srjarratt
Nightmare Gulch, R6m2 Digital Survey
Yesterday I went for a digital photo walkabout in Nightmare Gulch, Red Rock Canyon [California] State Park. I was last there in 2019, very early in my view camera adventures. I figured it was time to take a fresh look at things.
Early in my hike, I saw that I was following a group of about a half dozen hikers. I followed them without paying much attention to my route, and they took me into a side canyon I haven't been in before. That was a good thing: it has better and more photographically accessible scenery than most places. They turned around, I continued into the canyon.
This collection of hoodoos and rills carved from sandstone embedded with dark stones was the jewel of the day. About a mile from the trailhead, so reachable with a 30# 8x10 kit on my back.
The trailhead is accessed via Iron Canyon Road. It used to be that we could pull off CA14 at the driveway to the Red Cliffs Parking Area, immediately make a right onto Iron Canyon Road, and have a fairly easy dirt road drive to the trailhead. It was possible in 2WD, so long as there was enough ground clearance. But a few years ago a flash flood washed out the road where the dry wash crosses under the highway. A mile north of the Red Cliffs entrance is a pullout that accesses the other end of the dirt road loop to Nightmare Gulch. It requires 4WD, high clearance and anti-wheel spin control. This time I took my regular cab single rear wheel diesel 4x4 Ford F350 that has a switch activated rear differential electronic locker.
Nightmare Gulch, R6m2 Digital Survey
Yesterday I went for a digital photo walkabout in Nightmare Gulch, Red Rock Canyon [California] State Park. I was last there in 2019, very early in my view camera adventures. I figured it was time to take a fresh look at things.
Early in my hike, I saw that I was following a group of about a half dozen hikers. I followed them without paying much attention to my route, and they took me into a side canyon I haven't been in before. That was a good thing: it has better and more photographically accessible scenery than most places. They turned around, I continued into the canyon.
This collection of hoodoos and rills carved from sandstone embedded with dark stones was the jewel of the day. About a mile from the trailhead, so reachable with a 30# 8x10 kit on my back.
The trailhead is accessed via Iron Canyon Road. It used to be that we could pull off CA14 at the driveway to the Red Cliffs Parking Area, immediately make a right onto Iron Canyon Road, and have a fairly easy dirt road drive to the trailhead. It was possible in 2WD, so long as there was enough ground clearance. But a few years ago a flash flood washed out the road where the dry wash crosses under the highway. A mile north of the Red Cliffs entrance is a pullout that accesses the other end of the dirt road loop to Nightmare Gulch. It requires 4WD, high clearance and anti-wheel spin control. This time I took my regular cab single rear wheel diesel 4x4 Ford F350 that has a switch activated rear differential electronic locker.