Calico Hills Photos
The Calico Hills Trail
is the first set of trails that you get to in the scenic loop. It is
variable length
and relatively easy to take.
The Calico Hills are set apart from the rest
of the Red Rock valley and are at the north end facing south. Light and
the direction of the sun are important in Red Canyon because photos taken
an hour apart will look different.
Calico Hills is no exception. There three places that you can approach
them from, Calico Basin which is outside of the Scenic Drive, Calico Hills
overlooks, 1 and 2, and The Calico Tanks Trail. Although there are decent
photo opportunities everywhere, all the time, each one of these spots has
a time of day that is more responsive to the sunlight.
The south facing Calico Hills trails
are a good example of this. Midday shots put the sunlight more directly on
all the crevices and relief that these cliffs show. Some shadow is always
necessary. Too much shadow works against you unless you use them to your
advantage.
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If you do encounter a 'shadow' problem, you must try to take advantage of
it. The same knoll from our too much shadow example is pictured from a
different angle this time.
It has a different look and shows the size and scale of these huge
boulders and cliffs.
One of the issues at the Calicos Hills is the scale of the place. If you
don't communicate that in some of your photos, then the viewer misses the
effect of 'being there'. The rocks and cliffs are huge. People look like
dots against them.
This good in some cases. These cliffs are a favorite 'rock climbing' place
to many. Where else can you legally deface 100 million year
old geological treasures and be 'outdoorsy'? These are very easy rocks to
climb. Putting spikes in them is so wrong.
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In the crisscross fossils that you see everywhere, there is another scale
that can be communicated here. Time. When looking at fossilized cross
sections of sand dunes that existed so long ago some people think deep
thoughts, others are driven to walk and climb on them. Perhaps rock
climbing in a place like this, because it is so public and unnecessary, is
a metaphoric act of some kind? It certainly is not done for exercise of
body or skill, there other, better places. Everyone can see them here.
But that is an illusion also because from the overlooks, everyone is
barely visible, they look like dots. Being surrounded by these immense
yellow and red streaked cliffs and boulders does bring to mind the scale
of things. That is one of the things about Red Rock that must appeal
to people it can give temporarily give you a different perspective on
things.
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That is the reason that these places set aside from development and other
types of encroachment. Because they move you, make you think and it is fun
to be there. The Calico Hills have all of that.
The hiking, because it is variable, can be easy or moderate. It is
visually interesting, from many perspectives. |
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