Night Camp

Planet Jupiter and constellation Capricornus appear above the Grand Canyon. As noted by the photographer “our third night on the Colorado River rafting through the Grand Canyon. It had rained that day while we were on the river, but it was warm so all of us allowed ourselves to get soaked during the brief storm. It only took a short time after the storm before the warm sun had dried us all again. Being not sure if the rain would return that evening, we spent the night at a beach called Trinity. It was a lovely sandy place to set up camp, and the advantage of being there was that there was a natural ledge overhang deep in the darkness on the left side of the image that we could use as a shelter for the night. So most of us claimed a space beneath the overhang where we could set up our cots for the night to be out of any rain that might come. But the available space filled quickly, and a few couples decided to set up tents for the evening out in the open down near the river. But like most nights in the canyon, the evening cleared. It was as usual 75-80°F all night long. We slept under the stars on top of our sleeping bags, and perhaps by 3:00am finally pulling a single sheet over us for the rest of the night. Not a bug to be found, only silence from the rocks, rushing from the river, darkness, and a sky full of stars. Then the moon rose high enough to spill its light down into the depth of the canyon, almost lighting up the camp like daylight. The bright moon illuminated the canyon while at the same time hiding so many of the stars that could be seen only a few hours earlier. The warm and clear night caused some to move their cots outside of their tents, and they now found themselves sleeping directly under the brightest of moons. But we were all tired that night after a day of rafting and hiking. We had a wonderful dinner, so sleeping, even in moonlight, is not a problem. I know I am the only one in camp that is up and out of bed that night, and I know I am seeing something that no one else is seeing that night. They ask me in the morning, ‘what were you taking pictures of in the dark?’. Well now I have sent them copies of this shot, and now they know. Like all of you already know, there is a beauty that can only be seen in the dark. And being in the Grand Canyon at night was one beautiful place to be.”