From the Devil's Tower...cue the music
Aug 31, 2017 18:11:08 #
northcoast42
Loc: Puget Sound, Washington
I got into the Devil's Tower too late at night to really scope it out. I spent the night in a rest area then spent the morning hiking around the tower, taking pictures and looking for a good spot to try to capture the Milky Way over the tower. Found the spot then checked into a hotel for a rest and badly needed shower 
I returned to the Tower a couple of hours before sunset to catch the Tower in the golden hour then left to get some dinner before returning for what I hoped would be a good night for imaging the sky...which looked promising at the time. So, after dinner, I'm driving back into the park and the crescent moon is up and relatively close to the tower. Cool picture if I could get it so I pull over, set up my tripod and start experimenting with different settings. As I'm doing this, all of a sudden I start hearing the 5 tone chant from Close Encounters! I thought I was hearing things. Turns out, the outdoor theater just outside the park was playing Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the movie was at the scene where all the Indian people were gathered together outside doing that 5 tone chant. Surreal! Anyway, I made it to my spot and managed to get a few shots off before those storms moved in again from the southwest. When the sky became obscured, I turned my camera to the west to catch the lightning that had been going on for the past hour...got a couple of lightning shots and then the lightning stopped! Called it a night and went back to the hotel as the rain began. In the last image, you can see the small parking area where the gravel road basically ends. Going beyond that was restricted.
I returned to the Tower a couple of hours before sunset to catch the Tower in the golden hour then left to get some dinner before returning for what I hoped would be a good night for imaging the sky...which looked promising at the time. So, after dinner, I'm driving back into the park and the crescent moon is up and relatively close to the tower. Cool picture if I could get it so I pull over, set up my tripod and start experimenting with different settings. As I'm doing this, all of a sudden I start hearing the 5 tone chant from Close Encounters! I thought I was hearing things. Turns out, the outdoor theater just outside the park was playing Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the movie was at the scene where all the Indian people were gathered together outside doing that 5 tone chant. Surreal! Anyway, I made it to my spot and managed to get a few shots off before those storms moved in again from the southwest. When the sky became obscured, I turned my camera to the west to catch the lightning that had been going on for the past hour...got a couple of lightning shots and then the lightning stopped! Called it a night and went back to the hotel as the rain began. In the last image, you can see the small parking area where the gravel road basically ends. Going beyond that was restricted.Devil's Tower, Wyoming
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Milky Way Rising
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Hole in the Sky
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Looking to the west
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Incoming!
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Sep 1, 2017 00:04:26 #
Absolutely beautiful John!
Devils Tower always reminds me of a big tree stump.
And some of the wildest lightening storms I've ever seen where in Wyoming.
Do-do-do-do-DOOOOO!
Devils Tower always reminds me of a big tree stump.
And some of the wildest lightening storms I've ever seen where in Wyoming.
Do-do-do-do-DOOOOO!
Sep 1, 2017 01:14:06 #
northcoast42
Loc: Puget Sound, Washington
LOL!! Thanks Sonny. That would be one BIG tree!! Must be the remains of the bean stalk 
When I was driving out towards the tower, I ran into (and drove through) an intense line of thunderstorms. Amazing lightning displays all around me. I was desperately looking for a place to pull over to capture some of the action. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) I didn't find that place until the action was well back in my rear view mirror. So I continued on. I wasn't there very long but there seemed to be a definite pattern. Clear skies during the day, t-storms building in the afternoon to the west and moving in at night. Love the lightning!!
When I was driving out towards the tower, I ran into (and drove through) an intense line of thunderstorms. Amazing lightning displays all around me. I was desperately looking for a place to pull over to capture some of the action. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) I didn't find that place until the action was well back in my rear view mirror. So I continued on. I wasn't there very long but there seemed to be a definite pattern. Clear skies during the day, t-storms building in the afternoon to the west and moving in at night. Love the lightning!! SonnyE wrote:
Absolutely beautiful John!
Devils Tower always reminds me of a big tree stump.
And some of the wildest lightening storms I've ever seen where in Wyoming.
Do-do-do-do-DOOOOO!
Devils Tower always reminds me of a big tree stump.
And some of the wildest lightening storms I've ever seen where in Wyoming.
Do-do-do-do-DOOOOO!
Sep 1, 2017 08:35:27 #
Your tower photos with both the stars and the MW are beyond beautiful. It was well worth the trip. Of course, these will be in a gallery shortly right??
Sep 1, 2017 10:50:41 #
northcoast42 wrote:
LOL!! Thanks Sonny. That would be one BIG tree!!... (show quote)
If you ever get a hankerin to head South, try these on for some wide angle lens works....
The Giant Redwoods...
It's like stepping back in time....
We saw the Dyerwood Giant before it fell. And we were back about 2 months after.
But no pictures, didn't happen....
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?101726-Now-this-is-OBPOL!&s=ef83a14f34724e1243487b358ca1c67a&p=1021156#post1021156
Sep 1, 2017 18:19:13 #
Sep 2, 2017 20:45:31 #
northcoast42 wrote:
I got into the Devil's Tower too late at night to ... (show quote)
Love the pix! One of my favorite spots on travels!
bwa
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