Alstrom Point (4/18 & 4/19/2016)

Alstrom Point is the tip of Romano Mesa, located on the north shore of Lake Powell.  It is a remote area accessed by twenty miles of unpaved road, sometimes rough and rocky, always impassable if wet.  I had planned to meet here with a friend so we could spend the night in this wilderness, thereby allowing us to photograph the area at both sunset and sunrise.  I had been here twice before, once for a bland sunset, never for sunrise.

The route to Alstrom Point can be a little tricky, although signage has improved since my first visit.  Along the way, numerous spectacular and colorful formations are passed.

 

This location has become popular with photographers because it overlooks Gunsight Bay, Gunsight Butte, Padre Bay and Navajo Mountain.  It's easy to see how Gunsight Butte got its name.

As the sun got lower, shadows covered the view below the 800 foot cliff.  You can see a houseboat tied up to shore across Gunsight Bay.  The water level in the lake is the lowest I've seen it in the years I've been coming here.  It is currently 108 feet below full pool, or about 45% of capacity.  This is about the expected seasonal low, with spring runoff starting soon to rebuild the pool.

Here's a closeup of the houseboat, as well as a red-tailed hawk that happened to fly over our position.

As sunset approached, the low sun really lit up Gunsight Butte.

While the butte is in shadow, the last rays of sun are hitting Navajo Mountain and the land around it.

The sunset itself was nothing special, but that didn't stop me from taking a photo.

Sunrise the next morning was also pretty bland.

Here's my friend with his camera and tripod at the edge of the cliff.

This is the scene as we drove out the next morning.