Richard Shattuck
Bad Timing
Saguaro National Park, Arizona.
The hike was called "Sunset/Moonrise" and was guided by a park ranger.
The idea was to hike in the late afternoon to an overlook where we could watch the sunset and then turn around to watch the (nearly) full moon, and then finish the hike in the moonlight. The total distance covered was about 5 & 1/2 miles.
There were a couple of problems, one of which was predictable.
The one that wasn't expected was that the sunset fell far below the Sonoran Desert's normally high standards. I say that as a resident here who has routinely seen them be spectacular. The other hikers were all visitors and they were impressed.
The known factor was that for the hike to work as described and to take a minimal amount of time, it had to be scheduled for a night that wasn't optimal for the moonrise. The moon had to be high enough in the sky to light the trail, so it was already too high for my (photographic) purposes after sunset. I would like one day to capture it as it is just rising above the mountains and seems to be right on top of a saguaro or ten. This was the wrong time of the month for that. I am hoping to take such a hike later in January. Hoping for the timing and location to be just right, and even more so that the government can get its act together so the hike can actually take place.
On the plus side, it was thrilling making the descent to the desert's floor after sunset (nobody used their flashlight even once) and then the best part of the entire hike was the final mile on level ground which went through the famed Cactus Forest. It's a totally different experience to hike among the giant saguaros when they are lit by the moon.
Bad Timing
Saguaro National Park, Arizona.
The hike was called "Sunset/Moonrise" and was guided by a park ranger.
The idea was to hike in the late afternoon to an overlook where we could watch the sunset and then turn around to watch the (nearly) full moon, and then finish the hike in the moonlight. The total distance covered was about 5 & 1/2 miles.
There were a couple of problems, one of which was predictable.
The one that wasn't expected was that the sunset fell far below the Sonoran Desert's normally high standards. I say that as a resident here who has routinely seen them be spectacular. The other hikers were all visitors and they were impressed.
The known factor was that for the hike to work as described and to take a minimal amount of time, it had to be scheduled for a night that wasn't optimal for the moonrise. The moon had to be high enough in the sky to light the trail, so it was already too high for my (photographic) purposes after sunset. I would like one day to capture it as it is just rising above the mountains and seems to be right on top of a saguaro or ten. This was the wrong time of the month for that. I am hoping to take such a hike later in January. Hoping for the timing and location to be just right, and even more so that the government can get its act together so the hike can actually take place.
On the plus side, it was thrilling making the descent to the desert's floor after sunset (nobody used their flashlight even once) and then the best part of the entire hike was the final mile on level ground which went through the famed Cactus Forest. It's a totally different experience to hike among the giant saguaros when they are lit by the moon.