What a year 2022 has been for photographing the monsoon season at the Grand Canyon. After several years of weak monsoonal showers, or what some had come to refer to as the “non-soon” the rain has returned and with it came the lightning, rainbows, and dramatic skies.
In addition to running my annual monsoon workshops, I spent much of the season on the North Rim on personal trips exploring and photographing lesser known and more remote locations such as Point Sublime, Swamp Point, Marbleview, and Toroweap. With all of the rain, the roads were more challenging to drive than in years past and required four wheel drive to safely navigate some obstacles with some sections of road blocked by downed trees along with long pools of deep water on the road.
In a future post here on the Journal, I’ll be sharing more photos of intimate scenes of the Ponderosa pines and aspen trees in the forest, photos of lichen-covered boulders, along with photos of Sacred Datura flowers and Utah agaves. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the photographs I have made of the Grand Canyon this monsoon season.
August Angel
Golden morning light on Angels Window. From the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
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Wind Worn
A lone pine tree high on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has been shaped by years of high winds. In the distance, Mount Hayden glows in the warm light of a summer sunrise.
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The Shadows of July
Warm summer light fills in the blue shadows as a storm clears. From the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
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Last Light on the Rim
The last light of the day falls upon the rim of the Grand Canyon as sky above comes alive in an array of colors. From the Rim Trail near Mather Point on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
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Morning Sentinel
Mount Hayden stands watch over the Grand Canyon. From Point Imperial on the North Rim of the park.
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Crystal Hoodoo and Monsoon Sky
Looking down the Crystal Creek drainage from the hoodoo rocks on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. In the distance, monsoon storms fill the sky with dramatic looking clouds.
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A Sublime Moment
After a day of heavy monsoonal rains and severe lightning, a moment of peace falls across the Grand Canyon landscape as a rainbow graces the canyon at sunset. From Point Sublime on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
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The Chasm of Light
Morning light falls upon the temples of the Grand Canyon. From the North Rim of the park.
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Rainbows Over Unkar
A double rainbow forms over the Colorado River and the Unkar Delta as a monsoon storm clears. From the Walhalla Plateau on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
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August Light from Cape Royal
Golden light falls upon the west face of Wotans Throne. From Cape Royal on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
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Whispers of Sunrise
Angels Window glows in early morning light. As the sun rose on this morning, the landscaape before me was painted with warm color of light with a subtle puple hue. The air began to stir ever so gently, and the wind whispered through the tall pines along the rim of the canyon. From the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
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Rainbow on Birdseye
A rainbow descends upon Claude Birdseye Point. From Point Sublime on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
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Sailing Amongst the Clouds
After long periods of rain overnight that lasted well into the morning past sunrise, the Grand Canyon had filled with clouds and the atmopshere was thick and humid. For much of the morning, it was only possible to see about 10 feet into the canyon, but then the a slight breeze began to stir the air. Within a few minutes the clouds below the rim began to breakup, and sunlight broke through. As the clouds cleared the peaks below the rim appeared to be great ships sailing amongst the clouds. From Vista Encantada on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
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Echoes of Thunder at Angels Window
Lightning erupts from a monsoon thunderstorm and strikes the Grand Canyon. Moments later, thunder echoed amongst the canyon walls below Angels Window.
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Summer Sunrise on Hayden
In the moments before a summer sunrise, warm light is cast upon Mount Hayden and the surrounding landscape of the Grand Canyon. From the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
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