Advice for Bryce and Zion Vacation..

my wife, son and i are going to visit the bryce and zion areas in early april for about 4 days. i'm not bringing my mountain bike along which is a bummer, but we plan on doing a bunch of hiking and general exploring. i'll also be bringing some of my camera gear--probably d3, 14-24, 24-70, 70-200. should i also bring my 105 macro?

anyway i'm open to advice or suggestions generally about where we might go, and specifically on anything i should be thinking about regarding taking pix there. we're pretty excited, it will be my first trip to this area. thanks!

Was there this past fall, and I used mine! but then again I've got some strange taste in photography! I use mine to make some real sharp pic's in making panorama's , Ravens begging around the rest stops, and love the grain patterns of the old pine trees among other things. I have much the same Lens inventory as you ,found the Macro worth effort to haul around.

I'll be there to but with my mountainbike.. I to would love some advice on where to be and at what time. There should be a website like mtbr's trailguide for sight and time reviews. It would save a hassle.

i've heard the following are amazing (but i haven't ridden there yet):

thunder mountain out and back
gooseberry mesa
white rim
slickrock and the entire moab area
porcupine rim

gosh there are so many...there is a utah regional forum on mtbr, you should check that out. i'm sure they would be happy to help you out with ideas. i've heard that spring and especially fall are the best riding times of year. summer gets really hot except at the higher elevations.

You might want to do a search on the forums. Here is a thread:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1030&message=34493443

In a few words: Zion has two very different "halves": one very rocky with very interesting formations and its own wave, and a second one a green valley with tall walls. Lots of hikes, some probably not accessible due to muddy conditions. Try the Emerald pools, the Watchman at sunrise and maybe hidden canyon.

Bryce is something else, from another planet altogether. High plateau: you will be at 8000 feet average. Couple of hikes here too. Go for sunrise, you will have what to take pictures of. And plan to be at Bryce point some 2 hours before sunset for the sunset pictures. Later than that and the canyon will be entirely in shadow (as it faces east). Don't hesitate to use your 200mm.

Have fun, it's a magical place.

--
Regards,

Ovidiu

Wildflowers.
May is fantastic, April is a bit early.

Hike to Angel's Landing; wonderful, scenic and highly memorable.

maljo

thanks for the link and for the suggestions. sounds like my idea to bring everything up to 200mm makes sense. i'm definitely leaving the 200-400 at home! you just don't see that much wildlife at elevation in most parks. hopefully things will thaw out a bit at bryce over the next few weeks. i hear it's pretty cold and snowy there right now.

but i've already talked about angels landing with my wife and that will be a no-go. i could do it by myself but that wouldn't be much fun, plus we will have plenty of other things to do on this trip without my going off for 3-4 hours by myself. it looks pretty amazing up there.

we'll check out cedar city, but some things may be dependent on utah getting some warmer and sunnier weather in the next few weeks...thanks again.

It snowed in Bryce on us in June one year, real snow, with an inch on the ground... Most of the park , including the rim of the "canyon" is at an average of 8000 feet altitude. Mornings are cold even summertime.

Dress appropriately but keep in mind that down in the canyon it is very protected, a lot less wind and with the hike you will be warm. Carry water.

Also watch for thunderstorms. I would NOT be caught in the open in Bryce during one... Actually I did get caught once, it was not funny.

One more thing. I visited Bryce at least 8 times in the last 12 years. Every time I go I find something different to photograph. It's impossible to do it all in a few days.

Check out my site for some samples over the years if you feel like it.
http://www.ovidiu-moise.com

Take your time and enjoy.

--
Regards,

Ovidiu

--April will be spring in and around the valley at Zion. Bryce will be another story but you know that.

The canyon will be closed to vehicle traffic starting the first part of April. The only way to get up the canyon in your own vehicle is to be staying at Zion Lodge. The shuttle system works well but you need to carry your stuff and that can be an issue with lots of photo gear. Check with the park service for shuttle start date and plan accordingly.

No such restrictions for the east side of the park and the tunnel. After all if you are coming from the east you do have to get into the park. We are in Zion a lot since we have a travel trailer parked for the winter at an RV park west of the west entrance.

Southern Utah has had a lot of snow and rain over the winter so there are currently some very muddy conditions on the trails along with ice and snow on the upper ones. They may well be in better shape by April.
My Pbase site has lots of Zion photos in all kinds of weather.
There are endless photo ops whether you climb to Angel's landing or not.
John
http://www.pbase.com/dahlstetphoto