July 18 & 19, 2017
Two days off work so I headed out to a favorite rim overlook to camp, see how the site would be for August 21st’s partial solar eclipse, and ended up with amazing sunset and rise skies during monsoon at Marble View.
The drive out of the park and into the Kaibab National Forest includes long stretches of meadows with a profusion of wildflowers.
I allowed plenty of time to stop and photograph smell the flowers along the way. I was also lucky enough to see deer and bison grazing under a sky full of heavy boiling clouds.
The closer I got to Marble View the narrower the gravel forest roads became.
Until finally the tree tunnel approach to the end.
Stormy sky to the north and east greeted me at this tundra like point with a big view all the way to Vermilion Cliffs and beyond.
I parked away from the rim by big Ponderosa Pines to stay out of the wind and still have a view.
Then wandered slowly to the rim looking down for fossils and up at the view keeping a wary eye on the sky. The wildflowers grow stunted like on the tundra from a lack of soil.
Had several local friends ask if the ammo box under a pile of rocks was still at the end of the point. However, it’s a bit of a scramble and with storms and possible rain around I opted not to go for it and check. There’s a decent signal at Marble View so I did send some pics into the cyberworld, mostly from the phone.
Storms continued to build all afternoon but danced around my isolated point of view.
It was love at first sight with this pinyon pine at Marble View overlook many years ago. A true survivor of many monsoon storms. It offers shade, counsel, and a fine view of Marble Canyon and Navajo Mountain.
I spent the afternoon watching the storms from different angles and in different directions. Used the tripod and tried for lightning. Sadly, my slow shutter finger didn’t capture any flashes. I wished for a lightning trigger.
Just missed it
Just missed it again
And again
Thank goodness for digital because I took 100s of pics trying to catch the lightning.
Missed it again
The reverse sunset was looking good. Then rain began to fall lightly so I set the tripod up in the camper door and continued to try and catch lightning by setting the timer for every three seconds over 30 shots. The light show was excellent.
As the last of the reflected sunset color made the sky turn red a vertical rainbow arrived to the east for a really grand show.
While to the west crepuscular rays lit up the sky.
Finally!
The show continued and darkness set in when I finally got that long hoped for lightning shot, behind a tree.
And, believe it or not, I was actually awake in time for sunrise but with the dark low clouds wasn’t sure I’d get much color.
Boy was I wrong about that.
The sun persisted and found a clear opening next to Navajo Mt.
Even the crescent moon found an opening in the clouds.
I like being able to enjoy morning coffee with a show like this right outside my windows/door/back yard.
I should wake up for more sunrises.
I know this post is photo heavy because I just couldn’t decide which pics I liked best out of the collection of several 1000.
After breakfast only low clouds stuck around yet the morning view was bright and hazy.
2012 Annular eclipse
I tried to figure out what the sun’s trajectory would be for the August 21st eclipse. Even though it’s only a partial here—starting about 9:13am, peaking at 10:33 at 73.4% and over by noon—I still want to see it, safely with glasses and filter. I won’t be able to get a landscape at the same time as the sun will be too high in the sky.
I left camp reluctantly about 11:30 and made many stops for photos of various wildflowers growing under the young aspen.
Lupine
Surprised by the amount of growth after last year’s “pruning” I saw aspen trees already two feet tall and one foot for the New Mexican Locust.
Fireweed, Paintbrush, Daisy, Aster
Under the young yet larger aspen grew paintbrush, lupine, fireweed, aster, daisy, and more. The young aspen seem to dance with twists and turns in their trunks caused by the weight of winter snow.
Finally back to the main highway, pavement, and home for another week of working at Grand Canyon.
Getting there
This eastern view over Marble Canyon and beyond to Navajo Mountain is an easily reached location on the Kaibab National Forest. From SR67 between Jacob Lake and the entrance to North Rim Grand Canyon National Park, Forest Road (FR) 611 East, FR 610 South/right curves East and parallels forest and park boundary, FR219 North/left to end. About 14 miles of typically good gravel road doable by any vehicle if taken slowly. Space for four to eight camps. I’ve seen smallish camp trailers and motor homes. A fantastic place to disperse camp for free on the Kaibab National Forest up to 14 days.
