Sleeping with goblins

Yesterday was a Capitol Reef and Goblin day. I returned to Capitol Reef National Park after 8 years and went on one of the same hikes to find an amazing Sleepy Hollow tree and pointed dome that I had photographed back in 2005. Amazingly enough I found it again and it is pictured here: the photo from May 2005 and the one I took yesterday. It has changed very little in 8 years and both subjects are still wonderful to photograph.


Photo from 2005

Photo from 2013

Just before sunset I arrived in the Goblin Valley State Park to photograph the goblins, castles and other mud-like formations.




Since the goblin park campground was full, I had to fend for myself and find a BLM free campsite. Not a bad location.



The previous night I had stayed in a cabin in Torrey and even though it had a heater, I was still cold with 4 blankets and my sleeping bag on top. In retrospect, should have climbed inside the sleeping bag and zipped it up. Last night, camping in that spot and sleeping in my car was much warmer, it seemed. Although this morning was quite cold outside of the sleeping bag and I didn't want to leave it.
So I had stayed one more night so I could visit one more slot canyon before leaving as it was just around the corner from the goblin park: Little Wild Horse Canyon. It was quite a nice slot canyon and was more sparsely populated in the morning, but come noon and the hoards arrived all with several yelling children in tow, it seemed. Now, THIS was Disney Land rather than Antelope Canyon. I turned around and came back the same way rather than doing a loop as many others do, because the other canyon was not supposed to be as photogenic. I took some pics on the way out also, but it got to be a pain as group after group of people (some with 6 or 10 people in the group kept passing by, so it got a little bit old. Loved the canyon in the morning though. :) Didn't have to take off the backpack this time as it was not as narrow as Spooky. Although Spooky is still my favorite canyon now, narrowness and all. :)

Little Wild Horse Canyon

Me in Little Wild Horse Canyon
So the journey has come to an end and I'm on my way back. Currently in the land of wild potatoes - my own private Idaho.