Tag: Sedona

North American Monsoon–August 2024

/ 2 Comments
A curtain of light rain from a dissipating thunderstorm is brilliantly illuminated by the setting sun.

Storms in August were more plentiful than in July although there were still some extended breaks in the monsoon. Rainbows remained elusive for me. I was able to photograph a few that displayed short segments but I never captured a full rainbow. Lightning, on the other hand, was plentiful and I did well in that genre.

Here is a partial summary of August monsoon photography.

04 August 2024

Mormon Lake Overlook is a short drive from Flagstaff and affords an amazing 360° view. This was one of the many days with only a partial rainbow but the juxtaposition of the rainbow and the tree in the grasslands of Anderson Mesa was a pleasing composition. A few minutes later the Sun beautifully illuminated some light rain falling from a dissipating thunderstorm. The color was intense and only lasted a few minutes.

A short segment of a rainbow above the grasslands of Anderson Mesa in northern Arizona.
A short segment of a rainbow above the grasslands of Anderson Mesa in northern Arizona.
A curtain of light rain from a dissipating thunderstorm is brilliantly illuminated by the setting sun.
A curtain of light rain from a dissipating thunderstorm is brilliantly illuminated by the setting sun.

Continue reading →

Run, Bike, Ski

It’s great that one can do all three of these in the winter. Ski in Flagstaff; run and mountain bike in the deserts. We have done all three this winter with the emphasis on running. Here are a collection of photos from this winter.

Group of runners stand around pools of water (01/20/2024).
Group of runners stand around pools of water (01/20/2024).
X-C skiing at Fort Tuthill (02/09/2024).
X-C skiing at Fort Tuthill (02/09/2024).
X-C skiing at Fort Tuthill (02/09/2024).
X-C skiing at Fort Tuthill (02/09/2024).
Trail run on Sketch Trail, Sedona (02/13/2024).
Trail run on Sketch Trail, Sedona (02/13/2024).
Snowy run on Schultz Pass Road (02/15/2024).
Snowy run on Schultz Pass Road (02/15/2024).
Trail run on Margs Draw, Sedona (02/17/2024).
Trail run on Margs Draw, Sedona (02/17/2024).
Mountain biking on Little Rock Trail, Sedona (02/20/2024).
Mountain biking on Little Rock Trail, Sedona (02/20/2024).
Trail run on Lower Chimney Trail, Flagstaff (02/22/2024).
Trail run on Lower Chimney Trail, Flagstaff (02/22/2024).
Trail run on Woods Canyon Trail, Sedona (03/02/2024).
Trail run on Woods Canyon Trail, Sedona (03/02/2024).
Trail run on Woods Canyon Trail, Sedona (03/02/2024).
Trail run on Woods Canyon Trail, Sedona (03/02/2024).

Bonus photo from last year’s epic winter. Yeah, untracked powder!

Preparing to descend Flying Dutchman chute, Mt. Humphreys (01/18/2023).
Preparing to descend Flying Dutchman chute, Mt. Humphreys (01/18/2023).

 

 

Moon and Cathedral Rock–July 2023

/ 1 Comment

It is the season for capturing the nearly-full Moon as it rises behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona. The best time to capture this is a day (or two) before the actual full Moon so that late afternoon sunlight still illuminates Cathedral Rock. The Photographers Ephemeris (TPE) was used to determine the best location to shoot this as it became visible between the towers.

The nearly-full Moon rises behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.
The nearly-full Moon rises behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.

The Moon rose into the gap between the north buttress and the spires about 45 minutes before sunset. Here are two shots of the Moon taken ~90 seconds apart as the Moon rose higher. I particularly like the spire that is in shadow because of the illusion that the spires are casting a shadow on the Moon.

The Moon rises above the clouds at Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona (1909 MST)
The Moon rises above the clouds at Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona (1909 MST).
A nearly-full Moon during twilight (1943 MST).
A nearly-full Moon during twilight (1943 MST).

As the Moon rose higher it was obscured by clouds and then made a reappearance above the clouds.

Trail Running With Snow and Ice in Sedona

January has been a very snowy month in Flagstaff. So far, 2023 is the third snowiest January–and only a few inches from being second snowiest. So we have been taking advantage of the lower elevations of Sedona and doing all of our trail runs there.

Cathedral Rock from Templeton Trail in Sedona.
Cathedral Rock from Templeton Trail in Sedona.
One of the many icy flows along the Templeton Trail in Sedona.
One of the many icy flows along the Templeton Trail in Sedona.
Thin ice along the Easy Breezy Trail in Sedona.
Thin ice along the Easy Breezy Trail in Sedona.

This run took us along the Baldwin, Templeton, HT, and Easy Breezy Trails. Recent rains and some snow resulted in rivulets of water running across the slickrock–except that the nights had been cold enough to freeze the water and create icy patches. Although it made for some tricky running it also produced some very photogenic scenes.

It’s always fun to combine a trail run with a bit of photography.