Day 3: Canyon Overlook, Temple of Sinawava and the Riverside Walk

Canyon Overlook

Day 2–my first full day at Zion National Park–had been a bit frustrating photographically.  I hoped to shake off the slump on the second full day by running up to the Plateau in the dark so I could photograph sunrise from Canyon Overlook.  The half-mile long Canyon Overlook trailhead is located just east of the Zion tunnel and it was pitch dark and deserted when I arrived there, roughly one hour before sunrise.  Ambient light was improving as I hiked the trail, which traces the rim of Pine Canyon–a fairly narrow slot–on the way to the overlook.  I noted quite a number of interesting compositions that I might shoot on the way back to the trailhead.

When I arrived at the overlook, it was dawn.  It was also windy and quite cold.  But the “side look” into Zion Canyon was beautiful, and I quickly set up my tripod.  It was a cloudless morning, and I ended up waiting for the light to come up a bit before clicking the shutter.  It’s a bit difficult at this size, but if you look carefully you can see the Towers of the Virgin in the distance (center).

Canyon Overlook at Sunrise, Zion National Park, Utah

After dealing with the obligatory overlook shot, I found a few other things that were worth shooting as the sun began to work its spotlighting magic on some of the nearby features.

Canyon Overlook Trail, Zion National Park, Utah

Before calling it quits at the overlook, I wandered around a bit and found a foreground/background way of shooting the canyon.

Canyon Overlook, Zion National Park, Utah

The sun was beginning to become a negative factor at this point, so I headed back toward the trailhead, with the hope of shooting some of the Pine Canyon scenes I’d seen on the way in.  Unfortunately, the sun was already a problem in much of the canyon and the appeal of most of the scenes I’d viewed earlier was gone.  I did find one shot where I thought the presence of sunlight was a benefit rather than a hindrance.

Pinyon Pine, Pine Canyon, Zion National Park, Utah

It was still relatively early in the morning and I made the decision to return to the spot along the Virgin River that I had discovered while “walking the road” the day before.  That meant heading back down to Zion Canyon, ditching the car, catching the Zion shuttle, getting off at the Court of the Patriarchs and heading back up canyon roughly 3/4 mile on the road toward Canyon Junction until I found the location again.  And I had to do all of this before the sun’s rays hit the west edge of the river bank and ruined the shot.  I thought I had enough time to pull it off, but I knew I had to hurry.

Back in Zion Canyon

To make a long story relatively short, I managed to pull it off, but just barely.  Less than five minutes after the shot below was taken, the trees on the left-hand side of the river bank (as you see it here) were hit with direct sun, which came up just to the right of the peak that you see in the frame.  This shot is actually a blend of two exposures–one for the sky and one for everything else.  I was lucky enough to have some wispy clouds in the sky.

Virgin River, Zion Canyon, Zion National Park, Utah

I’m not at all sure that this image does the beauty of this spot anything approaching justice.  Between the rushing rapids, the majestic canyon walls and the cottonwood trees, it was absolutely idyllic.  On both occasions when I was at this location I lingered, even when the light made the location unworthy of photography.  I sat in the shade of a large cottonwood–off the frame to the right–and reflected on my great fortune to be able to experience a place like this.

When I decided to move on, I hiked back down the road in the direction of Canyon Junction.  Due to the nuances of the Zion Canyon walls, there were still some spots along the river in open shade, and I took advantage of the opportunity to photograph several of those that caught my eye.

Zion Canyon, Zion National Park, Utah

The morning shoot was over and the plan for the afternoon was to take the shuttle all the way up canyon to the end of the line–the Temple of Sinawava and the Riverside Walk.

The Temple of Sinawava

I arrived at the Temple of Sinawava in mid-afternoon.  Most of the people who get off the bus at the Temple of Sinawava immediately head to the Riverside Walk and the Narrows, but I decided to linger at the Temple itself for awhile.  It’s difficult to describe the Temple of Sinawava at mid-afternoon on a sunny spring day without using the term “magical.”  The area is densely settled with mature cottonwood trees and in the middle of the trees, across the river from the bus stop, is an immense rock edifice known as “The Pulpit.”  I had been told that–contrary to my typical modus operandi–the best time to shoot the Pulpit was during the afternoon when “harsh light” would predominate.  When I sized up the area, I immediately understood the recommendation.  It was a bit of a high key scene, but dealing with it was aided by the fact that–when looking to the west–the canyon wall backdrop was in full shade and could go dark, further enhancing the Pulpit…and, I decided, the cottonwood trees, which, in the gentle afternoon breeze, were shedding like mad.  I wandered around, looking for the best composition given the circumstances, and ended up moving far away from the bus stop.  Once again, I felt as though I was alone amidst amazing visual stimuli.

The Pulpit, Temple of Sinawava, Zion National Park, Utah

I eventually found a spot where a group of backlit cottonwood seemed to form a natural frame around the Pulpit.  Dealing with the exposure was a bit tricky, but I think, in the end, that I may have pulled it off.  What you see below (and above, for that matter) is a rendering of a single exposure.  Ah, the wonders of modern digital sensor dynamic range!

The Pulpit and Cottonwoods, Temple of Sinawava, Zion National Park, Utah

Riverside Walk

The Riverside Walk is a paved one-mile trail that leads to the gateway to the Virgin River Narrows; the trailhead begins at the Temple of Sinawava.  By the time I hit the Riverside Walk it was close to 5 PM.  The trail is very crowded during the middle of the day, but the crowds were beginning to thin by the time I got there.  As you continue along the trail the canyon becomes increasingly narrow.  This serves as a major benefit for scenes demanding even light.  During the approximately three hours that I strolled (and photographed) along the Riverside Walk, I was in open shade the entire time.

Waterfall, Riverside Walk, Zion National Park, Utah

I found the Riverside Walk to be absolutely delightful, and increasingly so as the afternoon morphed into evening and the crowds melted away.  Between the cascades of the river, the reddish cliffs and the gently swaying cottonwoods, I found myself on the edge of photographic sensory overload.  I ended up bouncing back and forth continuously between wide scenes and intimates.  My neutral density filter allowed me to play around with some long exposures, like the 15 second black & white frame you see below.

Virgin River Intimate black & white, Riverside Walk, Zion National Park, Utah

Not far from the where the Riverside Walk ends–at the gateway to the Narrows–I saw a particularly appealing cascade and rock-hopped with my gear out into the middle of the river.  I set my tripod up below knee level, put my 14-24mm lens on the camera and shot this frame at 15mm.

Virgin River Cascade, Riverside Walk, Zion National Park, Utah

The light was fading as I returned on the Riverside Walk, back in the direction of the Temple of Sinawava, but I routinely found myself captivated by the juxtaposition of the green cottonwood foliage and the red canyon walls.

Cottonwood, Riverside Walk, Zion National Park, Utah

Sometimes a vertical was the way to go, sometimes I found horizontal compositions more pleasing.

Cottonwood, Riverside Walk, Zion National Park, Utah

Tomorrow’s Foreshadowing

Shortly before I wrapped up a very satisfying evening’s shoot, a couple passed me as I was sizing up the cottonwood shot you see above.  One of them said to me “Beautiful, isn’t it?”  I agreed, and noticed that both were wearing drysuits.   They’d come from the Narrows.  I asked them how the hike went.  “Fantastic,” they said, and then asked if I’d done the Narrows hike.  “I’m going to hit the river first thing tomorrow morning,” I said.  It was true.  I had been planning this hike for the better part of three months, from the time I decided to make the trip out West.  “You’re going to love it,” they said.

Next:  Day 4:  The Narrows, Etc.

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