Three years ago a group of our closest friends suggested we all go on a two week National Park hiking trip. Never one to turn down a chance to visit the National Parks, I said as fast as I could... "We're in!". And so began a lot of planning, and then a two year delay due to the pandemic. But, finally the day of departure arrived and the trip was on!

We spent the first two weeks of May in the deserts of Utah and California and finished in the high mountains. In total, we saw Canyonlands, Arches, Bryce, Zion, Death Valley, Sequoia, and Yosemite. We shivered in 30 degree temperatures while watching the sun come over the canyon rim and light up the orange and white hoodoos of Bryce. We hiked two thousand feet up to the top of the West Rim of Zion. We arrived to 109 degree heat in Death Valley followed by a day in the 40's in the high altitude of Sequoia! We doubled back on a pleasant hike around a meadow because a mother bear was guarding her cub too close to the trail. And we put our hands on the Dawn Wall of El Capitan and even climbed part of the famous wall of granite (ok, we only climbed five feet, but we still got off the ground on El Cap!). It was a fantastic trip... a bit tiring, but everyone got to see an incredible variety of landscapes in a short amount of time.

Bryce Canyon Sunrise

Part of any trip like this is to see things that you just wouldn’t normally see. That includes seeing amazing landscapes in amazing light… at sunrise. The entire group rose before dawn and set out on a walk to watch the sun rise above the Bryce Canyon rim and light up the orange, yellow, and white hoodoos. It was a finger-numbing thirty degrees, but we persevered and witnessed a light show that you just cannot see anywhere else. It was so worth it!

A Second Morning Alone At Bryce

I couldn’t get enough of this special place, so I woke up for a second sunrise at Bryce Canyon. This was a solo trip as everyone else remained warm in their beds and then went to breakfast. I feasted on a second morning of great light on a spectacular scene. I went to a different part of the canyon rim and made some images that I absolutely loved!

Early Light On The Slickrock Of Zion

My friend Andy and I spent two beautiful mornings at sunrise chasing the light in the Upper East part of Zion. It’s very difficult to predict where the light will strike and where it will be best since the towering rocky cliffs block the sun. We found a section all the way out near the East Entrance… where the cliffs didn’t block the rising sun… and where the light landed on interesting subjects. We wondered if the stone structures on the slickrock were evidence of ancient dwellings. And we marveled at how life finds a way to survive in the harshest of conditions. It was a very nice two mornings that we spent together.

Sunrise In The Death Valley Dunes

Some places are completely unique and singular in their experience. I find sunrise in the sand dunes of Death Valley to be one of those places. The shapes of the landscape are equal part sand and equal part light… and they constantly change as the morning sun rises. The quietness and changing light provide a calming experience like no other. I was glad the group was able to experience this unique feeling and landscape.

Death Valley Badlands

Of course it’s an iconic spot that every visitor of Death Valley goes to. You pull into a parking lot off the highway and walk a quarter mile up a moderate hill and there you have it… Manley Beacon from Zabriskie Point in all its glory. But it’s iconic for a reason. The sunrise light strikes the point and the undulating folds of the colored badlands in strange and magical ways. And hiking down into the badlands after sunrise is an extra special treat in this barren land.

The Big Trees Of Sequoia

The big trees of Sequoia were amazing to see and to walk among. It truly is walking among giants. These are the largest trees on the planet… and some are more than two thousand years old. We visited this park only eight months after the KNP Complex fire in Sep 2021 and the damage was easy to see. It was sad to see these giants scarred by fire. But it is a natural part of their lifecycle and while some did not survive, many did. While this was a very interesting park to visit, it was very difficult for me to photograph. I have several “ok” images, but really only this one nice image that captures the character of the trees.

Yosemite, The Grandest Of All

Yosemite has been my favorite ideal of a National Park since I first became interested in these special places. It was the first park we took our kids to seventeen years ago, and it was special coming back to see it again. But while it is a true favorite, I don’t feel motivated to do meaningful photography there. Perhaps there are too many people, or maybe there are already just too many great iconic photographs from this Valley. It didn’t stop us from enjoying our visit… quite the opposite! It was a great way to end our trip!

A short Photo Story from May 2022, by Brian Reitenauer.