Tips for Grand Canyon / Sedona next week

[Nicholas Fiduccia]

I have been to Sedona. Schelbey Hill Road in Sedona has some very interesting mountains, but make sure you have a high clearence vehicle as the road is very rugged.

Another fun location is going down to oak creek to get shots of Cathedral Rock with the creek in the foreground. To get to the creek, head south on 179 to the town of Oak creek. When you get into town, turn right (northwest) on Green Valley Road (I am not sure about the name). This road will take you all the way to the river. From what I remember you will have to park in the parking lot about 1 block from the river but you can drive all the way down to an overlook near the river to scope things out. You can walk down to the river and look left and you should see a small bridge. From here you can take the classic "Cathedral Rock with Oak Creek in the foreground shot.

Another possibility is staying on the south of the creek and take the trail that heads toward Cathedral rock to the east. Walk about 2 blocks and then find a path toward the creek and you should be able to find a different framing of "Cathedral rock and river".

If you get real adventurous, you can go back to the trail and follow the signs to the top of Cathedral rock. I didn't have a chance to do this last time I went but it is on my list! Enjoy your trip!

[bob carlisle]

Just got back from Grand Canyon South Rim. If you're lucky it will be a cloudy day. That will make for a better photo. I agree that most all points are good for photography but I would suggest early morning versus late afternoon shooting. Even way out there in the middle of nowhere it still gets hazy (at least when I was there) I took digital shots. Just now trying to get into 8x10 view camera that I just received as a gift from my uncle. Hope I buy the right lens. bob carlisle P.S: go to the airport in Sedona for a great panoramic lookout of the Sedona Valley.

[Sal Santamaura]

"Even way out there in the middle of nowhere it still gets hazy (at least when I was there)."

Just 75 miles upwind of 'way out there' is the 1,580-megawatt Mojave coal-fired electrical generating plant; it's one of many on the Colorado plateau. This chart shows what each of them pours into the atmosphere. Let's not even think about emissions from fixed and stationary sources in the southern California megalopolis a bit further upwind. At least some new controls are being implemented at Mojave, though the more stringent emission limits associated with them need not be met be until 2005.