April 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Vermilion Cliffs / Paria Canyon Wilderness, Arizona

The Wave is such a wonderful place. I am fortunate to have visited the Wave a number of times and several times have had near-perfect conditions to make my hike and take photos. OK, this is last time I post a photo of the Wave! Well, at least until next…

Phil CollaApril 30, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

Photo of the Second Wave

The Second Wave is found a few hundred yards from the Wave itself. While the Second Wave is characterized by striated sandstone in the same way that the Wave is, beyond that it is quite different in appearance, having a half-hourglass shape and being somewhat lighter in color. For photography…

Phil CollaApril 28, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

Photo of Brain Rocks

Brain Rocks are found in the vicinity around the Wave. Here are some sporting a view across the Navaho sandstone of the North Coyote Buttes: Brain rocks, curious sandstone formations in the North Coyote Buttes. Image ID: 20611 Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA Photos of…

Phil CollaApril 27, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

Photo of the “Heart of the Wave”, North Coyote Buttes

Sitting on the rim of the main bowl of the Wave -- right where the photograph below was taken -- I watched a couple of hikers arriving. There reaction was natural: no sooner did they step foot through the entry passage than they looked around at the strange surroundings in…

Phil CollaApril 26, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

The Wave in the North Coyote Buttes: The Perfect Skatepark?

Before X-Games and Tony Hawk, nay even before Bahne skateboards, Chicago trucks and Cadillac wheels, there was the Wave. Formed in the days before mankind walked erect, indeed before there was a mankind, God created the ultimate skatepark, one that has yet to be improved upon. The Wave has waited…

Phil CollaApril 25, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

Photo of Diagenetic Coloration in Sandstone, North Coyote Buttes

Not far from the Second Wave is a broad swatch of sandstone displaying exellent examples of diagenetic coloration, various iron oxides producing different colors in the Navaho sandstone strata, dating from the Jurassic era: Striations in sandstone tell of eons of sedimentary deposits, a visible geologic record of the time…

Phil CollaApril 24, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

Hiking the Wave in Arizona’s North Coyote Buttes

Walking around the area surrounding the Wave in Arizona's Paria Canyon / Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, one is certain to find this interesting alcove. During the time of day that it lies in shade, it receives only deep red light reflected from neighboring walls. That, combined with its own coloration, results…

Phil CollaApril 23, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part IV

Once I reached the Wave and got over my initial wonder, I began to wander around and explore the whole area. For a photographer it is hard not to start taking photos as soon as one sets foot inside the Wave. Just like everyone else, I immediately shot some pics,…

Phil CollaApril 22, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part III

The walk to the the Wave is really not all that difficult. There are only a few hundred feet of elevation gain, and it is only about 3 miles from trailhead to the Wave proper, so one would be hard-pressed indeed to consider it anything more than a moderate hike.…

Phil CollaApril 21, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part II

The last 20 minutes of my flight to Vegas were crazy, with the plane dipping and bobbing all over the place in the wind. The steward seemed to enjoy it, stating that it was just normal flying conditions for Vegas when summer approaches and the weather warms up, so I…

Phil CollaApril 20, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part I

I have long heard comments from hikers and landscape photographers about the beautiful and bizarre sandstone formations of the North Coyote Buttes area of Arizona. I am not a serious landscape photographer nor am I a what you would consider a "desert lover". However, on a lark, I decided to…

Phil CollaApril 19, 2008

California

Route 66

One our recent desert road trip, we found ourselves on Route 66 for a while. We passed some seriously forlorn-looking old eateries, defunct and barely surviving service stations, and some funky little communities that look like they are ever-so-slowly fading away. It was strange to think that before the interstate…

Phil CollaApril 8, 2008

Uncategorized

Late Night Run to the Ice Machine

As soon as we check into a hotel room, any hotel room, one of my kids always has to make a run to the ice machine. What's up with that? Girl walks down hotel corridor at night, carrying ice bucket, abstract blur time exposure. Image ID: 20571

Phil CollaApril 7, 2008

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Photo of the Devil’s Golf Course, Death Valley National Park

The Devil's Golf Course is a curious assemblage of crystalline salt shapes spread over a large swath of the Death Valley salt pan. This saltpan, which is the lowest point in Death Valley National Park, and indeed the western hemisphere, holds a small amount of subsurface moisture. This water is…

Phil CollaApril 6, 2008

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Photo of Badwater, Death Valley National Park

Badwater is the lowest point in Death Valley National Park, at 282 feet below sea level. Indeed, it is the lowest point in the entire western hemisphere. The Badwater Basin is the catch point for 9000 square miles of drainage, however, there is typically little water here except following winter…

Phil CollaApril 5, 2008

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Photo of Pink Sunrise on Telescope Peak over Badwater

I've been on a few deep scuba dives in my life but relative to sea level this is as deep as I have ever been, and I didn't even need to strap on a scuba tank to get there. Seen here is delicate pre-dawn pink light on a snow covered…

Phil CollaApril 4, 2008

Las Vegas Nevada

Photo of the Paris Hotel Fountain

The Paris Hotel in Las Vegas is most noted for its tall, half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower. However, it also has a replica of the Arc de Triomphe, a neon-light balloon and a cool fountain at street level as well. Here is the fountain with the balloon in the…

Phil CollaApril 3, 2008

Las Vegas Nevada

Photo of Caesar’s Palace and Jasmine Restaurant

Caesar's Palace, a Las Vegas landmark, seems so surrounded by other buildings that it was hard to get a decent photo of just the hotel itself. I liked the blue lights in the Bellagio reflection pool illuminating the Jasmine Restaurant with Caesar's rising in the background. Jasmine Restaurant and Caesar's…

Phil CollaApril 2, 2008

Las Vegas Nevada

Photo of the Venetian Hotel and “Phantom”

Well, we were with the kids while in Las Vegas so we did not go to any of the shows we might otherwise hit (Ka, Phantom, O) if we had been there on our own, instead opting for sunny days by the pool and dinner out each night. It was…

Phil CollaApril 1, 2008

The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Vermilion Cliffs / Paria Canyon Wilderness, Arizona

Photo of the Second Wave

Photo of Brain Rocks

Photo of the “Heart of the Wave”, North Coyote Buttes

The Wave in the North Coyote Buttes: The Perfect Skatepark?

Photo of Diagenetic Coloration in Sandstone, North Coyote Buttes

Hiking the Wave in Arizona’s North Coyote Buttes

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part IV

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part III

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part II

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part I

Route 66

Late Night Run to the Ice Machine

Photo of the Devil’s Golf Course, Death Valley National Park

Photo of Badwater, Death Valley National Park

Photo of Pink Sunrise on Telescope Peak over Badwater

Photo of the Paris Hotel Fountain

Photo of Caesar’s Palace and Jasmine Restaurant

Photo of the Venetian Hotel and “Phantom”

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