Kitty Myers first visit to Nevada and Utah was “all about the rocks.”
Hiking the Valley of Fire north of Las Vegas was a warmup for the Utah swing of her first southwestern USA tour. The Kolob Canyons was an appropriate introduction to Zion National Park. Zion had been on her radar for decades and the thrill was hers among the giant mountains surrounding the Virgin River. The lone disappointment for both of us consisted of the throngs of hikers who converged into the Narrows slot canyon adventure. When we creekwack, we just don’t do throngs well and that preference unfortunately ruled out the Narrows experience.
But all was not lost.
Another creek offering a similar experience was nearby. Billed as an alternative to the Zion feature, Badger suggested a hike through the Kanarra Creek Canyon. Because the daily permits issued were limited, there would be no throngs. Rock Sprite was all in!
For us, this ‘schwack was perfect – in the narrowest stretches the walls were only a few feet apart as they rose dramatically overhead to a height of 400′ in places. Bingo!
I absolutely loved the light dancing into the confined spaces of Navajo Sandstone and icy creek water. And I also love waterfalls, a feature lacking at The Narrows but in abundance in Kanarra Creek.
As you may have guessed, a major part of my partnership duties when we hike is to make Kitty look great in her natural habitat. Kanarra’s signature waterfall – a 20’ beauty – provided the opportunity for an epic shot. Badger didn’t want to waste the moment and when Kitty was hiking above the waterfall with Badger at the base of the falls, the camera gods answered the request.
The result was arguably my most dramatic image of her. Looking like Lara Craft of Tomb Raider fame, and with the ambient light poured around her, Kitty did what she does so well: looking fantastic in the moment in a truly unique environment.
So, the shutter clicked and the result was exquisite imagery in this land of stone and shadow.
The photograph holds the moment of the falls dropping away, the canyon keeping its own counsel, and Rock Sprite posed exactly where she belongs.
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