As a photographer, Mike was so excited to finally be able to capture a Solar Eclipse. After studying the path of the eclipse, he carefully considered our options and decided that the best locations to photograph this natural wonder were either in Utah or southwest Colorado.

A snowstorm had just rolled through the Rocky Mountains but by the time we had the SUV packed full of camping and photography gear, the day had turned into a clear blue sky day. Driving over Vail Pass was especially beautiful with a light snow sticking to all the trees. Despite the beauty, snow in the middle of October has us looking forward to a warm weekend in the desert that much more. 

Fall Meets Winter, The Collision of Seasons

We reached Moab early in the afternoon and began our search for a campsite. We didn't expect to find anything close to town, but luck was on our side when we arrived at one of our favorite campgrounds just as a site became available. Once we set up our camp, we went into town for a quick lunch and then ventured out to explore the area.

The North Face Kaiju 4 - We also have the Wawona 4 

About an hour south of Moab on Highway 191, just outside Canyonlands National Park, we took a drive on a mix of paved and dirt roads until we stumbled upon the Needles Overlook. We were lucky to find only two parked cars and had the place to ourselves. Mike didn't waste any time taking some stunning photographs.

'Path to Needles Overlook'

The view from the overlook was breathtakingly beautiful and peaceful. Just as the sky started to light up with colors, Mike appeared with his backpack slung over his shoulder, camera in one hand, and tripod in the other, saying that there was another great spot just around the bend. I knew it was too good to be true, that we would be at a location ahead of time to witness the sunset! Off we were, chasing another sunset. After all, this is what makes our adventures so thrilling and unforgettable.

'Sandy Glow' - Above Canyonlands National Park

We made our way down a short path and then onto some soft, red sand. Our cream-colored mini golden doodle was ecstatic to have so much space to run around in and turn his fur into a new color! While we were both taking plenty of photos, Mike had one camera set up on a tripod to capture the changing colors of the sky. Summit had a great time playing, jumping off rocks, and dashing around in the sand.

As we packed up and headed out of the sandy area we saw the sky was blowing up on the other side of the canyon, Mike knew he had to get back to the first location. With each second counting, he jumped out with his gear and quickly ran to a spot to set up for one last burst of photographs, one of which turned out awesome. 

'Yellow Sunset At Needles Overlook'

On our way back to Moab, we decided to take turns driving so that we could each take a car nap. Once we arrived, we headed straight for Zax Restaurant to enjoy a small pizza. And, of course, we couldn't leave without getting some frozen yogurt! If you haven't been to MoYo, it's definitely worth a visit. You can fill up your cup, add some toppings, sit on the front patio, and watch the Jeeps roll by.

Arriving after dark at our camp spot we headed straight to the tent and started planning for what we needed to get done in the morning. It was finally Eclipse Day! We set our alarm for 5:30 a.m. but woke up without it because nearly every vehicle in the campground was heading out for the same reason as us. We knew traffic would be bad heading south, so we joined our neighbors and hit the road. 

We were in a never-ending line of cars, all heading in the same direction, and we had no idea where we would end up. Mike had scoped out a reservoir he thought would be pretty to have in the foreground with the sun above us, but seeing the amount of people he started second-guessing that idea. With a mountain range off to the west and an unpaved road approaching, his gut instinct said to make the turn. Soon, we were alone heading away from the crowds and into the trees. 

Mike getting the tripods and cameras set-up

The spot was beyond perfect. Open enough to set up chairs and tripods, trees where we could hang a hammock, and views of a canyon below. We had about an hour before the eclipse would be full showing the ring of fire so Mike started the time-lapse he had been dreaming about, but first had to transfer footage from his memory card onto his laptop. He rushed to get everything started as the sun was shining so bright above us, and we couldn’t wait to see the sky darken. We watched the moon slowly cover the sun with our special eclipse glasses, Mike checked his time-lapse one last time since the ring of fire was about to show when he realized he had made a huge mistake. He forgot to format the memory card and would have to restart a new time-lapse.  

In the end, it wasn’t what he had hoped to pull off. A good lesson was learned, all the gear should have been ready to go by the morning, and rushing never helps. We still had a great time watching this special event, loved feeling the air go from warm to very cold, and the light go from bright to semi-dark. While Mike enjoyed a hammock nap while I took Summit for a hike, then we continued our adventure south on Highway 191.

Over the summer we visited Kanab, Utah, and on our way there we saw a new resort being built right off the highway called Bluff Dwellings Resort & Spa. This time it was complete so we checked out the property that had cool teepee’s you could stay in or adobe buildings, a pool, cafe, and gorgeous scenery. We had a delicious lunch at a the Canyon Smokehouse just down the road, then made our way back to Moab. 

With our trip coming to a close we made our final stop to MoYo then of course to Arches National Park to catch the sunset. We enjoyed some trails at Devil's Garden and watched the sun go down on our way out of the park before heading back to camp. 

Arches National Park - Trail from Devil's Garden

We had a perfect night under the stars with our camp lights set up around the tent, and Mike pulled off an amazing overnight time-lapse of the Milky Way right above us. We ate some hot dogs, relaxed, and settled in for a quiet evening under the stars. 

While the eclipse photo shoot didn't go exactly as planned, it was an adventure and an incredible experience we will never forget. We had a great time exploring some new areas we hadn’t been to just south of Moab and had some good food along the way. It was great to pull off another October trip to the desert, something we look forward to every year.

- Amy Bauer