Labor Day weekend - for years I worked straight through it. This year was special, I switched things up and took vacation to join my buddies for an extended holiday.
The first stop was at Sycamore Canyon, between Prescott and Sedona. I camped above the canyon on the mesa the first night, then in the canyon the second night. While there, I was treated to starscapes (although light pollution is starting to encroach), red-rock cliffs, a thunderstorm, and even a scorpion sighting. Next, I moved to a site above Sedona and was treated to a fantastic sunset view.
The monsoonal storms began again by the time I arrived in the Kaibab National Forest on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. There I ran into my first snowstorm of the season, and also realized that the Bison are far smaller in Arizona than up north. For a little variety, the Coral Pink Sand Dunes were next on the list, although neither the weather nor the dirt bikes were cooperative for photography.
I had planned some time in reserve, but hadn't used it at that point, so I was able to explore the mesas above Zion National Park. The rocks in the area area fascinating, and I was lucky enough to see several Bighorn Sheep and a thunderstorm before hitting the tent.
