4/15/18: Taylor Canyon solo trip, astrophotography

Finally, a trip to Canyonlands during the new moon! I spent three nights at Taylor Canyon solo, a real treat… except for the myriad poachers trying to camp in areas they were not permitted for. One series was ruined by some backpackers camping right beneath Moses & Zeus, well outside of their permitted camping zone (“You must locate your campsite at least 1 mile from a road, and at least 300 feet away from an archeological site, historic site, or water source.”) Luckily they spent only one night, though I had interactions with others who wanted to camp right near my campsite even though they either didn’t have a permit, or should have been far from where I was, in my permitted campsite. 

Despite all that, I had a great time and got some fantastic images, finally putting into action my new Landscape Capture Workflow, which enabled me to logically and sequentially capture multiple series of multi-image panoramas, from dusk all the way through to the rise of the Milky Way, which this time of year rises hours after midnight!

Dawn and Milky Way, C.N.P., UT.
Dawn’s first light over Moses & Zeus, with Milky Way overhead, 5:23 AM.

 

Base jumping Moses & Zeus, C.N.P, UT
Base jumping Moses & Zeus, C.N.P, UT

 

Zodiacal Light, Taylor Canyon, UT.
The office at night, Zodiacal Light in background, Taylor Canyon, UT. [note the constellation of Orion, center]
Milky Way over Taylor Canyon, crop.
Milky Way over Taylor Canyon, 53×18″ print.

 

Milky Way over Taylor Canyon, panorama.
Milky Way over Taylor Canyon, panorama; crop.

 

Night hike, Taylor Canyon
Hiker at night on Moses & Zeus trail, Canyonlands N.P., UT.

 

Meteor over Moses & Zeus
Bright, ‘flaring’ meteor seen through a veil of mid-level clouds, with glow from lights of Moab, Taylor Canyon, Canyonlands N.P., UT.

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