Here’s a spectacular sunrise over Reflection Canyon – a surreal landscape of the twisting and winding Colorado River through colorful sandstone cliffs. This amazing photo, captured by Yang Lu, is the grand prize winner of the Share the Experience photo contest, an honor that means his photo will appear on the 2017 America the Beautiful public lands pass.

For Yang, photography isn’t just about recreation, it’s also to inspire people to explore these special areas. Yang took this photo during a two-day backpacking trip to Reflection Canyon, which is located in a remote area at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah. “We did not see anybody for two days. There is no trail; we depended on my research,” Yang says of the experience. Yang visited during the winter when the temperature and water levels were low – thanks to meticulous planning, Yang’s efforts paid off. The curves and those formations – I have never seen anywhere.”

Photo by Yang Lu (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).