False Kiva is located within the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park, quite close to the highway but still a relatively unknown and little visited place not signaled from the road and absent from most park literature. As most Southwest ruins, it is located under a vast south facing alcove that protects it from the inclement weather while capturing the heat of the low winter sun.

I arrived early in the afternoon willing to wait in the ruins until the proper light appeared. Storm clouds were slowing forming all around me, and the alcove was an unbeatable place to stay and watch the show. I stood there waiting and reading a small book for a few hours while waiting for the sun to go down and warm up the rocks, while wishing that the incoming clouds would not block it and ruin my shot opportunities. Sooner rather than later everything was cloudy but I continued waiting nevertheless. A while later a few gaps appeared in the clouds allowing the sunlight to illuminate rapidly changing areas in the ground. I was hoping for warm light to hit the kiva and Candlestick Butte in the background while everything else remained in the shadows, and although I did not quite capture the sunlit Butte, the picture above is close.

Happy with the results obtained, I started the hike back to my vehicle. Right when I reached it, the Sun again breached the clouds very close to the horizon, painting a small section of clouds in red, orange, and even pink. It did not last more than 30 seconds and I did not have enough time to capture it, but it was extremely beautiful. As my photo would have been had I remained at the alcove until sunset, as I should have.

"When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence." Ansel Adams

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