Easy to moderate, ~1 mi walkabout

~66 ft elevation gain

Hiked 12/23/23

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A short walk among a field of hoodoos, or 'goblins,' with no defined trail so you may choose your own adventure! Hike allows you to get up close to a large assortment of hoodoos and is great for just wandering around in awe of the structures. Various large pillars may be seen surrounding the field.

A huge rock pillar may be seen rising above the empty desert, with large hills of eroded rock at the base, under a blue sky with thick clouds in the distance.

Looking back over the hoodoos towards the parking area with a massive rock slab rising up in the distant center. A couple of hikers may be seen walking among the 'goblins' to the right.

A field of hoodoos gives way to a larger structure of rock that is turning into more hoodoos. This is finally backed to the distant right by a large rock structure that one day will erode into what lays before it.

Easy, 0.37 mi out and back

72 ft elevation gain

Hiked 12/22/23

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A must see overlook for visitors to Canyonlands, it is located near the entrance and Visitors Center. Featuring jaw-dropping views of the 1,400 ft cliff walls surrounding Shafer Canyon and the Shafer Trail as it switchbacks its way down. Easy to access, with more adventurous views available as well.

Looking across to one side of the canyon walls, where sheer cliffs may be seen with a variety of terraces locate among them. The Shafer Trail road cuts along the left of frame and the La Sal Mountains may be seen in the distance, mingling with the clouds.

A red jeep drives along the Shafer Trail below the viewing area. A large sandstone cliff wall may be seen behind it with a portion of the road descending out of view.

A view of Shafer Canyon from the flatlands above it on the right of frame, where a small lip may be seen extending over the edge. Clouds mix in with the La Sal Mountains in the distance.

Article including the 100 plus other advertising signs that were “brandalised”.

Taken with a $200 potato phone from my kayak. In the summertime the water is much higher, covered in lily pads, and the slots are boat-filled.

Moderate, 1.9 mi out and back with spur

371 ft elevation gain

Hiked 12/22/23

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A short hike with a couple scrambles leads you to an archaeological site and a tall butte with expansive views of the surrounding countryside. The main trail climbs the small Aztec Butte while a side spur takes you to an ancient (~1,000 year old) granary tucked into an alcove to keep food fresh. Has no relation to Aztec civilization other than name.

Looking out into the vast expanse of buttes and canyons, with intermingling clouds passing through the valleys.

The small pantry built into a crevice near the top of a hillside of earthen rock. From a distance it becomes nearly invisible as it blends in. Each alcove is roughly 2 ft tall and encloses an area maybe 5 ft by 5 ft.

A view towards what appears to be a petrified dome nearby to Aztec Butte, with a canyon lined by steep cliffs seen in the distance.

Moderate, 1.6 mi out and back

240 ft elevation gain

Hiked 12/22/23

NPS article describing the site.

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A short hike along one side of a two mile wide crater, with a large anticline/dome located in the center. Unlike many of the other geologic features in the area, this structure has been heavily deformed- leaving a mystery as to how. Prevailing theories are a collapsed salt dome or a meteor impact.

Sign post describing Upheaval Dome with diagrams which will be read left to right, top to bottom:

A Mystery

Upheaval Dome is a mystery The rock layers below you are fractured and tilted, forming a circular depression more than two miles wide. How did it form? Scientists propose two potential causes: a salt dome that cracked and tilted the rock over time, or a violent meteorite impact that instantly fractured the rock. Recent findings support the meteorite hypothesis, but questions remain. With more research, we may solve the mystery of this crater and others on our planet.

A slow-moving salt dome?

-About 300 million years ago, a salty inland sea covered the area.

-A large basin trapped the sea, which then evaporated, leaving behind thousands of feet of salt

-Wind and water deposited more sediment, pushing down on the softer salt layer and causing it to dome upwards.

-Over time the salt rose, fracturing and distorting the rock layers in its path.

-Water eroded the salt and overlying sediment, exposing the distorted crater visible today.

An instantaneous meteorite impact?

-About 200 million years ago, a meteor hurtled towards earth.

-The meteor hit the ground with so much force it vaporized on impact.

-The force of the impact fractured the rock, creating a large crater.

-Rock layers rebounded inward and upward to fill the void.

-Erosion exposed the tilted broken core of the impact site.

A view showcasing the majority of the dome as well as a portion of the two mile wide crater surrounding it. Some Junipers and shrubs may be seen growing along the crater rim on the closest side.

A view away from the dome area, with large rock outcrops looming over an unseen cliff and a few small patches of snow visible. Behind the outcrops in the distance, several towering buttes may be seen that almost look like a painting through the mild haze.

FYI: Older and low capacity DDR3 RAM. So nothing ov value was wasted.

Easy, ~1 mi loop

217 ft elevation gain (mostly me wandering the cliff edge)

Hiked 12/22/23

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A short hike to a famed arch that sits atop a sheer horseshoe shaped cliff wall complete with views of the La Sal Mountains as a partial backdrop. Absolutely fantastic views extend outward towards the rising sun in the AM. Incredibly popular, and even in the off season gets a fair share of visitors.

Half of the horseshoe shaped cliff may be seen in this photo, wit the sun burning off both fog below and the clouds above it.

A view through part of Mesa Arch towards some of the sandstone towers rising from the fog below.

A V-shaped intersection of two sections of cliff wall frames the valley fog below, while the rising sun has cleared a large portion of clouds from above it to begin the day.

I don't wanna show y'all my face, sorry lol. You can marvel at how goddamn short I am tho lmao.

But look at Sandy's belly and booty! She looks so good! And her tail is getting so long!

Contrasting with stone structures like Machu Picchu, the Lima people built structures of clay blocks. This one is seven staggered steps high. Numerous mummified bodies have been found in it. {Yes, they're manniquins)

Source: u/igneisnightscapes.

This loop is a vast shell of hydrogen shaped by ancient supernovae and stellar winds, part of the immense Orion–Eridanus Superbubble. Spanning hundreds of light-years and lying roughly 500–1,000 light-years from Earth, its H-alpha glow cuts through the Integrated Flux Nebula (the dust). In widefield images usually what is visible is the left part as the signal is stronger.

@ igneis.nightscapes

During many nights I've driven to this area to gather enough data to unveil it, making it my biggest integration time published: 28 hours with the H-alpha filter, 4 hours for the RGB. I also captured a big meteor burning up while taking the RGB, which is registered (not randomly placed).

This photo has required so much patience and endurance, as staying all night alone, one day after another inside a car just with yourself really wears you down. All for the love of the game and curiosity to see for yourself what is out there, and how much you can push the camera, your mind and body. One thing that I know for sure is that if I think and I feel that something is worth it, I never give up. I just can't. I won't. Through all the rough conditions out there, just keep going because sometimes life surprises you in a good way.

EXIF:

Sony a7 IV 

Sony a7 III Astro mod

Sony 50mm f1.4 GM (sky and foreground)

ZWO AM5N 

NO GENERATIVE AI INVOLVED, just noise reduction for the foreground with Lightroom.

Hawa = Air. It is called the Hawa Mahal because the top most storey is technically called that. Lies on a busy road in the city adjacent to a metro station.

Jaipur is a city in India.