Sunset at Alstrom Point 

This month's image was taken in spring 2019. Due to an ongoing extreme drought the water level of Lake Powell was already low by then. But things changed for the worse. Currently in May 2022, there would be hardly any water visible anymore in this type of image taken at Alstrom Point. Most marinas and boat launch ramps are closed until further notice at Lake Powell. Even the tour operations to Rainbow Bridge National Monument were suspended indefinitely. As the time of writing, this famous landmark is accessible only with a small boat at your own risk or by a long backpacking trip across the Navajo Nation (a permit is required for that!). The National Park Service provides an overview of the current conditions at Lake Powell and outlines all the dramatic changes: https://www.nps.gov/glca/learn/changing-lake-levels.htm.

Alstrom Point is located at the northern shore of Lake Powell at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. It is a 25-mile drive from the small village of Big Water/Utah, first on Smoky Mountain Road (good dry weather is a must for the muddy sections!) and near the end high clearance and 4x4 will be needed to navigate safely over the uneven rocky terrain (Google maps). This outlook is amazing, but as long as the drought prevails it will not be as rewarding for photography as it used to be.

Image data: 1 s at f/14, ISO 100; Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM at 28 mm, Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Related Links: More images from our last trip to the US can be found here and here.