Trip Log: DEN-LAS

A Road Trip Through Public Lands

19 days

~4000km/2500 miles

7x National Parks, 4x State Parks, 3x National Forests, countless BLM lands, 5x Wildfires.

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Day 1 - Land in Denver

AM - Denver

• Picked up my friends, A&A!

PM - Rock Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge

• Saw some bison way out in the distance. Tons of prarie dogs!

A prairie dog stretching after emerging from its den. Sony A1 ii

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Day 2 - Drive to Alamosa

AM - Garden of the Gods National Natural Landmark

• Hiked several trails!

Strange rock formations in the Garden of the Gods. Sony A1 ii

PM - Great Sand Dunes National Park

• Met up with more friends, K&C, short hike & star gazing!

The many layers in Great Sand Dunes National Park. It’s hazy from all the wildfire smoke. Sony A1 ii

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Day 3 - Exploring Public Lands

AM - San Isabel National Forest

• Waterfall hike that involved wading through the coldest water in the world

A long exposure of a waterfall. Fuji X100VI

• Blanca Wetlands

Salt flats and lagoons found on BLM lands. DJI Air 2s

PM - Great Sand Dunes National Park

• Climbed High Dune for panos & astro !

A panorama of Great Sand Dunes after sunset. Sony A1 ii

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Day 4 - Exploring Public Lands

My friend posting with a headlamp in Great Sand Dunes. Sony A7 RIII (H-Alpha Modified)

AM - Great Sand Dunes National Park

• Bunch of short hikes

PM - San Isabel National Forest

• More short hikes for sunset!

Great Sand Dunes at sunset, from afar! Sony A1 ii

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Day 5 - Drive to Moab

AM - Rio Grande National Forest

• Waterfall hikes, scenic overlooks!

Me standing at a viewpoint looking at a waterfall. Sony A1

Lunch @ Riff Raff Brewing! Fantastic beer.

PM - Arches National Park

• Met up with K&C for more star gazing!

The Milky Way rising behind an arch. Sony A7RIII (H-Alpha modded)

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Day 6 - Exploring Public Lands

Full Day - Arches National Park

• Arches, arches, and more arches! All the arches!

My friends posing for me under an arch. Sony A1 ii

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Day 7 - Exploring Public Lands

AM - Island in the Sky District, Canyonlands National Park

Layers of canyons in Canyonlands National Park, partially obscured by wildfire smoke. Sony A1 ii

• More arches, massive canyons, strange rocks.

PM - Moab

• Explored some BLM lands nearby the city for sunset

The sun setting on a rock feature near Moab. The sky is a strange orange glow from the sunlight diffusing through the wildfire smoke in the air. DJI Air2S

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Day 8 - Exploring Public Lands

Full Day - Island in the Sky District, Canyonlands National Park!-

A massive panorama containing myself in Canyonlands. Sony A1 ii

• Some light bouldering, scrambling, exploring the canyons, and caught the sunset + some astro at night!

A long exposure image of star trails in Canyonlands national park. Sony A7RIII, Sony A1 ii

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Day 9 - Exploring Public Lands

AM - The Needles District, Canyonlands National Park

A massive panorama of The Needles in Canyonlands. Sony A1 ii

• Been very smokey and hazy the whole trip due to wildfires, but today was by far the smokiest and haziest.

PM - Arches National Park

A long exposure of star trails in Arches National Park. Sony A7RIII, Sony A1 ii

• Saw more arches that we missed earlier, then more stargazing and astro at night

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Day 10 - Exploring Public Lands

AM - Dead Horse Point State Park

An incredibly smoky Dead Horse Point. Sony A1

PM - Colorado River, Sand Flats Recreation Area

• More exploring BLM lands, then a 4x4 off-roading adventure in UTV’s!

My friends driving and sitting up front while scaling an incredibly steep hill. Sony A1

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Day 11 - Drive to Escalante

AM - Exploring Public Lands

• Goblin Valley State Park

  

  Toadstool hoodoos in Goblin Valley. Fuji X100VI

• Factory Butte

A panoramic drone photo of Factory Butte - DJI Air2S

PM - Capitol Reef National Park

• Sunset hikes

Capitol Reef National Park. Fuji X100VI

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Day 12 - Exploring Public Lands

AM - Slot Canyons on BLM land!

A Black and white image of a tree branch wedged between the two walls of a very narrow slot canyon

PM - Sunset drive down Hole in the Rock Road (BLM 200)

The sun setting between a set of hoodoos. Sony A1

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Day 13 - Drive to Kanab

AM - Scenic Byway 12

• Stopped randomly

  

  Strange white rock features. DJI Air 2s

• Bryce Canyon National Park

• Kodachrome Basin State Park

More strange rock formations out west. DJI Air2s

PM - Kanab

• Explored Sand Caves on BLM land. Eroded by wind over millions of years - now vandalised, disrespected, and disregarded by humans.

A photo of a heavily vandalised sand cave near Kanab. Sony A1

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Day 14 - Exploring Public Lands

AM - Zion National Park

A panorama of a viewpoint in Zion National Park. Sony A1 ii

• Angel’s Landing permits secured!

PM - Bryce Canyon City

• K&C’s friend, G, was participating in the Bryce Canyon Rodeo, so we had to stop by!

Our friend, G, riding a bronco. Sony A1 ii

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Day 15 - Moab

AM - Exploring Public Lands around Moab!

The entrance to a tunnel, also heavily vandalised by horrible people. Sony A1 ii

Slot Canyons we stumbled upon in BLM land - Sony A1 ii

PM - Zion National Park

• Sunset hike with K&C&G

The last of the sunlight in Zion National Park - Sony A1 ii

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Day 16 - Drive to Grand Canyon National Park

AM - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

• Horseshoe bend! Insanely hot. Seriously way too hot. We nearly got heat exhaustion on the 15 minute walk.

Horseshoe Bend - Sony A1

PM - Grand Canyon National Park

• Dragon Bravo fire still burning strongly…could see the actual flames actively burning

The Dragon Bravo fire actively burning along the North Rim, Grand Canyon. Sony A1 ii

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Day 17 - Drive to Las Vegas

AM - Grand Canyon National Park

• Sunrise hike!

The sun rising above the canyons. Fuji X100VI

Went back to hotel to sleep, late check out

PM - Kaibab National Forest, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

A view of Hoover Dam. Fuji X100VI

• Lake Powell, Hoover Dam!

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Day 18 - Exploring Vegas

AM - explore Vegas

A (left) and me (right) playing a construction simular arcade game in Las Vegas

PM - Get food poisoning and rot in the hotel haha

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Day 19 - Home

I get to go on a plane with food poisoning. Luckily, I had a whole row to myself and was near the bathroom.

Made it back in time to snuggle with kitty!

Bingus the cat