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I had to work for this one (both the capture and processing); I hope it was worth the effort. 😉 I had never been to the top of Observation Point at the north end of Zion Canyon before. This was one of a few images I had in mind before I got there, and the only one that worked out. Even then I was lucky because it had been overcast most of the day. Knowing I’d be spending the night up on the canyon rim, I lugged all my heavy backpacking and photo gear up the 4 mile trail, cursing the 2100 ft elevation gain but loving the view. I had to move fast to get there in time for sunset – it was quite the workout! The trail is well maintained so the hike could have been worse. Sunset was a bust, but luckily the clouds cleared around 2:30 in the morning. It was a little hazy on the horizon, but it helped diffuse the “light pollution” from nearby Springdale in a nice way. It was way colder up on the rim than I prepared for, making the night pretty miserable. Forecast said lows in the 40’s (F) but there was frost on my tent in the morning.

This is a 2-image blend: the milky way exposure at f/2.8, 25 seconds, ISO 3200, and the terrain exposure about 45 minutes after sunset at low ISO and longer exposure. I like how this keeps the terrain really sharp, but I’m noticing in larger prints it’s almost too sharp compared to the noisier night sky.

Overall I was happy to come away with this image; I like this view of several Zion icons together (Great White Throne, Virgin River, Angels Landing) in a unique presentation. It’s true that our naked eyes don’t see the Milky Way as being this vibrant, but the light is there and it’s amazing that our camera sensors can bring it out for us. Makes you wonder what else is up in that night sky that we can’t see. 😉

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