Vermillion Cliffs and Victim

V.

Victim of Time and Ravages by the Elements
(Click on the photographs for best viewing)
by Martha

You know how Martha likes B/W. I think she did a good job on the B/W,
considering it was heavy overcast with rain and not much contrast.

It was photographed at
Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Deschutes National Forest
Oregon

In November of 1990, Newberry National Volcanic Monument was created within the boundaries of Deschutes National Forest. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, this monument provides a unique opportunity to view the Lava Lands of central Oregon.

Newberry National Volcanic National Monument includes 50,000+ acres of lakes, lava flows, and spectacular geologic features in central Oregon. The highest point within the Monument is the summit Paulina Peak (7,985 ft.), showcasing views of the Oregon Cascades and across the High Desert. The summit area of Newberry Volcano holds two sparkling alpine lakes full of trout and salmon.

Vermillion Cliffs
by Troy

The above photo is a composite of two photographs to produce the panorama. Notice Highway 89A in the bottom right hand corner for perspective and scale. This route by the cliffs is the only east route of get to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

The Vermilion Cliffs are the second "step" up in the five-step Grand Staircase of the Colorado Plateau. Reddish or vermilion-colored cliffs are found along U.S. Highway 89 and U.S. Highway 89A near Kanab, Utah (and near Navajo Bridge in Arizona).

We stopped at Navajo Bridge to photograph the rafts on their way down the river. We were also looking for the California condor. They had been seen in this region. We didn’t see one here but we did see and photograph one on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was a small dot on the photo, but we did get a look with our binoculars.

The Cliffs extend from a location near Page, Arizona and west for a considerable distance, in both Arizona and Utah. 112,500 acres (455 km²) of the region were designated as the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness in 1984, and an even greater area was proclaimed Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in 2000. Famous locations in the cliff area include Lee's Ferry, Glen Canyon (a national recreational area), The Wave, Coyote Buttes, and others.

The cliffs sat astride an important route from Utah to Arizona used by settlers during the 19th Century. The area was thoroughly explored by the Mormon pioneer and missionary Jacob Hamblin who started a ranch at the base of the cliffs in House Rock Valley. Modern U.S. Highway 89A basically follows the old wagon route past the cliffs through House Rock Valley and up the Kaibab Plateau to Jacob Lake.

The Vermilion Cliffs are made up of deposited silt and desert dunes, cemented by infiltrated carbonates and intensely colored by red iron oxide and other minerals, particularly bluish manganese. In the spring, after a good winter rain, the valley between Highway 89 and the Vermilion Cliffs will be covered with a carpet of desert mallow and other spring flowers.

To play, visit ABC Wednesday, mrsnesbitt's place. Click here.

Troy and Martha