The annular eclipse of 2023 cut a path through several national parks in the Western United States. During my search to find a photographic location, I nearly settled on Crater Lake, but the unpredictability of October weather led me to the desert instead. A compass overlay on satellite imagery showed the eclipse lining up directly with Reflection Canyon.
The scenic spot was thrust into the public spotlight in 2006 when National Geographic published an iconic photo by Michael Melford. It has become a popular destination since then, but the approach is not to be taken lightly: fifty miles of rough driving on Hole in the Rock Road, eight miles of cross-country hiking over sand and stone, limited access to shade, no access to water.
Reflection Canyon lies in a remote area of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which encompasses Lake Powell, the second-largest manmade reservoir in the U.S. As the Colorado River Basin dries out amid an ongoing megadrought, Lake Powell’s water level is expected to fall below the intake pipes of Glen Canyon Dam, creating a dead pool. This work juxtaposes cosmic eternity with the temporal illusion of an unsustainable reservoir engulfed by desert.
