Monsoon Over the San Juan River
A Day of Exhilarating Landscape Photography
Morning: Waiting on the Flames at Bears Ears
The drive through southern Utah has a way of slowing time right down, but this particular run was one for the books. I’d planned out the day to start at the House on Fire ruins in Bears Ears National Monument. I spent a good chunk of time tucked into the canyon, moving deliberately and waiting for the sun to hit just right. A couple of small groups of hikers drifted in and out while I stood by my tripod, holding out for that exact window when the ambient light reflects off the lower canyon wall and illuminates the cedar mesa sandstone ceiling into a glowing, fiery weave. Patience paid off, but the day was just getting started.
Midday: Winding Down the Moki Dugway
From Cedar Mesa, I pointed the van toward the Moki Dugway—a thrilling, unpaved three-mile stretch of Utah State Route 261 that switchbacks down a 1,200-foot cliff face at a sheer 11% grade. The road was carved out back in the 1950s for hauling uranium ore, but these days it offers some of the most sweeping vistas in the Southwest. With incredible afternoon storm clouds building overhead, I took my sweet time crawling down the hairpins, pulling off at a couple of viewpoints along the edge to soak in the vast scenery stretching out toward Monument Valley
Afternoon: A Front-Row Seat at Goosenecks
By late afternoon, I pulled into Goosenecks State Park, paid the five-dollar fee, and set up camp right on the canyon edge. There are no hookups or amenities out here, but when your backyard looks like this, who cares? Over millions of years, the San Juan River carved an extreme trench through the limestone, flowing over 6 miles while making just 1.5 linear miles of progress across the plateau. Just as I settled into the van, a massive summer monsoon rolled over the rim, dumping a dense, veil-like rain shaft right into the heart of the meanders. I framed up the shot right out the van door, catching the contrast between the dark monsoon structure overhead and the muddy, sediment-heavy river snaking below. It was raw, unpredictable canyon country at its absolute best.
Where the Trail Wanders On
A 100% cloudy forecast couldn't stop the morning mist from wrapping around the ancient cypress trees at Caddo Lake's Mill Pond. Join me for Day 1 of my autumn photo journal.