“Desert’s Solitude”

We arrived at Lees Ferry on a sunny and warm day in January. Upon arrival, we happily set up camp at the local National Park Campground that overlooked the Colorado River and the rock canyon walls; not far from where this photo was taken. After some exploring by foot, we set up a couple lawn chairs and poured ourselves a few (lol) glasses of wine, enjoyed a charcuterie board, reminisced and giggled as we watched the setting sun. Very quickly though, the evening air grew cold and we called it a day. As planned, the next morning we got up early to hike Cathedral Wash Trail, which we had passed as we drove in (only 5 minutes back). I was excited; I remembered visiting Lees Ferry before and saying, “We just have to come back and hike in there!”, and here we were; pinch me! The sun was just cresting when we arrived and the temperature was well below freezing. Just as we started out, I looked back and noticed the road we had driven in on and how the curb caught the cresting morning light; it creating a very defining line through the desert that demanded my attention. I instantly loved the way the road appears and then disappears and the way your eye follows the road to where the slopes and road join, creating a strong focal point. Although I had set out to capture Mother Nature’s beauty, this photo turned out to my shot of the day. What I love about this photo is the blending of the lonely modernism in the middle of the desert’s solitude. Lees Ferry, is a tiny settlement on the Colorado River, 6 miles north-west of Alt. Highway 89 (near Page, Arizona), which is also known as Marble Canyon. It’s here that the mighty Grand Canyon begins and is called, “mile zero” of the 277-mile canyon. It too is where most of the Grand Canyon river boat expeditions start.