I first saw the Vermilion Cliffs, in northern Arizona, about 35 years ago. Since then, the area has become a national monument, for better and worse.
The Colorado River runs through the eastern edge of the Vermilion Cliffs. Rafters and paddleboarders on their way to the Grand Canyon begin their trips just a few feet downstream from where the photo above was taken.
Just a mile or two further, the river narrows into Marble Canyon.1 I took this photo while standing on the Navajo Bridge, below.2
Several miles west of the bridge are the remnants of a tiny town called Cliff Dwellers, a place that’s fascinated me from the very first moment I laid eyes on it. The folks who settled there built homes nestled into the huge boulders littering the landscape.
I’ve mentioned previously that I continue to go back to places I’ve already been, thinking that, maybe this time, I’ll get a truly great photo. As it turns out, there’s ample evidence that I’m engaging in faulty thinking. The photo above, which I like quite a bit, was taken in 2011;3 the photo below was taken just a few months ago.
They show exactly the same place, though with different angles and focal lengths. The little patio structure in the upper photo no longer exists, and it looks as if one of the supporting boulders along the back wall has disappeared as well. Worse yet, the fabulous green/turquoise trim on the door and window are nowhere to be seen; both have since been reinforced with new, unpainted wood. Other structures I remembered in Cliff Dwellers are no longer standing either.
I believe the defining characteristic of photography is time, specifically now, and the noticeable degradation of Cliff Dwellers illustrates that principle beautifully. While I’m sorry I won’t ever again have the opportunity to get a “better” photo, I’m grateful I got the photos I did, when I could.
Above, another set of ruins, a couple of miles north of the Navajo Bridge and very close to where I took the first photo in this series. Below, the view looking back to the ruins area. My ability to take this shot was one of the improvements granted by national monument status — there was a new trail along the river that allowed me to hike much further north than I ever had previously.4
On another note, I recently started a second Substack email newsletter. It’s called Everyday Imagination and features my AI images. One example is the flight of fancy below celebrating Valentine’s Day.
You can sign up here if you’re interested.
Nope — no marble in Marble Canyon. Although apparently there is some limestone, which might eventually, someday, become marble.
The right side of the bridge is open to foot traffic; the left side carries US Highway 89A.
In any case, image editing tools have come such a long way since 2011 that I’m now able to make much better images than I could back then.
On the flip side, the ripples in the water were caused by the wake of one of many speedboats going up and down this part of the river, a new development as well.
Feb 15: Vermilion Cliffs
Fascinating as always!