SYLVIA PATTON - 2019 - 2021 - CALENDAR EXTRAS

  PHANTOM CANYON TUNNEL I told you last month that I would tell you some stories this month - and so I will! The Phantom Canyon road was originally the Florence & Cripple Creek railroad and connected Victor, CO with Florence, CO.  Cripple Creek  is a town about 6 miles from  Victor , and in the 1890's gold was discovered there.  Soon gold was being mined all over the area, and the population of Cripple Creek was some 30,000; Victor somewhat less. (Compare that to the  1950's when the populations were around 600 and 300, respectively!) Thousands of prospectors arrived between 1890-1910 and the area became the "World's Greatest Gold Camp". Over 22,400,000 oz of gold was extracted from over 500 mines in the Cripple Creek and Victor region. The Florence & Cripple Creek rail road was built in 1894 to haul the gold ore from Cripple Creek  down to the main east/west railroad at Florence. There are two tunnels such as the one a...

GOBLIN VALLEY STATE PARK, UTAH This State Park is reached by traveling east from Monument Valley, down the road you see in MAY's photo. JUNE's photo is taken as you enter the Park. I followed this gravel road leading through the park, which provides a nice view of the hoodoos, or goblins as they are also called, on all sides. This park, and Zion National Park contain some of the best examples of hoodoos. I love hoodoos almost as much as ice! On a more personal note: On this date, June 3rd, in 1885, some 137 years ago, my grandfather, Walt Brunton, was born. It is amazing to me to think about actually knowing him for 25 some odd years,and he was born 137 years ago! I will tell you more about him in next month's blog as that photograph is from Colorado, and has a special connection to him. Just know that had you met him, you would believe that I belonged in his family. I loved him dearly. * I have reposted this as there were problems with the initial post. People were unable ...

  EASTERN ENTRANCE TO MONUMENT VALLEY Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is one of my favorite places. There is a loop drive through the park, but much of it can only be seen by using a Navajoguide.   Many John Wayne type Westerns were filmed there, so it's main features are familiar to many.  Because it's so iconic, I thought using infrared might provide a different vision of  familiar scenes. Below are some images that appeared in my 2012 Calendar.  THE MITTENS (Cover) Twice a year the shadow of the West Mitten Butte is superimposed on the East Mitten Butte. That's a shot I'd love to get!  Check it out here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7w6sS1cps0 Speaking of roads ;-)) THE THREE SISTERS MYSTERY VALLEY STORIES FROM THE PAST ONE OF 2012 CALENDAR'S FAVORITE IMAGES          Hope you  have a chance to visit this magical place, or have been privileged to have been there. Here's to having a chance to visit it again soon! ...

      In case you hadn't noticed, roads in Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks catch my eye!       I also love tunnels, even little ones like the ones above and below   (which maybe have another name?)                        Here is a shot of a little tunnel on the road to Cerocahui, a small town a short distance from the Copper Canyon (Sierra Tarahumara) railroad in Northern Mexico. Some of you may remember images of this area in the 2017 COPPER CANYON calendar.        Please feel free to comment; and thanks so much to those who have!      Yet another REAL tunnel is up ahead in July. And, there's a story there! Stay tuned!     

     CANYON DE CHELLY (pronounced DE-SHAY) NATIONAL MONUMENT  is March's destination, and it's a wonderful one at that! Located in the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona it can be viewed from the rim, or accessed via the valley floor. There are actually three canyons. Visitors can only travel the canyons accompanied by a park ranger, or an authorized Navajo guide. In the canyons are ruins and petroglyphs of the Anasazi, and this is one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America. Truly worth a visit. My visit was in February, so some of the canyons were snowed in, but I was able to traverse the main canyon.                                                                                        ...

       Both January and February's images were taken on the road into Zion National Park.  Also, as you continue east you travel through Bryce Canyon National Park as well. This time of year is a great time to visit. No one else is there! Well, maybe that's different now, with Covid. Still, I'm sure less people than during the rest of the year. Watch the weather forecasts though!       Hope you are all coping and staying safe!      Til next month.      Sylvia

                                                                  END OF 2021 CALENDAR - JANUARY 2022       Water sculpts the ice that is released from the toes of glaciers as they break off into the water. These icebergs then get further sculpted as they are tossed on the waves of the ocean. Above is an up close and personal look into the "mouth" carved into this iceberg. It was taken in the Northern Canadian waters.                                                                                             ...