East of the Palo Duro
by Karen Slagle
Title
East of the Palo Duro
Artist
Karen Slagle
Medium
Photograph
Description
I watched the clouds building just SE of my home, knowing they were close to Palo Duro Canyon. I grabbed the car and my photo gear, went to the state park and set up for some storm images. The sun was almost gone, leaving the canyon in shadow with that beautiful cloud shining high in the sky.
Palo Duro Canyon is a canyon system of the Caprock Escarpment located in the Texas Panhandle near the city of Amarillo, Texas, United States. As the second-largest canyon in the United States, it is roughly 70 mi (110 km) long and has an average width of 6 mi (9.7 km), but reaches a width of 20 mi (32 km) at places. Its depth is around 820 ft (250 m), but in some locations, it can increase up to 1,000 ft (300 m). Palo Duro Canyon (from the Spanish meaning "hard stick") has been named "The Grand Canyon of Texas" both for its size and for its dramatic geological features, including the multicolored layers of rock and steep mesa walls similar to those in the Grand Canyon.
The canyon was formed by the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River, which initially winds along the level surface of the Llano Estacado of West Texas, then suddenly and dramatically runs off the Caprock Escarpment. Water erosion over the millennia has shaped the canyon's geological formations.
Notable canyon formations include caves and hoodoos. One of the best-known and the major signature feature of the canyon is the Lighthouse Rock. A multiple-use, six-mile round trip loop trail is dedicated to the formation. The middle portion of the trail can be hot with little shade, and hikers should take plenty of water.
The painter Georgia O'Keeffe, who lived in nearby Amarillo and Canyon early in the 20th century, wrote of the Palo Duro: "It is a burning, seething cauldron, filled with dramatic light and color."
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July 12th, 2015
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Comments (37)
Bunny Clarke
This is so stunning! It looks dangerous and ominous below, but the one lit place is that shining moment. Gorgeous capture.
HH Photography of Florida
What a spectacular thunderstorm cloud ... so massive and menacing and yet, so beautiful. L/fv
Bill Caldwell - ABeautifulSky Photography
Wow Karen, awesome capture of this fascinating storm cloud--beautiful! f/v
Bunny Clarke
I remember these kinds of storms often. When I was a teenager, I rode my motorcycle all over the country in Wyoming to take pictures and sketch. It was hard to find safe cover, but I got some pretty dramatic shots. This is gorgeous Karen. :o)
Karen Slagle replied:
Thank you Bunny, as much as I sometimes dislike this area, we do have some of the best clouds and storms.
Dawn Senior-Trask
What a stunning expression of the magnificence, scope and power of the West! Fantastic and awe-inspiring work! fav
Kellice Swaggerty
I have always enjoyed the unique variations of clouds, Karen. Yet this cloud is literally "at the top"! Plus with the majestic canyon in its shadowy drama, this is nothing short of truly spectacular! Also I enjoyed reading what you shared about this natural feature. I learned a lot! l/f fb
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