Hike to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park with Hillary and Olivia. May, 2014.
I took this shot several years earlier. I wanted to be there when the sun was at its lowest point in the sky, December 21, the Winter Solstice, circa 2004. I had all my gear, about 35 pounds with the big tripod, Pentax 6×7 body with four lenses, and all sorts of other filters and stuff you needed in the ancient times of film photography (when one actually needed to know what a F-stop was to get a good picture). I stayed until sunset. It got cold and the 1 1/2 mile trail back was treacherous. One long stretch is about a quarter mile with a steep decline, all on sandstone which was predominantly coated in ice. Totally exhilarating. I was home in two hours. Well worth the effort. I don’t recall for sure, but I most likely went into Moab first to have coffee at the Mondo Cafe.