The 2015 Spring Roadtrip: Cedar Breaks National Monument

I didn't sleep very well in Boise and consequently the drive south through Twin Falls ID and Ely NV was tough. I ended up stopping several times, napping in the Sierra and moving on for another couple hours. I did uncover a weakness in my planning, however. It seems I failed to take note of the route's terrain on this leg and I was actually surprised by the size and scope of the mountains in Nevada. Every time the road I was traveling took aim at a ridge whose upper reaches were encased in the clouds, I was sure that I'd soon be trying to cross the snowy pass. I think my fatigue was showing. As it turned out, I made it to my motel in Cedar City in time to take a two hour nap before checking out Cedar Breaks National Monument for the sunset.

Cedar Breaks NM is about 20 miles east of town and the stretch of I-15 that joins Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. I-15's probably a very nice highway, maybe even a scenic highway, I don't know. I'll continue to bend to my preference for local byways. The view above is the western approach to Cedar Breaks, sometimes described as a mini Bryce Canyon. One's initial impression might suggest that,  however it's really an overstatement. On the other hand, depending on where you happen to be and when, it's (1) easier to get to and (2) you may not have to share it with anybody. Those are a real selling points.

When I arrived, a few hours before sunset, I was still unsure whether there'd be any sunset for me to shoot. I'd not been rained on all day but by the same token the clouds did threaten all day. But being up here alone, it's easy to go with the flow and decide to stick around to see how things turn out.

Besides the red rock sandstone, there were plenty of stands of fir trees, or combinations of fir trees and matchsticks. It didn't look like there'd been a fire recently, maybe some kind of beetle or acid rain. There was plenty of snow still, but none of was on the road (which I thoroughly appreciated).

Sometime between taking the picture above and the picture below there began to be indications that the clouds may break up enough before sunset to give me some color. You never really know about whether or not the color will be there until it starts showing up. It's just a waiting game.

I did appreciate the standing water and melting snow. It makes a good foreground. I was also glad to see the sun making an attempt to break through. Since I was the only one around, I'd have to assume Mother Nature's effort was especially for me, right?

I guess I need to quit imagining my sunsets ahead of time. My imagination works well enough that it seems I'm doomed to be at least somewhat disappointed. On the other hand, I know great sunsets happen and I can increase my chances of catching one occasionally by trying more often. Yeah, that's a plan.

These last two shots were taken at the aptly named Sunset Overlook. It was a very enjoyable afternoon and it made me thankful. Thankful for my jacket with its quilted lining (it was about 40° with a 15 knot wind) and thankful for digital cameras and lithium-ion batteries that let you shoot hundreds of pictures on a single charge. How great is that?!!

It occurred to me, standing at Sunset Overlook, that my plan to come back for sunrise was ill advised. None of the overlooks is called Sunrise Overlook and there's no good spot to shoot the Brakes at sunrise. Instead, I'll give myself an extra hour of sleep - or the possibility of an extra hour of sleep - and head directly to Zion NP in the morning.