Rachid Photo Fine Art Prints

View of the Ancients

Canyonlands National Park
Limited Edition of 200

I visited this sacred place in Canyonlands National Park once before, but wasn't rewarded with the dramatic light that I was looking for. The next time I was in the area massive thunderstorms were rolling through the Utah desert. The sky went black and a huge storm was imminent. A good friend of mine and I grabbed all of our gear and quickly ran down the trail to take shelter in this alcove. Not five seconds after we reached shelter under the overhanging rock wall, the sky opened up and lightning began striking off the desert spires. As if that wasn't enough, flash floods began to rage off the canyon walls all around us. One in particular washed right through where we had just been hiking. We waited in the alcove for almost four hours hoping the storm would break and the golden afternoon light would peek through the clouds. It did. We sat in nature's theater awe struck by what we had just witnessed. I imagine it was what many of the ancient people of this land had done time and time again.