Natural Bridges National Monument
Primordial Darkness
🌟 International Dark Sky Park #14

As thee first IDA-certified park ever,  I was really looking forward to visiting Natural Bridges National Monument.  One of the darkest skies of the National Park system, my daytime exploration would provide me with an evening plan.  I wanted to talk with a Ranger and I wanted to secure a campsite, which are first come-first-served. But the place was vacant. No rangers, campground closed–though there were maps and passport stamps available for visitors.

So I was on my own at the very remote park looking for where I’d shoot in the evening to help a safe, successful shoot. With the heat wave, hiking would have to be minimal. But the park is smaller, with only three natural bridges. The three bridges, named Kachina, Sipapu and Owachomo to honor the ancestral Puebloans who settled in the area, were made like the other gorgeous features in Utah—water, wind, erosion, colliding plates, time, time and more time.  And the best, Owachomo, just happens to have the shortest and least strenuous hike. As I descended down int he daytime and saw how well marked the trail was, I knew I was going to attempt to do so in the dark. Though I can type that pretty easily now–after I accomplished it–I was very anxious and scared leading up to it.

Waiting for darkness, I got there at dusk so the hike down wouldn’t be scary. Then I’d only have to worry about getting back up in the dark. But that also meant I would not be around for true night, which would begin after midnight. So here is the Milky Way rise and its majesty in a dark enough sky.

I light painted, although there are restrictions against it in the park. 😬

I can see that the last picture I took has the best Milky Way as the sky was at its darkest. But I have to honor my limitations. Goodnight, my Milky Way.

[FYI, My night shoot at Canyonlands National Park went off without a hitch… but then the files were “corrupted” upon uploaded. I lost them all and was upset about it for two days. I’m finally a little over it now.]