Moab Cabin: Monte Stiles castle valley overlook

Moab Cabin: Monte Stiles castle valley overlook
http://www.montestilesphotography.com/Home/

Monte Stiles castle valley overlook

Monte Stiles in a rare moment of rest. I was constantly worried that he would not be able to put the brakes on fast enough when he approached overhangs like this. I am convinced that someday his body will be found at the bottom of some beautiful overlook. When his camera film will be checked, shots from his fall will no doubt be there, looking up, sideways and down recording some incredible views moments before he checks out of this life.

Monte Stiles on overlook to castle valley

Monte Stiles of http://www.montestilesphotography.com/Home/ lept every crevice, jumped on every overhang, scaled every vertical cliff, and exhausted everyone with him but one. Me. I enjoyed keeping up with him minus the extreme climbs and speed with which he gets to where he is going. He literally sprints to get as many shots of "the light" as he can from a variety of vantage points. I would catch up with him only to see him sprint to the next challenge. His energy is amazing and all done with a lot of weight in camera equipment. He is a federal prosecutor by trade and has seen so much negative in life that he turned to photography years ago in an attempt to capture the positive side. He has succeeded in changing his own life and the lives of many others with the power and redemptive influence of his camera. As a prosecutor he is inundated with the consequences of crime and the dysfunctional lives of criminals. Monte has seen the seedy underbelly of our society up close. His search for something good and worthwhile to counterbalance the daily toll of dealing with reprobates led him to photography. The week he spent in Moab Utah was filled with the wonder and beauty that God allows all of us to experience if not in person then through Monte's lens. He captures vistas that expand the soul and details that increase the appreciation of nature. I am a total amateur but followed him around for the week and learned many tricks of the trade regarding cameras and equipment etc.. He is a willing instructor only on the condition that you keep up with him. I doubt he has the patience to be a good teacher of photography as he would rather spend the time getting the shot than teaching someone how to get it. Now having said that, he is helpful in between shots, but most don't have the staying power to hike with him. We hiked to a lot of different points as a group and for every step the group took, I am sure he took 4 or 5. He explores every nook and cranny along the trail and still arrives first. A good friend. Everybody should be so lucky to have one such as he.

cliff at canyonlands utah

Taken by Monte Stiles, this view of a spot near Deadhorse point shows the dramatic proportions seen from the sides of cliffs looking into the canyons below. There are hundreds of miles of jeep trails inside canyonlands thanks to old time miners, and whether in a jeep or on a dirt bike, the visitor will never feel the same after traveling the roads seen in this photo.

sunset at canyonlands

Another photo of a sunset near the Moab Cabin. This one taken by Monte Stiles of http://www.montestilesphotography.com/Home/
After a day of activities, I recommend that in the mid to late afternoon a visitor make the trip to canyon lands and watch the light and shadows change the view minute by minute. Canyonlands is so impressive that photos and words fall way short of capturing the true experience of personally visiting it.

Moon rise over the LaSals near Moab Utah

This is a moon rise at sunset over the LaSal mountain range taken by Monte Stiles
http://www.montestilesphotography.com/Home/ Taken in April of 2009 from the Castle Valley overlook this photo reflects the larger than life atmosphere all around Moab. Early mornings and evenings never fail to present beautiful photos opps regardless of the weather. This moon was so bright that all during the night, it was possible to hike underneath it without the aid of flashlights.

Hiking a slot canyon in Moab Utah

Susie and I hiking Pole canyon near Moab Utah. In April of 2009. The weather is beautiful and the hiking great. Later up this canyon we saw cougar sign marked clearly in the middle of the trail as they like to do. This photo was taken by Photographer Monte Stiles http://www.montestilesphotography.com/Home/ as he hiked above us on the rim of the canyon. His dedication to, as they say, "chasing the light" is world class as he does not settle for anything other than the most unique in color and visual style. This causes him to take risks that many of us refuse to do. His results are most impressive however and the story behind his pursuit of beautiful photos is a chronicle of a life changing perspective that he shares on speaking engagements around the USA.

Susie and I hiked this canyon to it's end and the change in scenery is most impressive. Scrubbed red rock here but verdant vegetation higher up the hike.

Alexandra Lundberg on dirtbike at Moab

It would be logical to assume this is Alexandra Lundberg at the end of a long dirt bike ride at the cabin but it is actually the beginning. She wore herself out putting on the safety equipment. Some great riding trails all around the cabin.

The Moab Cabin at sunrise

Hoodoos on sand flats road on way to cabin

The darkened sky over these hoodoos at sunset made for a great shot. I never tire of the ride up to the cabin because of the hoodoos. They are amazing for adults but absolutely mystical to children. If travelling with young kids just plan on stopping along the way to let them soak in the views that will remind them of special effect movies they are used to.

Potash road into Moab Utah

Another one of my favorite photos. Along the river on Potash road very near the petroglyphs. This photo shows a typical day in paradise with blue skies, puffy white clouds and vertical cliffs.

Torrin Lundberg at castle valley overlook

Torrin Lundberg and I motorcycled this trail and came back for photos. It is the Porcupine trail near Moab Utah and offers vertical views that require concentration while riding a bike.

Forest fire above Pinhook battleground

This is a view of the LaSals overlooking the Pinhook battleground near the castle valley overlook. The fire is the first they have had on this scale in over a thousand years. Don't know if that info is reliable but the contrast in colors makes for a beautiful shot.

Moab Cabin sun room

The sun room is named because it captures the morning sun and afternoon sun with views of the laSal mountains and the meadow across Cougar Canyon. A favorite to read, watch a movie or take a nap. It has two single beds, a DVD player and TV.

Russ, Isaiah & Mishelle Neilson at the castle valley overlook

One view we try to experience nearly every evening while at the cabin is the castle valley overlook. Minutes from the cabin this view takes the breath away from every friend and visitor we have had at the cabin. Good friend Scott Hatch and family didn't want to go as the day was a bit long from activities but at my insistence he came. On the road over he good naturedly complained the whole way that with all the great views seen that day one more was only going to wear him out. he would be just as happy to stay on the sofa and do nothing. However, once at the vista, he marveled at how beautiful it was and simply stated, "Well...I was wrong. This is more than worth it." This vista overlooks what is billed as the last battle between Native Americans and Whites, in a place called the Pimhook battle. This rim view is a must when visiting the Moab cabin.

HIking to the arch with friends

Connie Brown, Susie, me, Lorene and Terry Eagar hiked to Delicate Arch on a beautiful Fall day. At the half way mark is a beautiful colored tree that presented the perfect photo opportunity. The area is so beautiful that fabulous shots almost become mundane, but when friends are added to the photo, they become unique. As in this photo, I will always remember this photo whenever hike the trail in the future. We make it a point to hike to Delicate arch almost everytime we visit the cabin because it is like visiting "God's" museum and every season, every day offers up a new version of some of his greatest work.

Sunset on the fireplace

This is one of my favorite photos for a couple of reasons. Sunset represents my favorite time of day and the Northwestern sunset on this day came through the cabin windows to highlight the glass plate Susie made for me of the moab area and accent the center piece fireplace on a beautiful Fall day. The warmth of the cabin comes through in this photo as the sunlight adds it amber hue to the evening.

Sharing our Thanksgiving holiday at the cabin was our friend Spencer White. Of note he was sporting a big scab on his chin received playing in the alumni football game of BYU vs. U of U the day before. We hiked to Delicate arch on a beautiful yet typical day in Arches National Park. The hike up was a bit more difficult than other times because we were hiking off thanksgiving dinner. This shot shows Spencer underneath the arch in triumph.

Spiral ham, vegtables, potatoes and fixins for Thanksgiving dinner at the cabin. We spent the long weekend in Moab and had a great dinner. We hiked every day, read books and played card and board games each night. It was very cool at nights but we actually had to open the windows as the propane cabin heaters proved more than equal to the task. We watched a movie on DVD from a red box in town. The night skies were mostly hidden due to cloud cover.