By Ted Grussing
… one of the fabulous treats of the San Francisco volcanic field (think Flagstaff and the San Francisco Peaks) is Sunset Crater National Monument which contains Sunset Crater. This is a dormant volcano and the most recent of the volcanic cinder cones within the field which covers about 1800 square miles of the southern reaches of the Colorado Plateau. It erupted late in the eleventh century and in geologic time that is pretty recent. The cone only rises about 1100’ above the surrounding terrain but is beautiful from the ground and the air.
It is only from the air and looking down on it towards the ESE that you can see that it really has a heart :+) Was going to save this for Valentine’s day, but what the heck this is a season we celebrate giving.
The top of the cone is 8,042’, and the top of the clouds in this image were about 9500’ . quite a few of the nearly 600 volcanic cones in the field are visible in this photo as well as lava flows. On the ground there are incredible trees to photograph and the hike that skirts the Bonito lava flow is fun and relatively easy. Bottom right of center is the parking lot for visitors and you can see the paved part of the trail that goes upward from the parking lot. If you have not been there you should. You enter the road to get into the monument from SR 89 and it continues around 20 some miles to Wupatki National Monument which is also very much worth seeing and after a day in these monuments head up to the parking lot at Snow Bowl and watch a beautiful sunset … continue the fun with a visit to Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff and lose yourself in the night sky and that which is out there … and of which we are a small part.
Didn’t get the composite done tonight as I spent a good portion of the evening making a Walmart run to buy a bunch of electric space heaters … the furnace parted ways with this dimension and is probably providing heat in an alternate universe … but not this one.
The outside temperature is currently 25 degrees F and feels like 16 degrees F … the coldest temperatures are typically very early morning before the sun rises and likely it will descend to the low twenties or high teens … Now wishing I would have bought six of them instead of four, but they are doing pretty good. Have to keep One’s domain pleasant for her … didn’t like her suggestion to start burning the furniture :+) Nice to have the evening and weekend electric rates in play.
Have a wonderful weekend and share your joy.
My wishes for each of you is that your lives will ever be spent in beauty and love will be your constant companion … smiles to fill your memories and a good feeling that sweeps through you when you wake in the morning.
May God, however you conceive him, bless you always
Ted
But from the brooding beauty of the night, and daily dancing shafts of golden sun …
The mystery and wonder of the world … that play the soundless music of the soul
And fill the heart with memory’s olden dreams … From these will come at last your faith in God.
— Max Ehrmann
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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com
In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.
Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.
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