Morning Pastels

Another image honoring the 100th birthday of the National Park Service. Again from Capitol Reef, this image portrays a broad perspective of the temples or monoliths in my previous image "Before the Temples." Initially, I was disappointed in the overcast skies during this early September morning, but as the sun rose the filtered light was spectacular.

Capitol Reef National Park was initially designated a National Monument on August 2, 1937 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in order to protect the area's colorful canyons, ridges, buttes, and monoliths; however, it was not until 1950 that the area officially opened to the public. It wasn't designated a National Park until 1971.

So, for history buffs, where does "reef" come into play? Capitol Reef encompasses a geologic formation called the Waterpocket Fold, which is a warp in the earth's crust. Early settlers found these ridges, which they called reefs, impossible to traverse. It really wasn't until 1962, when the highway was built, that there was easy access to the Park.

Enjoy!