MonikaC
Well-Known Member
I hope it will be (in a good way), anyway!
I'd been in a bit of a quandary as to where to go for New Years due to long nights & cold temperatures as my preference is for camping. I know, what do I expect that time of year? I-70 in CO, particularly Vail Pass, gets really bad, especially since it's been so dry and people don't have their winter driving skills up to par (some tourists never do in addition to having rental vehicles with poor winter tires). I kept checking weather reports for many places and then saw that Monument Valley had a forecast for snow. I've never been there when there's been snow on the ground, so I got pretty excited. Weather seemed to be letting up over Vail Pass, so I made my plans and headed out.
The park was closed for New Years Day, so the only way to get in was on a tour (or to stay at the View Hotel, but that's both pricey & doesn't allow dogs) Many years ago, I'd taken some tours with Tom Phillips and wanted to continue to support his family. I booked with Phillips Photography Tours and until the night before, it appeared that I would have a private tour. We were joined by a couple (he with iPhone, she with Sony mirrorless), who, thankfully, were OK with me having my dog with us. For most of the time, there was 1 other tour operator with 1 client. At our final, roadside stop, then there was a group of maybe 4.
Here is Yei Bi Chei at sunrise. The sun never really came out, which made for nice, even lighting, even if we didn't get much in the way of color in the plentiful clouds.
I'd been in a bit of a quandary as to where to go for New Years due to long nights & cold temperatures as my preference is for camping. I know, what do I expect that time of year? I-70 in CO, particularly Vail Pass, gets really bad, especially since it's been so dry and people don't have their winter driving skills up to par (some tourists never do in addition to having rental vehicles with poor winter tires). I kept checking weather reports for many places and then saw that Monument Valley had a forecast for snow. I've never been there when there's been snow on the ground, so I got pretty excited. Weather seemed to be letting up over Vail Pass, so I made my plans and headed out.
The park was closed for New Years Day, so the only way to get in was on a tour (or to stay at the View Hotel, but that's both pricey & doesn't allow dogs) Many years ago, I'd taken some tours with Tom Phillips and wanted to continue to support his family. I booked with Phillips Photography Tours and until the night before, it appeared that I would have a private tour. We were joined by a couple (he with iPhone, she with Sony mirrorless), who, thankfully, were OK with me having my dog with us. For most of the time, there was 1 other tour operator with 1 client. At our final, roadside stop, then there was a group of maybe 4.
Here is Yei Bi Chei at sunrise. The sun never really came out, which made for nice, even lighting, even if we didn't get much in the way of color in the plentiful clouds.
