DVD
Adventurer
Hunts Mesa overlooks Monument Valley and is within the Navajo Nation, near the AZ and UT eastern border. It's an incredibly beautiful and remote area. The remoteness is enhanced by the fact that Hunts Mesa is within the Navajo nation, and you need to have a native guide to access the area.
One of my Land Rover buddies and his wife organized the trip, and their uncle, who lives right in the area, served as our guide. So we had the double good fortune of visiting this beautiful area and driving our own vehicles.
Let's get right to the good stuff: the scenery. It's definitely one of those out-loud "wow!" moments when after driving for a couple hours, you finally crest the last little climb and see Monument Valley spread out before you. Here are some photo highlights:
The first view of Monument Valley from Hunts Mesa. Indelibly printed in memory
Panorama of campsite
Hunts Mesa camp view
Sunrise
Sunset
I haven't delved into photography enough to do night photos, but as incredible as the daylight photos are, the night views, with the host of stars and the Milky Way wheeling on an axis, were equally wonderful. It was cool that our guide could tell the time at night by which stars were over which formations (e.g., "when that bright star is over the 'bears ears,' it's around 2 a.m."), and he pointed out Navajo constellations.
Speaking of wheeling, the trails up and down the mesa were fun. A few steep, rocky sections, a few sandy sections, and beautiful scenery the entire way. Our trip leader used a saying: "fewer vehicles, fewer problems," and that held true - either that or the renowned Land Rover reliability
A couple of the classic Land Rovers on this trip
Our vehicle ascending the mesa
We did some "Rovering" and hiking on the full day spent on the mesa.
Vista into the valley
We called this "pose rock"
We never tired of the views of Monument Valley
We explored these ruins on the trip down
The best part was hanging out with good people who share similar interests and love of the land.
Heading back to camp to hang around the fire
After 2 nights camping on the mesa, our private trip was done, and some of our party visited the Navajo park that comprises Monument Valley, driving the loop through the monuments on the valley floor. I think it's like the Grand Canyon, where it's cool to be down in it, but the view from the rim affords more scale and grandeur.
Three Sister monument
Monument Valley floor
All in all, a great trip, and I hope this report captures some of the wonder and beauty.
More photos in a Google+ album
One of my Land Rover buddies and his wife organized the trip, and their uncle, who lives right in the area, served as our guide. So we had the double good fortune of visiting this beautiful area and driving our own vehicles.
Let's get right to the good stuff: the scenery. It's definitely one of those out-loud "wow!" moments when after driving for a couple hours, you finally crest the last little climb and see Monument Valley spread out before you. Here are some photo highlights:
The first view of Monument Valley from Hunts Mesa. Indelibly printed in memory
Panorama of campsite
Hunts Mesa camp view
Sunrise
Sunset
I haven't delved into photography enough to do night photos, but as incredible as the daylight photos are, the night views, with the host of stars and the Milky Way wheeling on an axis, were equally wonderful. It was cool that our guide could tell the time at night by which stars were over which formations (e.g., "when that bright star is over the 'bears ears,' it's around 2 a.m."), and he pointed out Navajo constellations.
Speaking of wheeling, the trails up and down the mesa were fun. A few steep, rocky sections, a few sandy sections, and beautiful scenery the entire way. Our trip leader used a saying: "fewer vehicles, fewer problems," and that held true - either that or the renowned Land Rover reliability
A couple of the classic Land Rovers on this trip
Our vehicle ascending the mesa
We did some "Rovering" and hiking on the full day spent on the mesa.
Vista into the valley
We called this "pose rock"
We never tired of the views of Monument Valley
We explored these ruins on the trip down
The best part was hanging out with good people who share similar interests and love of the land.
Heading back to camp to hang around the fire
After 2 nights camping on the mesa, our private trip was done, and some of our party visited the Navajo park that comprises Monument Valley, driving the loop through the monuments on the valley floor. I think it's like the Grand Canyon, where it's cool to be down in it, but the view from the rim affords more scale and grandeur.
Three Sister monument
Monument Valley floor
All in all, a great trip, and I hope this report captures some of the wonder and beauty.
More photos in a Google+ album
