You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March 2010.
Red Rock Canyon is one of the natural wonders in the Las Vegas area and I really do enjoy spending time out there. Every time I find something new and surprising, and this time was no different. Red Rock Canyon is just a short drive west from Las Vegas, some of it can actually be seen from the Strip if you are awake at the right time of day. For those that want to venture out for a pleasant escape, there is a thirteen mile scenic drive which is an amazement all on its own. Several parking areas along the scenic drive provide ample and spectacular photographic opportunities. Each of the parking areas, are situated at trail heads with a variety of hikes ranging from easy to strenuous.
Each of these hikes can provide you with a different view into the ecology of the Red Rock Canyon area. Some of the hikes are at a higher elevation, meaning you are likely to see more greenery than some of the lower elevations. The plant life at Red Rock Canyon varies throughout the seasons. Early on in the year Joshua Trees display a beautiful bloom of flowers to extend their height. Spring brings a variety of wildflowers, some of which will show up on this blog from time to time or in my website portfolio (which is about to get an overhaul).
Despite hiking there several times, I had not yet seen the seasonal waterfall at the end of the Lost Creek Trail – this really is due to not coming at the right time of year or after a dry winter. Over the last few months we have had more rain in the Las Vegas area than the last several years combined, so the possibility of the waterfall actually flowing was pretty great. Our first peek came about 3/4 of the way up, this first image inviting us to climb higher to find the source.
©320photography Nikon D300 ISO500 f/5.6 200mm 1/25th sec (handheld)
From this vantage point we could hear the rushing waterfall, almost drowning out the calm trickle this mini-waterfall provides. Crossing a few more streams and up a bit more in elevation and you come upon the seasonal waterfall on Lost Creek Trail.
©320photography Nikon D300 ISO500 HDR of five images at 18mm
Finally, I can say I have seen this waterfall. Water is such a precious commodity in the desert, it is treasured and something that causes desert dwellers a great deal of excitement. When the rains come, we celebrate. I grew up in the land of 10,000 lakes, so this certainly is not the first body of water or waterfall I have experienced in my lifetime. Living in the desert for the past 11 years has made me appreciate and miss the water at a greater level than I had ever anticipated. I feel honored to have seen this natural part of life and will treasure the personal experience for a long time.
The best surprise of the day actually came after visiting the waterfall. Generally it is expected to see the beauty of natural rock formations, desert plant life and probably small rodent or reptilian wildlife when visiting Red Rock Canyon. We were blessed with seeing some burros early on the scenic drive (unfortunately the photographer was not quick enough to get the camera out in time). On the descent from the higher elevations, approaching the end of the scenic drive, we saw something moving out amongst the brush. Stopping the vehicle to try to get confirmation that something was really out there provided us with a sight so glorious that the visit to the waterfall was briefly forgotten. A family of deer was wandering through the brush, eating while in the midst of a slow migration towards the mountains. Five of them total, at least two (if not three) of them young bucks, with their antlers roughly double the height of their head. Each time a car would rush by, a head or two would pop up to make sure the coast was clear. The passengers of these cars have no idea what they were missing. We followed them for roughly thirty minutes, watching them trek and eat.
©320photography Nikon D300 ISO 500 f/5.6 200mm 1/500th sec
I have never been disappointed with a visit to Red Rock Canyon and go back frequently. The wildflowers will begin blooming soon, turning the brownish ground into a bed of orange flowers. I look forward to coming back.
One of the major construction projects that is of interest not only to Las Vegas locals, but nationally and internationally, is the Hoover Dam bypass project. The project itself broke ground in 2005, but my photographic memories for purposes today begin in 2008. The bridge is an architectural marvel and it is going to be very exciting to drive over the first time – which the news reports say should be in November 2010. Additionally it has been reported the public should be able to walk over the bridge in addition to traffic. It will provide an awesome view of the dam and of the surrounding canyon area.
The bridge is officially named the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. The namesakes represent important people from both sides of the bridge. Mike O’Callaghan is a former Nevada governor and an editor at a Las Vegas based newspaper. Pat Tillman was a member of the Arizona Cardinals, but gave that up to join the military after 9/11 and was unfortunately killed in Afghanistan. The construction of the dam has been the subject of at least two TV documentaries run on the Discovery/Science Channel – Megabuilders and Build it Bigger with Danny Forster (I say at least because I think there is actually another one, but I cannot find any evidence to support that theory). According to the official project website (http://www.hooverdambypass.org/) the bridge will span nearly 2000 feet and it will be the third highest bridge deck in the country – over 800 feet from the canyon. The entire bypass, including the land based aspects of the project, will be 3.5 miles long.
The looming question for the local economy is how much the bypass will affect visitation to the Hoover Dam visitor’s center – which has yet to pay for itself. Also, how much commerce might spring up along the new route. Only time will tell on this, but it will be an exciting day when traffic is finally diverted onto the new roads and bridge.
May 2008 ©320photography Nikon D300 ISO200 f/18 36mm 1/100th sec
May 2009 ©320photography Canon G10 ISO 80 f/4 6mm 1/800th sec
October 2009 ©320photography Canon G10 ISO200 f/8 6mm 1/500th sec
March 2010 ©320photography Canon G10 ISO80 f/4 9mm 1/320th sec
