The Toadstool Hoodoos, located outside of Kanab, Utah and Page, Arizona, are part of the greater Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The trail is unassuming, located at a small turnoff on Highway 89. The trail to the hoodoos meanders through the valleys of small eroded plateaus with large amounts of scree covering the area.

These unique formations find their creation from the Dakota Sandstone boulders that sit atop the Entrada Sandstone pedestals. Once the softer Entrada Sandstone erodes, the Dakota Sandstone resides leaving a cap, like a mushroom, on top. 

This photo was taken after a group of friends and I decided to stop off here for sunset following a particularly exhausting 8 mile hike through Buckskin Gulch. With the setting sun providing enough darkness for me to use my off camera flash, I channeled my inner studio photographer and directed my friend where to hold the flash to best reveal its form, giving rise to magnificent colors and striations against the purple hue of the setting sun.

Buckskin Gulch, located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area, is the longest and deepest slot canyon in United States and possibly the world.

Marked by their sinuous carved rock, typically sandstone, slot canyons are often formed through water erosion over long periods of time. Flash floods are what make these strikingly beautiful canyons also some of the most dangerous to hike, with the runoff from a storm ten miles away potentially leading to the canyon on a day with clear skies.

These walls form their own abstract art where light reveals and conceals form, changing each minute with the path of the sun. On my third venture into this slot canyon, the light caught this particular patch of sandstone highlighting its sinuous nature allowing for an eerie contemplation of the form itself.

This photo was taken at the Hurstville Lime Kilns, located north of Maquoketa, Iowa.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, four kilns remain from the operation that supplied much of the Midwest masonry efforts during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

This one spec of green among a bed of stone immediately caught my eye, and I was fascinated with the way it somehow found its way through. Life always seems to find a way to adapt to its environment.

Buckskin Gulch, located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area, is the longest and deepest slot canyon in United States and possibly the world.

Marked by their sinuous carved rock, typically sandstone, slot canyons are often formed through water erosion over long periods of time. Flash floods are what make these strikingly beautiful canyons also some of the most dangerous to hike, with the runoff from a storm ten miles away potentially leading to the canyon on a day with clear skies.

These walls form their own abstract art where light reveals and conceals form, changing each minute with the path of the sun. This patch in particular caught my eye, not only for its abstract nature, but the small patch of life growing along its walls.

Buckskin Gulch, located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area, is the longest and deepest slot canyon in United States and possibly the world.

Marked by their sinuous carved rock, typically sandstone, slot canyons are often formed through water erosion over long periods of time, often coming from flash floods. This is what make hiking these beautiful canyons so dangerous. A storm from ten miles away can funnel into the canyon on a day with clear blue skies.

The plant growth on the side of this canyon is a unique sight. Small amounts of water and sunlight find their way to these plants allowing them to survive in this surreal environment.

Buckskin Gulch, located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area, is the longest, deepest slot canyon in United States and possibly the world.

Marked by their sinuous carved rock, typically sandstone, slot canyons are often formed through water erosion, particularly flash floods. This is also what make these beautiful canyons so dangerous, as water can be carried from a rainstorm several miles away bringing a sudden flash flood during clear skies with no escape route available.

I was amazed by the plants lining these walls, positioning themselves to receive the most light, showing again life’s ability to survival and thrive in the most unlikely places.

Buckskin Gulch, located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area, is the longest and deepest slot canyon in United States and possibly the world.

Marked by their sinuous carved rock, typically sandstone, slot canyons are often formed through water erosion, particularly flash floods. These are what make these beautiful canyons so dangerous, as water can be carried from a rainstorm many miles away leading to deadly flash flood during clear skies with no escape route.

Fairly deep into the canyon at this point, I had made sure to observed several weather apps before embarking. Two years earlier with only one day to hike it, I called off the hike due to a 1% chance of rain. I later found out that chance was responsible for flooded the canyon, trail, and road all the way to US Route 89, a distance of three miles.

Buckskin Gulch, located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area, is the longest and deepest slot canyon in United States and possibly the world.

Marked by their sinuous carved rock, typically sandstone, slot canyons are often formed through water erosion over long periods of time. Flash floods are what make these strikingly beautiful canyons also some of the most dangerous to hike, with the runoff from a storm ten miles away potentially leading to the canyon on a day with clear skies.

These walls form their own abstract art where light reveals and conceals form, changing each minute with the path of the sun. This patch in particular caught my eye, evoking nature’s version of yin and yang.

The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument region is renowned for its expansive layers of sedimentary rock, shaped over millions of years by wind, water, and tectonic activity.

Visitors to the area encounter a breathtaking variety of rock features, including narrow slot canyons, towering cliffs, slick rock domes, and natural arches. These rocks not only define the physical character of the region but also serve as a natural record of Earth’s history.

This photograph was taken due to the need to escape the intense heat of the area, finding refuge in this little pocket of rock, providing important shade. This shade was a full 30 degree cooler from that of the exposed sun. While lying on a large slab of broken rock, the view above was an abstract wonder, only needing the right framing.

Iconic, religious, Hollywood-graced, the East and West Mitten Buttes tower over the landscape at Monument Valley along the Utah-Arizona border.

These buttes hold religious significance for the Navajo People with legend holding that they are the remains of great religious deities. Later John Ford found his home in Monument Valley and made countless westerns there with John Wayne, with the Mittens featuring prominently in films such as “The Searchers” (1956).

Monument Valley maintains one of the best campsites I’ve ever had the pleasure of camping at. It sits atop a sand band looking out towards The Mittens, evoking a drive-in movie theater, replacing the screen with one of the best views in the West. I later focused my efforts on the West Mitten at sunset.

Iconic, religious, Hollywood-graced, the West Mitten Butte watches over the land of Monument Valley, a stunning area residing along the Utah-Arizona border.

These buttes hold major religious significance for the Navajo. Legend holds they are the remains of great religious deities. Filmmaker John Ford found his home in Monument Valley, countless westerns there with John Wayne, with the Mittens featuring prominently in such films as “The Searchers” (1956) and have now become icons of the American West.

Monument Valley maintains one of the best campsites I’ve ever had the pleasure of camping at, and it is a perfect one for photographing the Mittens. The campsite sits atop a sand band looking straight out towards The Mittens, evoking a drive-in movie theater, replacing the screen with one of the best views in the West.

Originally covered by oceans and rivers, Monument Valley is a testament to time. Located on the Colorado Plateau near the Arizona-Utah Border, the valley displays the wondrous effects of weathering and erosion.

With the softer rock being eaten away over time by the elements, the harder rock is left exposed in curious and awe-inspiring formations that have religious significance for the Diné (Navajo) People and iconic significance for the American West.

Pictured here is “Sentinel Rock” profiled with an edge light from the setting sun. I was able to capture this photo right from my campsite, one of the most beautiful I’ve ever camped at, which also sits facing The Mittens.

Buckskin Gulch, located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area, is the longest and deepest slot canyon in United States and possibly the world.

Marked by their sinuous carved rock, typically sandstone, slot canyons are often formed through water erosion over long periods of time and are particularly prone to flash floods. With these floods comes large debris, and often it does not always escape the canyon.

The base of this large tree is one such beautifully eerie example, requiring some maneuvering to proceed further into the canyon. On the way back I made sure to highlight this unique occurrence with one quick shot.