and a restaurant.

DAY 2

We left about 7 AM for the 1.5 hour drive to the North Rim. We stopped at quite a few places along the way to photograph the fall colors, which were mostly aspen in that area. We were lucky to hit the peak of the aspens changing colors. They were bright yellow and red, like they were turned on with a light switch!

At the canyon, we hiked the Transept Trail for canyon views. We also stopped at Imperial Point (where we could see Mt. Hayden), Vista Encantada, and sunset at Cape Royal Point.

DAY 3

We went back to the Vermilion Cliffs and balanced rocks for some shots in the early morning light, when the red color is more pronounced.

We stopped at a viewing area for California Condors at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, which was on road BLM 1065. There were some wildlife biologists there monitoring the recently released juvenile condors as part of the condor reintroduction project. We saw the condors at a long distance at the top of the cliffs. They were too far away for a photo.

Next we stopped at Coal Mine Canyon. This is on the Navajo Indian Reservation. It is an awesome place. Off of Highway 264, we took a nondescript, unmarked dirt road, for a short distance through the desert and past some farms, and came abruptly to this amazing canyon! We were the only ones there.