Well that time has come! Switching gears from the skin track to the dirt trails. I was having the urge to get in a desert trip before I started backpacking this season. I made my way down to Moab on Friday for some camping, hiking, and some photography on my new Nikon D810. The drive down was virtually traffic free and I made it to Moab in 3 hours and some change. I had been browsing Google Earth for a good dispersed camp spot, and I picked a location and headed there. Not only did I find a nice spot away from the loud RV campers, but it had views and was a full on desert set up. I got camp set, then headed into Moab for some firewood and a couple of things I wanted for the weekend. I came back to camp and settled in for the night. I grilled up some steak and corn for dinner, then changed into the night gear and pulled up my chair by the fire. There were clouds obscuring the stars to the north, so no star trails this night. But I was able to get a nice time lapse while I enjoyed my fire in the desert. After a good night with some music and beverages by the fire, it was time to turn in.
I awoke on Saturday to clear skies and a Hot Air Ballon floating over the valley. I made coffee, ate breakfast, then geared up to head out to do some exporing and some hiking. I made my way up to Canyonlands National Park, but there was literally a mile long line of cars to get in there, so I turned around and left. I decided I would just go for a hike, and that Corona Arch would be a fun destination. With all the rain we have had, the desert is in full bloom this year! The trail in was like a wildflower festival. It was pretty warm, I would say in the low 80's on the way in. Once at the Arch I took some time to sit in the shade which had a cool breeze that was like air conditioning. After a while I decided to head out and go into town to fill up my water and get a bit more firewood for my last night. On the way back to camp I drove up Hwy 128 to Fisher Towers, but there was a thunderstorm rolling in from the south that took all the good light away, so I turned around and headed back to camp.
Upon arriving back at camp, I put on some more charcoal and did a pork chop and some potatoes for dinner. After enjoying that feast it was time to get camp ready for the night. There was a thunderstorm south of the area that was sending clouds overhead so the waiting game was on for clear skies. I got those at about 11:30 PM. I set out the camera for a star trail and sat and enjoyed my fire. It was a bit colder this night, so I had to bundle up in my insulated jacket for the late night shoot. Once I was finished with my star trail it was time to shoot the Milky Way. I found this tree all alone in this area and it became my subject for this photo. This is my first time out with my Nikon D810 shooting at night. So there were a lot of experiments shot and I was up till nearly 1:45 AM before turning in. I slept well and got up and 8 AM. I got up, packed camp, and hit the road just after 9 AM. I made the drive home in just over 3 hours. It was a great weekend down there. New camp spot, hiking, camping, night photography, and wildflowers. Very nice way to kick off summer getting my desert fix. Enjoy the pics and videos. More adventures to come!
