92Shawman's 1992 3VZ-E SR5 Pickup

Checked out Zabriskie Point and then went up to the mountains above Dante's View for the night.

Zabriskie Point by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Zabriskie Point by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Camp for the night:
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Another noisy camp-mate
Black-throated Sparrow by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Got up here and realized we could've had a much cooler view for the previous night but oh well.
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Walked up to a nice little peak and had a nice view with no one around prior to our stop at Dante's View.

Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

 

Dante's view is pretty crazy! We got there at just the right time, too, because we got there with plenty of parking and left with people waiting for our spots.

Dante's View by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Really impressive features and textures on the valley floor:

Dante's View by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Dante's View by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

And a friend!

Common Chuckwalla by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

 

Then we went up Echo Canyon and got stopped at the "waterfall" obstacle because we didn't want to go up it just to go back down it and it was already afternoon when we got to it.

Another really cool canyon
Echo Canyon by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Echo Canyon by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Echo Canyon by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Echo Canyon by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Echo Canyon by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Echo Canyon by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Echo Canyon by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Crazy features!
Echo Canyon by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Finished up the trip by heading back out and around through Trona. Nice little trip, and pretty awesome weather for doing anything outside, even though it made some of the views a bit more hazy than was optimal for photography.

 

Love your pics! Thx!

 

Thanks! Figured you'd like those herps, @inv3ctiv3

 

I love these pictures...

 

What's this fiancee thing? Congrats man!

 

Thanks! Got more coming from Anza Borrego, Utah, and a couple nice ones from New Hampshire. Stay tuned!

You should get in the next ones...

Haha, thanks! Yeah she actually asked me a while ago now. We had been talking about it and she asked when she felt like it was right! No wedding plans yet other than it'll be after I finish grad school or between my Master's and PhD and that it'll be simple and small.

 

Just went to a really intimate wedding last night. Aside from the two I've officiated, easily the best.

 

Work really picked up and my big folder of Utah photos is daunting...so I'll skip that for now and go to the much much shorter Anza trip that just my fiancee and I did to get out in May. We went to Culp Valley in Anza Borrego. Quite the interesting area, and much nicer temps than in the desert proper. Unfortunately the winds were quite strong so it limited our climbing and we had a dog with us and apparently all of the short good trails out of culp valley are prohibited to dogs. But we made the best of it.

I didn't take too many photos, but we started in Culp Valley proper, did some bouldering, then headed up on dirt towards Ranchita to find a camp. Every spot was incredibly unprotected, so we went down the next valley over to Grapevine Canyon. That drive was actually much more interesting and scenic than we expected! And right after entering the canyon we found the perfect spot with lots of wind protection.

Grapevine Canyon by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Went on an evening walk and found these little guys. So intense!
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Found Stuart Spring. Very surprising to find such lush greenery with everything else dry.
Stuart Spring by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

The next day went back up to Culp Valley for more climbing and hiking. The clouds actually came in and were so low we were driving through them. So surreal! The winds were absolutely insane and biting, too. Getting out to take pictures was a struggle.

Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

It started to clear on the ridge

Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

And was full sun on the Culp Valley side!

Culp Valley by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Climbed a little bit more then drove around a bit and headed home. Short but sweet! A bit warm now...

 

Awesome pics as always!

 

Found some forgotten photos on my phone from the October Sierra Nevada trip with @at_olw

He had some funky noises on the first full day, so we pulled off....
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

He left something behind...
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

After a few hours of trying to figure out exactly what was wrong and what to do going forward, Timmy decided to continue in front-wheel drive with a suspected blown new-to-him rear diff. Not exactly ideal but we made the most of it.

And another random one headed up towards...the bishop bouldering area and North/South Lakes, I believe:
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

 

I remember @Crom posting about seeing the Swainson's Hawks out at Anza Borrego a while back. Here are some pics from my family's trip out to see them in March.

Swainson's Hawk by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Swainson's Hawk by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

This is what they all congregate here for: Delectable caterpillars!
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

MASSES
Swainson's Hawk by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Just point the camera straight up and get nine of them in the frame...with a 400mm lens on!
Swainson's Hawk by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Also some wildflowers around:
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

 

Top notch photos!

 

Im going to have to post some pics from our national park trip.. you would be proud, some came out great!
I was trying to channel you while taking them.. got some amazing astrophotography

 

Thanks!

Haha, can't wait to see them! That one you already posted on Facebook at bryce canyon was incredible.

 

Wow. Considering Swainsons is State listed as threatened, that's encouraging.

And awesome pics!

 

Well...they were stopping over on their migration north from Central and South America, and for whatever reason they seem to ALL know about this place, so I bet most of the hawks in CA migrate through there. Given that, I don't know if the counts have grown to show population recovery or if they just seem more abundant because of the density in the tiny location.

Thanks!

 

FINALLY finished Utah photos...

Met up with @at_olw in Afton Canyon in Mojave and then headed out to Capitol Reef NP.

Capitol Reef was really amazing. I'll have to explore there more sometime.
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

It was a little cold and snowed a little higher up
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Eventually we met up with @m3bassman up at Cathedral Valley campground after night fell. It would have been cool to spend more time on that drive because there were some really amazing photos but it's not like it's a hardship to have to go back!

The morning views were spectacular!
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

You can kinda see @at_olw out on the peninsula
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

This thing looks like it's floating!
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

And Ben and Kirsten sat above this long drop...
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

 

Stopped at the sinkhole on the way out of Capitol Reef to the north and saw this splash of bright blue in the red and browns
Mountain Bluebird by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Crazy topography!
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Temples of the Sun and Moon
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

and the crazy glass mound
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Leaving Capitol Reef
Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

Untitled by Kevin Shaw, on Flickr

And then it was out to Canyonlands!