Autumn in Zion

~ lawrencepallant ~ 8 Comments

I took about a week in Zion National Park in Utah. I was skeptical about going to Zion after having such a great time in the eastern Sierra, but that quickly changed. When I go out photographing I never know what I am going to find. While in Zion I found great autumn colors. But one day we had snow at the higher elevations.

Roots – Eastern Canyons of Zion

While driving in Zion, the day after the storm, I saw cars covered with snow coming from the higher elevations. I made up my mind to drive to the snow. I ended up in Bryce Canyon National Park at an elevation of about 8,000 feet.

Winter Wind in the Trees
Alone on a Hill
Winter Pines
Hoodoos of Bryce

After a day in the snow, I returned to the canyons of Zion. The storm had briefly filled some of the washes, taking away footprints and leaving patterns in the sand. The two colorful leaves in the photo below were placed there by me. The small brown leave was placed there by nature.

Sandy Wash after the Storm
Cliff Dwellers

On the following day I visited a higher elevation canyon in Zion and found the area delightfully dusted with snow from the days before.

Frosting of Snow
Dancers
Dancers in a Snowy Meadow
Frosty Leaves
Tracks – I was initially drawn to the rocks in the colorful sand. The tracks were an added bonus.

To see more photo from this collection, click here.

Autumn in the Eastern Sierra #2

~ lawrencepallant ~ 10 Comments

Over the next days I moved north, basing myself in Lee Vining. From there I explored areas south along the June Lake Loop and north toward Conway Summit. Here are some photos from the rest of the trip. But I start with an abstract image of the mountain reflected in the ripples of the lake from my first day.

To see a larger collection of images from this trip, click here. You will be directed to my main website which has a much better viewing experience on a large screen.

Starfire

The next three images were taken along the June Lake Loop, an area that I have only just begun to explore.

Colorful Trunks
Aspen under Pines
Creekside Colors

The next four photos were from a high vantage point were you can look down on an expanse of aspens, open lands, and a mix of willows. I especially love the texture and soft blue-purple of the willow bushes. All of these photos were taken in the soft light after sunset until it was almost dark.

Willows and Aspen
Aspen River
Twilight on Aspens
Aspen Willow Panorama

The eastern Sierra portion of my trip ended with a visit to some wild horses in the grasslands. I stood around observing the horses for about an hour hoping to see some action. They mostly stood around too.

Wild Horses

To see a collection of images from this trip, click here.