Hello!
I just wanted to take a moment to thank each of you for being my first subscribers! I know a few of you had trouble signing up for the paid subscription membership and I just wanted to let you know it is up and running should you ever want to upgrade your membership. You’ll have access to an archive of all my current paid subscriber content so you never have to worry about missing a thing. I’ll be writing once a month and taking you on an adventure and giving you my tips and tricks to how I find the best spots in Colorado and beyond. The free subscriber content will include photography tips, gear advice, what to pack for camping or backpacking or basically anything I feel will tie in to what I dive deeper into on my paid subscriber site. Rest assured, no matter what subscriber status you choose, you’ll be entertained!
Travel tip of the month:
Arches National Park is a destination hot spot for visitors from Colorado and all over the world. As the weather cools down so do the crowds at this National Park and with it comes unique photo opportunities. Everyone heads to photograph the arches in arches NP, but there’s many other great spots to photograph that so many people miss on their trip. Yes, Delicate Arch is amazing, but if you only visit the arches you are missing out. Here are some other great spots I’ve found that are far less crowded to photograph:
Park Avenue is one of the very first hikes you encounter in Arches and one most people (myself included) often blow by, or they only stop and take a photo in the parking lot and drive on. I took this photo in January of this year right after it had snowed (yes even the desert gets snow!) I set my tripod up at the top of the stairs and put it on a timer and scurried on down these steps to capture this shot. Don’t have a tripod? Then set up your phone and take a video then you can screen grab what you want!
If you keep hiking down these steps it enters a wash and eventually opens up to this view:
This photo was taken in November of 2019 when we ventured into the park before Thanksgiving. In November temps are a lot more mild and you don’t have to start your hiking quite so early to beat the heat. We visited after the area had received some rain making for a great reflection in this little pool. I love to wear something that typically compliments the desert landscape when hiking here so I stand out a little from the scenery but also look a part of the landscape if that makes sense.
Another favorite spot of mine to photograph in the snow:
Balanced Rock is another destination that most visitors to Arches don’t spend a lot of time at in my opinion. You can park, walk a few feet and take a photo and hop back in your car. However, if you walk around to the backside of the Balanced Rock you are treated to a more unique perspective. I set up my tripod low to the ground and angled the camera up so I could get the full span of the rock with myself on the sidelines. Since I wanted to stand out from the snow I wore something a little bit more bright but complimentary to the red rock and snow. I got this wool jacket from a Peruvian vendor at the German Christmas Fair in Denver several years ago!
On your way out of Arches National Park you’ll notice several pull-outs to the right so you can stop and take photos. Use the leading lines of the road to your advantage to capture some infrequently photographed spots such as this:
I just love how the yellow line in the road leads you straight to this rock. I had to stand in the road to capture this so make sure no cars are coming and you’re not blocking traffic if you want a shot like this. You don’t notice this rock as much on the way in the park, but on the way out it makes a stunning centerpiece. Again this photo and the one above of Balanced Rock were captured in January. The sky was a little muted, but that just made the colors of the rock stand out even more. Don’t be afraid to visit Moab and Arches National Park in the off-season especially if the desert is forecast to receive snow. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does snow in the desert it’s magical!
Be prepared for limited services but less people in the winter if you decide to make Arches a travel destination for you and your family. They turn the water off at the visitor center and some of the restaurants in town may be closed, but that just gives the feeling of having this place to yourself.
Thank you again!
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