Ahlstrom Point

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I'm sure you've all heard the expression "40 miles of bad road". I think this is where they got the expression. (It's either here, or the road to the Racetrack in Death Valley.) Actually the first two thirds of the trip are on some pretty high quality graded roads. You start out by driving through terrain that looks suitable for training astronauts for the first Mars mission. Then you gradually work your way around the north edge of Lake Powell until you come out on a point overlooking Padre Bay and Gunsight Butte. We arrived just a few minutes before the sun disappeared. I thought my best pictures were taken after sunset.

Click on images for enlarged view.

Canon EOS 1Ds, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L @ 32mm, ISO 100

Padre Bay

This shot shows the bay as well as Navajo Mountain in the background. You can also see the interesting phenomenon of the penumbra of the earth. (This is the shadow the earth casts through the atmosphere.) That's the reason for the darker band in the sky just above the horizon.

Canon EOS 1Ds, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L @ 32mm, ISO 100

Bathtub Ring

With the lake at it's lowest level in many years, it's easy to see the bathtub ring left by the higher water. This shot shows the many small side canyons and coves that make Lake Powell a wonderful place for boating and camping.

Canon EOS 1Ds, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L @ 35mm, ISO 100

Gunsight Butte

This image shows the formations well. There is still enough light just from the glow in the western sky to light up the foreground. The penumbra is well seen here.

Canon EOS 1Ds, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 35mm, ISO 100

Red Planet over Red Rock

Make sure you view the larger image to see Mars rising in the distance. We were about three weeks after the Mars perihelion (closest approach to sun). This past August was actually the closest Mars has been to the Earth in about 60,000 years.