This road is at a higher altitude. That may seem strange at first glance, as it looks as dry and barren as any other portion of the carved sandstone wonderland known as Zion National Park in Utah. But there is one way in the picture to determine the altitude: the color of the rock. The sandstone of Zion was deposited in layers over a period of 150 million years. During the course of such a long time span, even in geological terms, means that there is sure to be a variation in the composition of the sandstone layers being slowly laid down. A glimpse of the cliffs of Zion from the lower altitudes of the Virgin River Valley will show one distinct and noticeable feature: While most of the layers of sandstone are various shades of red and brown, near the top of all the of the tallest cliffs have a contrasting layer of light tan, looking almost white in comparison to the lower portions. So to be near the light tan white layer is to be thousands of feet above the Virgin River Valley. The Wild Images Team captured this image of the Zion-Mt. Caramel Highway as it travels through the intricately cut and colorful highlands and ascends towards the transition to the lightest layers found in the park. The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos in Utah including the competition between cliff colors and clouds in Zion National Park, the intricate designs of the high altitude patterned wall in Zion National Park, distant rain curtains over the colorful cliffs of Bryce Canyon National Park, cloud shadows defining the colorful pinnacles of Bryce Canyon National Park, the scenic view as the full moon rises over Red Canyon, the Goblin Valley State Park thunderstorm and lightning strike over goblins, the impenetrable colorful rim wall of Goblin Valley State Park, the gravity defying balanced rock with snow in Arches National Park, the moment in Arches National Park when a winter storm clears over pinnacles and the La Sal Mountains, the very bright but fleeting rainbow beyond The Hand in Arches National Park, the instance In Arches National Park when lightning strikes near the Three Gossips, the green slopes of Sandy Mountain guarded by red lichen rock sentinels, the wild clouds over the elevated plains of the Grand Staircase-Escalante, and finally in Midway where the five flags of the military fly over Memorial Hill, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts documenting our time in Utah include the road towards the extremely remote Valley of the Gods, an expansive view of the major formations of Zion National Park, the road winding through Fremont cottonwoods in Zion National Park, the road through intricately carved highlands in Zion National Park, the road through red and white rock cliffs in Zion National Park, The Wild Images Team vehicle on a dirt road in Red Canyon, the high altitude scene where a thistle soaks up the brief summer season sunshine, the moment a snake slithers over water plants in Cascade Springs, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at the entrance to Cascade Springs, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome standing proudly in Goblin Valley, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at The Brick Oven Restaurant, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at an overlook of Bryce Canyon National Park, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome in front of the rock pinnacles of Bryce Canyon National Park, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at the entrance of Zion National Park, and finally The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome in front of the cliffs of Zion National Park.
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