Milky Way at West Rim

I have hiked the 15.5 mile West Rim Trail that commences from Lava Point in Zion National Park, and ends at The Grotto. It is a fantastic hike in the Zion Wilderness and you see landscapes most folks visiting Zion will never see. While hiking that trail, I came across this one vantage point that is incredible. I have always wanted to go back and photograph this - the trouble is that it is around a 7 mile hike one-way to get to it. So I would need to hike 7 miles in, 3 hours before sunset, photograph the foreground and the Milky Way, and then hike back the 7 miles in complete darkness, through the forests and meadows.

Since none of my friends wanted to do this, I decided to go anyway. The hike in the evening was incredible with gorgeous lighting - but I have to say that the hike back at 2 AM at night, through that forest, in pitch darkness, with nothing but my headlamp illuminating the trail, was more than a little nerve-wracking. I kept imaging either a mountain lion or an axe murderer, hot on my heels, ready to get rid of the "stupid photographer". All in all, what an experience. 👀

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