10/19 Day 5

"Dad, I gotta go, the sun's coming up now!"

This "travel day" turned out to be pretty remarkable.  Completely out of character, I woke up at 5, broke camp quickly, and got to Yaki Point on time exactly as planned.  Good thing, too.  The sunrise was breathtaking, and I really enjoyed watching the light play over the contours of the formations as the sun rose higher.

I decided to do a bit of poking around the more touristy features of the park before leaving.  I visited Kolb Studio, which was showing a collection of paintings depicting or inspired by the canyon.  I also went to a souvenir shop and had breakfast at the Bright Angel Dining Room.  My next stop was Navajo Nat'l. Monument, which is very small but features a well-preserved Hopi pueblo ruins in a cliff face in a beautiful canyon.  I finally got some use out of the telephoto lens Dad gave me!

Cliff dwelling ruins in Betatakin Canyon

Go go gadget telephoto lens!

After that, I had a short drive to Monument Valley, which is absolutely incredible.  I'm completely baffled at how so many beautiful mesas, buttes, and other formations came to exist in such close proximity.  It's no wonder the Navajo/Diné have always thought of this as a sacred place.  The campground is situated perfectly, overlooking West Mitten Butte, with East Mitten Butte just behind.  I arrived (exclaiming, "I'm sleeping here tonight!?") just as the sun was setting.  It was breathtaking.  The desert is so full of so many radiant colors, and they were all in their glory with the fading light.

West Mitten, East Mitten, and Merrick Buttes, as seen from my campsite