We are twin brothers devoted to Earth adventures and environmental protection. We've been buddies since we were in utero. We produce videos, in high and ultra-high definition, photographs, articles, and books covering topics on understanding and enjoying National Parks, natural and human history, including native cultures. Our YouTube channel has videos on the above topics. Search Robinson Twins, Richard and Robert. At the bottom of the page, click on Older Posts to see more.
This arch was within the boundaries of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah.
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.
Death Valley has lots of exposed minerals and rocks throughout the park. Rain is rare, but when it does arrive it can appear torrential. This photo shows the side of the canyon that has the Natural Bridge feature. After getting photos of the bridge, we started looking up the canyon a bit to see what other features we could find and noticed the patterns on the walls. These could be called mud-cicles. Or how about mud chandeliers? They were totally dry, but it's obvious how they formed.
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!
Bob just attended an Arch Rally held by the Natural Arch and Bridge Society from September 18th to the 25th in and around Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. He enjoyed eight days of going on drives and hikes to see arches and bridges.
This image is of Sheets Gulch Arch, which he hiked to on the fourth day of the rally. The arch is on the east side of the park up against a canyon wall almost looking like it's just leaning against the top of the sandstone formation. The group could see it from the canyon bottom, but several of the hikers, including Bob, scrambled up the slope to get a closer look and even walk through the opening of the arch.
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.
This image is from 2008 when we were still using film. So this is a slide that was scanned and edited. This feature in Arches National Park is called Balanced Rock. We can speculate as to how long it will be before the huge rock on top falls down, but it will eventually, such is geological forces. You can view this feature right from the road about 9 miles from the visitor center. If you park and hike the trails, you can completely encircle it. This photo was taken in the afternoon with a westward sun lighting the scene and storm clouds starting to build.
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!
The bighorn sheep in this park seem to be used to visitors enough at least to not mind being seen by humans. They sometimes hang around the campground area for a long time.
One of their adaptations of living in the desert is that they can go without water for longer times than other bighorn sheep in wetter areas. Valley of Fire State Park only averages about 4 inches of rain each year.
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!
We've produced a video about out visit to this arch. You can see it on our YouTube Channel at:
https://youtu.be/tOcCNc-ZFwo
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.
El Capitan is one of the largest granite cliffs in the world and is a draw for rock climbers from around the world.
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.
This photo is a still from video Bob shot of this swallowtail butterfly visiting this lily blossom.
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.
While driving along the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway in the Sierra National Forst on June 13, 2021. We came across several spots with blooming flowers along the road. Much of this area was burned last year, so it was nice to see some still lush and green spots. This flower is called Kelley's lily (Lilium kelleyanum)and is related to the tiger lily or leopard lily. It was growing tall out of a seep that flowed into a small creek. It was taller than we were, more than 6 feet or 2 meters in height.
ISO 25, f1.8, 24mm equivalent, 1/685 sec.
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!
In this photo, which he shot from the Yosemite Falls Trail, is Upper Yosemite Falls, the moonbow hovering over the Middle Cascade, and Half Dome.
According to Brian Hawkins of Yosemite Moonbow Predicitions (yosemitemoonbow.com) the appearance of the moonbow in Yosemite Falls as seen from Glacier Point only happens for about 15 minutes and is a broader arc thanks to the fact that you're viewing it from so much farther away than the other vantage points that he does predictions for.
The park was conducting prescribed burns the week Bob was there and Yosemite Valley and Half Dome were almost completely obscured by the smoke from Glacier Point, but, fortunately for him, the smoke cleared out just in time for the predicted appearance of the moonbow.
See our previous post for more information about moon bows.
Oh yeah, and while Bob was at Glacier Point, he met Brian Hawkins who predicts the occurrence of moon bows in Yosemite Falls from various vantage points on his website Yosemite Moonbow Predictions (yosemitemoonbow.com).
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.
This is a photo of a moonbow, or lunar rainbow, in the mist of Lower Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park. Bob took this shot on the night of May 25th, 2021. The park was conducting prescribed burns in Yosemite Valley, so he was concerned that the smoke would diminish the moonlight enough that the moonbow wouldn't show up. Fortunately the smoke dispersed enough that it didn't interfere. In fact, Bob thinks this was one of the best moon bows he's ever seen, because it persisted through almost the entire predicted window and was a strong and, for the most part, broad arc of light. In our previous visits to see the moonbow in Lower Yosemite Falls, the moonbow has appeared and disappeared depending on which way the wind was blowing the mist.
Moonbows occur when moonlight strikes the mist of a waterfall or misty rain during a storm at a 42 degree angle from the observer and creates a rainbow just like sunlight can do. The difference is moonlight is much dimmer and is only bright enough two days before, the night of, and two days after the full moon to create a moonbow. Also, because moonlight is so much dimmer, the colors of the rainbow don't usually show up to the naked eye. The human eye sees color with retinal cells called cones, which require a brighter light intensity than the moon provides, in order to be stimulated enough for you to perceive color. To the naked eye, the moonbow appears as a ghostly white arc of light. The colors do show up in photos thanks to the longer exposures that cameras provide.
The Big Dipper and other stars are visible in the sky above Lower Yosemite Falls.
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.
This photo is from April 27, 2021. Because this was a dry year, the dogwood bloom seemed to occur earlier than normal.
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.
