Canyonlands - Where the Sky Waits to Speak

Rhonda and I had spent an afternoon up in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. Sure, it's not exactly prime time for photography - the light can be harsh and unforgiving - but the views are still nothing short of spectacular.

As we were heading back to our vehicle from Grandview Point - an overlook that more than earns its name, offering a sweeping panorama of thousands of square miles of raw canyon country - I overheard a woman say to her husband, “Compared to Bryce and Arches, this place is pretty mediocre.”

Now, I could have handled something like “not as impressive” or even “a solid third place,” but mediocre? That’s such a... well, mediocre word to use for a landscape carved by millions of years of geologic drama.

I think what a lot of people miss is that every place has its moment to shine. For Island in the Sky, that moment is sunset. That woman left before the curtain even rose.

When the sun begins its descent toward the horizon, the whole plateau transforms - light ignites the cliffs, shadows spill across the basins, and color explodes in places you didn’t expect to see it. What kind of show it puts on depends on the day that came before - was it clear or dusty? Stormy or blazing hot? No two performances are ever the same, but they’re always stunning.

So, here you go - feast your eyes on the so-called "mediocrity" of Canyonlands…