542 - Butler Wash
Today’s adventure was more convenient than anything.
And I say that because I don’t want you to go into this thinking this is some crazy, off-the-wall adventure. I realize that my last five shoots or so have been pretty nutty. The bar is ridiculously high.
But if these adventures were categorized by Taco Bell Hot Sauces, this one would be Mild™. And thank Allah for that. Between getting bitten by acid-spraying ants, getting covered in spiders, hiking to the middle of nowhere, and frying in my car like a lobster, I needed this.
An old fashioned, one-mile hike, on a decent trail, to a relatively well-known location. Like the good ole’ days.
So let’s get into it, shall we?
The spot was called Butler Wash. A “wash,” if you didn’t know, is a fancy term for a desert river. AKA, a river that’s not there 99% of the time. They tend to emerge when it rains and pours. And when I say emerge, I mean completely annihilate everything in their path.
Luckily for me, a flash flood wasn’t in the forecast, so the sun was being its hot and sexy self.
The hike in was, well, easy. I’ll spare you the details. The end of the hike was where things got interesting.
A cliff emerged, followed by a wholesome view of an ancient ruin setup. There was even a guard rail installed for my safety. How convenient.
The catch was that this wasn’t just any ruin setup. These ruins were embedded into the side of the cliff. A bit like Mesa Verde, except this cliff was wildly more sketchy.
I’d show you a picture, but the lighting was beyond atrocious. Imagine the sun setting in the direction behind the cliff. The top end was completely blown out, while the ruins were all shadows. Not exactly ideal for a “self-proclaimed professional” like myself. I have standards these days.
So I started to roam around.
The thing that caught my eye were these black stains in the rock from a long lost stream. They would drip over a boulder, then melt into a psychedelic pattern. It went on like this hundreds of yards- and it was unlike anything I’d ever seen.
I never thought I’d say it, but for once I was happy this river didn’t have water. Why capture water when you can shoot black, mysterious stains? Let me show you an example:
“Ray Gun”
Taken with Sony a7rIII + Sony 24-105 f/4 G
[ISO 1250 ~ 105mm ~ f/9 ~ 1/125s]
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
And here’s a more macro image. Even the close up textures were nuts:
“Magic Ball”
Taken with Sony a7rIV+ Sony 12-24mm f/4 G
[ISO 1250 ~ 14mm ~ f/9 ~ 1/160s] (Focus Stack)
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
I decided it would be in my best interest to follow this black river of darkness. Actually, maybe I should reword that. It sounds like I’m about to turn into a serial killer.
Let’s go with “follow this dark river of madness.”
So I kept walking, doing some Mild™ parkour moves to maneuver up the steep terrain. Slowly, I began to get overwhelmed with my shot choices. I wanted a photo every 10 feet. And then the clouds came in to save me.
Like paintbrush from the Gods, golden light brushed itself across the rim of a non-existent waterfall. It might have been one of my favorite cloud setups in a long time:
“Swish”
Taken with Sony a7rIV+ Sony 12-24mm f/4 G
[ISO 2500 ~ 12mm ~ f/9 ~ 1/500s] (Focus Stack + Exposure Blend)
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
Wow. What a doozy. I feel like I’m still going to be dreaming about those clouds a year from now.
And with that, my magnum opus of the shoot had revealed itself. I let out a breath of relief. It’d all worked out. And now it was time to head back to the cool, air-conditioned comfort of my 2007 Toyota Prius.
As I walked back, I noticed one more patch in the rocks that looked vaguely like a heart. I couldn’t pass this up:
“Tree Heart”
Taken with Sony a7rIV+ Sony 12-24mm f/4 G
[ISO 2500 ~ 24mm ~ f/8 ~ 1/100s]
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
Shout out to the Universe for the love.
Well, this is about nearing its end. I should probably connect the dots somehow. Let’s go with the fact that, much like the non-existent stream, I somehow made something from nothing.
Mild™ enough for you? Good. Because I’m fucking hungry.
I’m on a mission to explore as much as humanely possible.
Want to see my progress? Check out the Adventure Map.
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