Description

I own no land, instead I have wheelestate. I’ve been a full time RVer since 1997. Working summers as a Park Ranger takes me to many beautiful places and playing during the winter takes me to many more. This blog is simply the story of my life's adventures.

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Thank you for stopping by. Just to let you know, I'm still blogging but have moved to Geogypsytraveler. Hope you'll follow my adventures. Just click here.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Sky Watch Friday - Grand Canyon National Park


View south from Fire Point
The sky was clear when I left my RV home on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park (click here for that story) and drove north into the adjacent Kaibab National Forest to explore a side road leading to Fire Point. Many awesome canyon views are located in the forest where you can also camp for free.

Forest Road
I continued to watch the sky and didn’t stay long. During summer monsoon season it’s a good idea not be caught unaware. Dry creeks flood in an instant carrying water—and anything else in the way—over the canyon’s rim creating waterfalls that you’d never expect. Hard packed gravel roads can become a mud wrestler’s dream in moments. And there are no phone bars.

It never did rain that day. The monsoon season can be like that too as the winds blow the clouds away. Sometimes, the air is so dry the falling rain never makes it to the ground.

Dancing Aspen grove
Yet during the winter snow can build up to 25 feet which often bends the trunks of young Aspen.

For more great looks at skies from around the world or to share your own go to Sky Watch Friday by clicking here.

32 comments:

Diane AZ said...

Gaelyn, these are gorgeous photos! That forest road looks so inviting with the dark clouds. Rain smells so good in the desert. And the dancing Aspen grove is interesting. I didn't realize snow could pile up that high to bend the trunks.

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

Beautiful shots again Gaelyn. On our first trip there we found snow still amongst the trees and I made my son go and put his nose in it and took a shot of him as he had never seen snow before.:)

Anonymous said...

what a great post and i love that last shot of the aspens... that area is so beautiful and hopefully it will remain so.

have a good weekend my friend.
when do you get back to work again?

Anonymous said...

I like the upmost pic. Absolutely stunning scene and sky. Would make a great postcard. Happy SWF!

Janie said...

Great photos. My husband and son hiked into the canyon from Monument Point (North Rim) today. Maybe they'll bring back some interesting photos.

Guy D said...

Excellent shots, the 2nd one is my favourite, I'd love to take a drive down that path, thanks for sharing.

Have a great weekend!
Guy
Regina In Pictures

EG CameraGirl said...

I wish I could be there right now. It is so lovely on the North Rim.

Rob Ripma said...

Great series of shots. The Aspens are awesome! I can't believe it didn't rain, those look like some threatening clouds!

Carol said...

Great photos...grand canyon park is so awesome...I love the dancing aspens...Thanks for the info on how they got that way...btw, great header shot

Sylvia K said...

Gaelyn, these are terrific shots! Love the skies over the canyon, but the bent birch trees are so interesting. Thanks for all the information and the beauty! Have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

Ah, the aspen! Your photos keep getting better and better!

Jim said...

The first shot is awesome.

Anonymous said...

WOW! I mean really, WOW! Those are awesome pictures Gaeylyn.

Jane Hards Photography said...

Your life is the eny of a lot of us.

Barb said...

Awesome shots of the Grand! I loved the aspen photo - never realized they get bent like that by the snow.

Anonymous said...

You are a grand spilunker exploring both giant and small spaces, sensing the past, feeling the present, and pulling towards you a future filled with relationships that bring peace joy and harmony into this world.

Unknown said...

Spectacular skies. And I love the photo of the birches.

Huzhar said...

You got 3 beautiful pictures there. I like the Forest Road very much, it is awesome. Good work! Have a nice day..

Anonymous said...

I love your photos here. I have been to the Grand Canyon twice, so I can really appreciate the beauty. You have captured it well.

DeniseinVA said...

Gorgeous photos! Would love to get back to that area one day.

Lilli & Nevada said...

Great photos i really like this last one.

Sally in WA said...

Beautiful photos!

Linnea said...

These are all beautiful...I can't decide which is my favorite. I do love those dancing trees, though. Thanks for sharing these gems...

Unknown said...

Iwent here when I was 13, 30 years ago and it left a lifelong impression on me. I cannot wait to return and take some photo's. Graet piccies and post.

Lisa Wilson said...

These are wonderful shots! Hope you had a great birthday.

Erin said...

I loved this post. The photographs are great and I learned a lot. I had never thought about air being so dry the rain would evaporate before hitting the ground!

BirdingMaine said...

Beautiful photos! It's been a long time since I visited the Grand Canyon.

Thanks for visiting My Skywatch:
Full Moon Sunset

Debbie@Like a Rose said...

Lovely photos - I'd love a chance to take some shots of the Grand Canyon myself.

Arija said...

Great forest shots, those aspen and the upwelling clouds in the second are terrific.

Arija said...

Great forest shots, those aspen and the upwelling clouds in the second are terrific.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Gaelyn: Those certainly are beautiful SWF photos. Thanks for sharing the neat shots from nature.

Louise said...

These photos are wonderful. I would love to see the waterfalls on the rim. My girls and I just watched an ancient Dinsey movie (so ancient that Alaska was not yet a state) that showed the rain making muddy "Niagaras" on the edge of the canyon. It was incredible. (Obviously one would have to be more than a bit cautious.)

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