John Fowler
Member
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2012
- Messages
- 217
Near the end of last October I set out from home (Placitas, NM) for a trip to Zion to get in some hiking and leaf photography. The ghost town of Old Paria, a place I had never seen, was along the way and about 430 miles away, so I decided to stop there and camp for the first night.
On US 89 out of Page, AZ, about five miles after the turnoff to House Rock Valley Road, the highway makes a looping curve from north back to southwest. Near the middle of this curve on the north side there is a pullout, a monument, and a bulletin board. From there a good dirt road leads about five miles northward to the Paria area. I got there in mid-afternoon.
There used to be a movie set that I knew had been washed away in the '90s by a flash flood. Volunteers had reconstructed the set on higher ground and I wanted to photograph this with the striated cliffs in the background.
This is the area where the old movie set was located.
ventually the road goes down a steep decline into a valley near the Paria river. Here I found the location of the original movie set, but no reconstruction was to be seen even though I wandered around for some time looking for it. So I drove back up to the billboard and read that the reconstructed set had been burned to the ground a few years ago. Arson was suspected.
Driving back, I stopped at the campground. I had seen two other vehicles in the area, but they were gone so I had the place to myself. There is also a pit toilet, always a welcome sight. I drove about half a mile further until the road ended by the river. The town was just on the other side, and there appears to be nothing left but the cemetery, which I had passed already. the river was only shin-deep so I waded around for a while. A longer hike down the river seems feasible and might be worthwhile.
As the sun set I drove back to the campground, where I spent the night in my truck. tghe image below is a combination: I shot the ground during twilight and the stars about an hour later and combined them in Photoshop. I greatly admire the star photography of ibenick and summit and hope someday to approach their level of skill.
The next morning I was up for the sunrise and got some more shots. the cliffs are spectacular when the light is right.
Then it was on to Zion for some real fun.
On US 89 out of Page, AZ, about five miles after the turnoff to House Rock Valley Road, the highway makes a looping curve from north back to southwest. Near the middle of this curve on the north side there is a pullout, a monument, and a bulletin board. From there a good dirt road leads about five miles northward to the Paria area. I got there in mid-afternoon.
There used to be a movie set that I knew had been washed away in the '90s by a flash flood. Volunteers had reconstructed the set on higher ground and I wanted to photograph this with the striated cliffs in the background.
This is the area where the old movie set was located.
ventually the road goes down a steep decline into a valley near the Paria river. Here I found the location of the original movie set, but no reconstruction was to be seen even though I wandered around for some time looking for it. So I drove back up to the billboard and read that the reconstructed set had been burned to the ground a few years ago. Arson was suspected.
Driving back, I stopped at the campground. I had seen two other vehicles in the area, but they were gone so I had the place to myself. There is also a pit toilet, always a welcome sight. I drove about half a mile further until the road ended by the river. The town was just on the other side, and there appears to be nothing left but the cemetery, which I had passed already. the river was only shin-deep so I waded around for a while. A longer hike down the river seems feasible and might be worthwhile.
As the sun set I drove back to the campground, where I spent the night in my truck. tghe image below is a combination: I shot the ground during twilight and the stars about an hour later and combined them in Photoshop. I greatly admire the star photography of ibenick and summit and hope someday to approach their level of skill.
The next morning I was up for the sunrise and got some more shots. the cliffs are spectacular when the light is right.
Then it was on to Zion for some real fun.
