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Thursday
Daytrip - Bellagio's Botanical Garden and Conservatory
Tuesday
Daytrip - Bonanza Trail Hike
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Monday
Index for Category - Waterfowl & Fish
This page last updated on 02/17/2018
Sunday
Index for Category - Pareidolia Pictures
This page last updated on 12/27/2017
Unusual Pictures: This category was created to display pictures that fit under the phenomenon of Pareidolia (pair-i-DOH-lee-ə); a psychological phenomenon in which the mind responds to a stimulus, usually a visual image, by perceiving a familiar pattern where none exists (e.g., in random data). Common examples are perceived images of animals, faces, or objects in cloud formations, the Man in the Moon, the Moon rabbit, etc. Over the course of the last 4-5 years of hiking, I have come across dozens of natural tree and rock formations that suggest (to me) familiar patterns.
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The Tree Knot
Crustose Lichens - Grapevine Canyon Stump & Rock Dog Faces Crustose Lichens - Redstone NV |
Index for Category - Collages
This page last updated on 12/27/2017
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Saturday
Index for Category - Portraits of Us & Family
This page last updated on 01/21/2017
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Index for Category – Artworks and Sculptures - Collections, Exhibits & Installations
This page last updated on 03/24/2018
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Index for Category - Boulder City Hikes
This page last updated on 04/13/2018
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Antelope Canyon - Page Arizona
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This page last updated on 12/12/2017
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| (Fig. 01) |
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Description: Because Antelope Canyon is located on land owned by the Navajo nation, the road to the canyon is gated. Since 1997, the Navajo have allowed access to the canyon only on authorized guided tours, both to protect the canyon from overuse and vandalism and to ensure the safety of visitors. Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon carved out by the same waters that flowed into the Colorado River and carved the Grand Canyon. The canyon walls have been carved into what looks like fluid rock. Water from above Antelope Canyon travels through cracks and caverns in the sandstone until it builds up significant speed near Antelope Canyon. As the flood water rushes and spirals through the present formations, the water continually sands and reshapes the walls into sandstone masterpieces. This water eventually makes its way to Lake Powell and ultimately the Colorado River. Unaccompanied visitors to the Antelope Canyon are prohibited due to potential flash floods. In 1997, 11 tourists were killed by a flash flood. The danger comes from the water accumulating far from the canyon itself. It could rain 10 miles from Antelope Canyon and create a flash flood. See Note (1) below.
Antelope Canyon is the most famous slot canyon in the southwest. More people visit and photograph Antelope Canyon than any other formation of its kind. In short, Antelope Canyon is a canyon that consists of two distinct areas: the upper antelope canyon, also known as Tse' bighanilini, and the lower antelope canyon, commonly referred to as Hasdestwazi. According to Native American history, large herds of antelope once roamed Antelope Canyon, providing the canyon with its name. The canyon is regarded as a spiritual place where Native Americans can connect and seek insight from Mother Nature. Antelope Canyon formed due as a result of erosion caused by flash flooding during the monsoon season. Over time, rainwater rushed across the canyon, picked up speed and washed the ground away.
Trip Notes: The pictures in this post are from a road trip that my wife Connie, Marc Resnic and I took back in took back in October of 2009. To get the most out of our visit, we split up; Connie and Marc toured the 'upper' canyon and I toured the more difficult 'lower canyon. While the Navajo call this canyon "the place where water runs through rocks," most tourists come to know the upper section as the Crack, and the lower as the Corkscrew. The pictures shown here from the upper canyon were taken by Marc. I took so many photographs here, each beautiful and unique in its own way, that it was really hard to select just a few for posting here. Some provide beautiful color, some unique geometric-like shapes, some smoothed textures like you have never seen before.
The Upper Antelope Canyon is called Tsé bighánílíní, 'the place where water runs through rocks' by the Navajo. Upper Antelope is at about 4,000 feet elevation and the canyon walls rise 120 feet above the streambed. It is the most frequently visited by tourists for two reasons. First, its entrance and entire length are at ground level, requiring no climbing. Second, beams or shafts of direct sunlight radiating down from openings at the top of the canyon are much more common in the upper canyon vs the lower canyon (Fig. 03). These beams occur most often in the summer months, as they require the sun to be high in the sky. (con't below)
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The sunlight filtering down the curved sandstone walls makes magical, constantly changing patterns and shadows in many subtle shades of color (Fig. 04). Some sections of the canyon are wide and bright, while others are narrower and more cave-like, with no light reaching the sandy floor. After only 150 yards or so, the canyon becomes suddenly much shallower near the top of the plateau. It may take only 3 or 4 minutes to walk straight through, but the canyon is well worth the arduous trek or expensive journey required to get there (Fig. 05). (Con't below)
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As you decend down through the canyon there are even some metal steps to aid in walking (Fig. 10). Many of the water carved walls look like 'pulled taffy' (Figs. 11 & 12). When I was a kid back in the 60’s, I worked in Junkin’s Candy & Ice Cream shop at Hampton Beach, N.H. Their main claim to fame was making pure salt water taffies right in front of the customers. The water and wind honed sandstone ledges look almost exactly like the salt water taffy we used to make back then.Depending upon the lighting from above you are constantly presented with a variety of ever changing colors (Figs. 13 thru 15). Sometimes you can even recognize objects or faces in the carved sandstone. This is called pareidolia. Check out this page (and then use your browser back button to return here. Examples of Pareidolia (con't below)
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(Fig. 20) (1) Note - Antelope Canyon Floods: Rains during monsoon season can quickly flood the canyon even though rain does not have to fall on or near the Antelope Canyon slots. Flash floods to can whip through from rain falling dozens of miles away upstream of the canyons. Water can funnel into them with little prior notice. On August 12, 1997, eleven tourists, including seven from France, one from the United Kingdom, one from Sweden and two from the United States, were killed in Lower Antelope Canyon by a flash flood. Very little rain fell at the site that day, but an earlier thunderstorm had dumped a large amount of water into the canyon basin, 7 miles upstream. The lone survivor of the flood was tour guide Francisco "Pancho" Quintana, who had prior swift-water training. At the time, the ladder system consisted of amateur-built wood ladders that were swept away by the flash flood. Today, steel ladder systems have been bolted in place, and deployable cargo nets are installed at the top of the canyon. At the fee booth, a NOAA Weather Radio from the National Weather Service and an alarm horn are stationed. Despite improved warning and safety systems, the risks of injuries from flash floods still exist. On July 30, 2010, several tourists were stranded on a ledge when two flash floods occurred at Upper Antelope Canyon. Some of them were rescued and some had to wait for the flood waters to recede. There were reports that a woman and her nine-year-old son were injured as they were washed away downstream, but no fatalities were reported. |
Index for Category - Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art
This page last updated on 03/21/2018
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Index for Category - Stone Images
This page last updated on 12/26/2017
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Index for Category - Desert Tortoise
Last updated 02/21/2020
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Desert Tortoise at Red Rock Canyon NCA - 2016
Desert Tortoise Finding Near Nipton California - 2015
Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) - 2012
Turtles:
Painted Turtle
Index for Category - Death Valley National Park
This page last updated on 02/19/2018
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Index for Category - Desert Bighorn Sheep
Last Updated 02/22/2020
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Desert Bighorn Sheep:
Desert Bighorn Sheep in Eldorado Wilderness - 2020
Desert Bighorn Sheep - Summary Page - 2019
Rainbow Vista Fire Canyon Overlook 2018
Desert Bighorn Sheep in Red Rock Canyon NCA 2016
Desert Bighorn Sheep at Hemenway Park - 2015
Desert Bighorn Sheep at Valley of Fire -2015
Desert Bighorn Sheep Along Lake Mojave - 2014
Desert Bighorn Sheep at Fluorspar Canyon - 2013
"Mowing Duty" - 2013
"12-7-14-24-hike" - 2013
"The Bookends" - 2013
"The Ancient One" - 2013
Desert Bighorn Sheep - 2009
Desert Bighorn Sheep at Valley of Fire State Park - 2012
Desert Bighorn Sheep at Hemenway Park - 2012
Desert Bighorn Sheep at Hoover Dam - 2011
Desert Bighorn Sheep in Eldorado Wilderness - 2020
Desert Bighorn Sheep - Summary Page - 2019
Rainbow Vista Fire Canyon Overlook 2018
Desert Bighorn Sheep in Red Rock Canyon NCA 2016
Desert Bighorn Sheep at Hemenway Park - 2015
Desert Bighorn Sheep at Valley of Fire -2015
Desert Bighorn Sheep Along Lake Mojave - 2014
Desert Bighorn Sheep at Fluorspar Canyon - 2013
"Mowing Duty" - 2013
"12-7-14-24-hike" - 2013
"The Bookends" - 2013
"The Ancient One" - 2013
Desert Bighorn Sheep - 2009
Desert Bighorn Sheep at Valley of Fire State Park - 2012
Desert Bighorn Sheep at Hemenway Park - 2012
Desert Bighorn Sheep at Hoover Dam - 2011
Index for Category - Wild Horses
Last Updated 02/22/2020
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Wild Horses - Lake Mead Northshore Drive - 05/18/2017
Wild Horses at Goodsprings Valley - 05/03/2017
Cold Creek Trip Notes for 10/22/2014
Cold Creek Trip Notes for 10/01/2014
Cold Creek Trip Notes for 09/16/2014
Free Roaming Mustangs - Benton Hot Springs, CA
Daytrip - Feral Horses at Cold Creek, NV
The Family Portrait - Wheeler Pass Road
Wild Horses at Cold Creek - Triptych #1
Wild Horses at Cold Creek - Triptych #2
Wild Horses at Cold Creek - Triptych #3
Wild Horses at Cold Creek - Triptych #4
Wild Horse - Siesta Time
Wild Horse - Painted Pony
Index for Category - Lovell Canyon Road and the SMNRA
This page last updated on 02/10/2019
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Index for Category - Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
This page last updated on 03/29/2018
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Index for Category - Bitter Spring Backcountry Byway
This page last updated on 02/19/2018
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Gold Point District of Esmarada County
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This page last updated on 11/22/2018
This page last updated on 11/22/2018
Information on mine districts in Esmarada County is greatly lacking. Considering the number of mines located here, it surprised me as to how little is written about this mining district. By all accounts that I can find, the specific geographical boundaries of the Gold Point Mining District are quite vague or non-existing. As best that I can find is that the Gold Point District of Esmarada County includes, among others, the Great Western mine, Hornsilver mine, Ohio mine, Ora Mae mine, Redemption Mine, Roosevelt mine, Seibeck mine, Unnamed prospect. The major mines at Gold Point are the Great Western Mine and Mill (a.k.a.Ohio), the Dunfee Mine, and the Townsite Mine. Refer to the following page for pictures and information ... Gold Point Nevada.
Morning Walk at the Clark County Wetlands Preserve
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This page last updated on 08/07/2017
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An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
Henry David Thoreau
General Description : The Clark County Wetlands Park is the largest park in the Clark County, Nevada park system. Only a few miles from our house, the park is located on the east side of the Las Vegas valley and runs from the various water treatment plants near the natural beginning of the Las Vegas Wash to where the wash flows under Lake Las Vegas and later into Lake Mead. The park includes 2,900 acres of water, trails, and trees along the Las Vegas Wash. The 210 acre Nature Preserve (Fig. 02 below) is a map showing the preserves two miles of concrete and graveled secondary walking trails.
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| (Fig. 02) |
Along the way we circled three different ponds (Fig. 03). As is usual here, we must have spotted more than a dozen rabbits (Fig. 04) along side the trails. One of the small ponds had a little waterfall at one end (Fig. 05). We could hear occasional birds, but couldn't get any shots. Near one pond we spotted a Dusky Moorhen tending her young chick (Fig. 06). Clickhere to read about this waterfowl ... Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa). On the side of the largest pond, there was a small bench that provided us with a good spot to rest and drink some water. It was amazing how much we were sweating. Even though the temperature was only in the upper 70's, due to the previous nights' rain the humidity was more than 40%, high for Las Vegas. The picture in (Fig. 08) was taken from in front of the bench. Figure 08 is the third pond we found. Even though I didn't take many pictures on this visit, we both enjoyed the walk and the conversation. We both agreed that we wanted to to it again soon. After walking more than 2.2 miles, we drove to the Cracked Egg on Green Valley Pkwy for breakfast on our way home.
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I challenge you to walk where you have not yet walked before - there is a whole world right outside your window. You feel the silence as if it were a great fresh wind blowing away the clouds of life. The silence is tremulous. You can walk yourself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness, imagined or real. You’d be a fool to miss it.
Click here for pictures and info from previous visits ...
Clark County Wetlands Park & Nature Preserve.