The issue is much deeper than your photos Alex. Will we have this fragile, precious land available for future generations? The Secretary of the interior is the responsible person for preserving our lands for all to enjoy. Thank you for taking the time to speak about this. I'm sure you know Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) will be the next Secretary of the interior and would probably appreciate hearing from you. Thanks for your awesome images and sharing your passion!
I actually tried to look into who actually made this decision but couldn't find all that much. A lot of fingers pointed to the BLM management in Hanksville, Utah. I didn't want my video to be about who to blame and mostly just wanted to ask why it was changed. I wouldn't mind sending this video off if someone that can make changes would actually watch it though.
@@AlexArmitage I agree it's not about blame. Someone in the BLM made the decision, whether it was local or national. I think if you were able to edit that video down to a minute or two you will at least get a response if you send it to the right resource.
Such a powerful speech at the end. And a beautiful video as usual ! I really love your work ! Definitely one of my favorite youtuber of the moment ! I think it’s a huge issue all around the globe. Here in Switzerland I often think the same. I want to show my beautiful area but in the same time I don’t want people to ruin beautiful locations... When I’m taking pictures I ALWAYS have to clean someone else’s crap.... there’s plastic, there’s empty boxes.... It’s really sad !
I don't always share locations in the hopes places don't get overrun but at the same time a place like this is huge and it would be difficult to really harm it with a few more photographers. Driving around all over it? thats another story :)
Thanks for this great video. We were just there taking photos and couldn’t help but think the same about all those markings. I also thought rain would restore it. 😕 Your video was very informative. Thank you.
I'm a 4x4 offroader and dirtbiker but I totally agree with u on this one. We drove by factory butte last year and was shocked to see ohv's out there tearing it up. Unique places like this needs to be protected.
@@AlexArmitage Aint that the truth! Also, about the end of the video. It's definitely a tricky subject deciding how land should be enjoyed but I think it says a lot about you that you even question what you're doing. Blissful ignorance and apathy is the most dangerous thing for our public lands.
The adage of 'leave only footprints and memories' is even not appropriate here- you are quiet right that it is a unique landscape with particular qualities of shale stone - and your understanding approach of even reflecting on you own impact is laudable - they ( whoever the real decision makers are) should not allow such destructive elements on such a fragile environment and at least one person has your back for making such appropriate comments on that situation.
Thanks Mac, or Art, or how about Rooster? Haha. I appreciate your kind words and I genuinely wish there was more I could do. Thank you for the support!
Always a tough choice to decide how much land to open to OHVs and how much should be protected. After living in CA where so much land is wilderness and hiking only, I love all the forest roads in CO that allow you to drive to 13k+ feet in the mountains but I know how big an impact it has on the landscape. CA isn't covered in mine tailings like CO, so the tradeoff is very apparent. Utah has always been such an open and wild place but the impact is getting more and more pronounced. Educating people is more important than ever and hopefully we can help our government organizations make the right decisions in what should be protected and what should be open to OHVs. Such an iconic landscape as Factory Butte seem like something to protect when you consider the wide open spaces through the 23 million acres of land that BLM manages in Utah. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Yeah my take away is theres even a designated OHV area right next to here that looks like a ton of fun that was open during that 12 year closure. Places like that should exist. I just don't know why such a landmark and beautiful spot like the butte was reopened when theres so much non-unique land that could be utilized for OHV.
This was a great video in multiple ways. You provide insight to a problem in addition to capturing some awesome video and images. Thank you!! We have been in the area within the last month and to a certain extent the BLM is restricting driving in some of that region. However I’m not sure they will restrict Swing Arm City. We did Skyline Overlook and Factory Butte and found it so beautiful that we’re going back for more images and hopefully better drone footage. Thank you for your thoughts and your images.😀👍
I'm not even from the US, over here in the Netherlands I have seen what the outcome of this is. We are 17 million people on 41K square kilometers and the country almost has no open area anymore. The only way to keep pristine nature is to close it down. Hope BLM will close the area again now your new administration is getting into power.
Well I can safely say America, especially non coastal areas still has plenty of land and much of it is quite beautiful. Still unsure why this specific area was opened back up, as fun as it may be.
Amazing footage and shots ! Regulation about human activities on that kind of location is needed, we know why. I use to be a flyfisherman and the subject is runing in my mind from years about rivers, fish, nature... We must take care with beauty... Thanks !
Much has been said, and I agree with most of it, so not much to add. Just a thank you for raising awareness and opening discussion, with the weight of your (beautiful) pictures. The way I see it, that's a part of what photographers can/should do. We all impact our surroundings. I think we just have to weight how much impact we make vs a brief pleasure.
I hear you mate, we have the same problems in the UK. Your photographs are beautiful Alex, and maybe just maybe, someone who can do something has watched or will watch this video and will see the absolute need to do something. Hopefully that something will be to make a difference and protect the land. Another very good video Alex, thanks for sharing.
It is not wishful thinking to assert that people who share your views will eventually impact the World we live in and in so doing bring about positive and lasting change. As a species we have much to learn not least of all that harmonious coexistence with nature is not only desirable but a necessary end. I am confident things will change for the better but it will take time and effort. Meanwhile, to promulgate views such as yours is a worthy cause. And I'm sure many of your viewers, me included, are fighting the cause. Thank you for another engaging and thought provoking video. I enjoyed the photographs.
Thanks Daniel! I think my goal is to figure out what more I can do over time but it's definitely hard to figure out where my efforts would be put best.
@@AlexArmitage Hello Alex. You've given yourself quite a challenge! Encouraging your viewers to participate, writing to the appropriate authorities, and, as you've suggested in the video, perhaps even providing the powers to be with photographs and video footage, might suggest a few tentative steps forward.
My photos from the area in 2016 are almost completely devoid of tracks on the flanks of Factory Butte. Glorious photography. No tracks at all on those formations on the east and southeast. Now these formations are covered with tracks. I would like to have gotten closer to the butte to fly drone; now I can but of course it isn't what it used to be. Utah is a "red state"; meaning there's plenty of states where outdoor activity is all but forbidden anyway but Utah is more libertarian. I have a doubt a solution exists that pleases everyone or even very many.
Worth mentioning is that Swing Arm City is 1000 acres of OHV land contiguous to Factory Butte with similar topography so it’s not like there isn’t accommodation for OHVs RIGHT THERE already. I was recently out shooting in the area and not only were the hundreds of tracks an aesthetic disaster but the noise pollution was ever present. It was like a chainsaw convention with the accompanying fumes drifting past me from time to time. Another photographer at the location had been talking with a BLM guy and was told the area would have had a better shot at remaining closed if it was better known among photographers. There was no voice of opposition when the decision to open it back up was made.
I think we all have a responsibility to the environment that surrounds us and should treat it with respect. What you said makes sense and you are right. I live in Scotland where there is a "free to roam" policy (unlike England) and people, what ever there activity, must respect the environment around them for other people to enjoy. One UA-camr I follow from England has now stopped stating the location where he is photographing because other people have seen his videos and gone to these area and left rubbish about and not respected the locations environment. Sad but true..
I don't typically include locations unless it's quite obvious where I am to figure out. I'd be quite sad to find out a fellow landscape photographer would ever leave trash where they went. Goes against the entire idea of the hobby for me.
I follow an adventurer type UA-camr who no longer reveals the locations he visits beyond which mountain range, and that sort of thing. He has shown known places where people have left graffiti on cave walls and local boulders, etc., and I totally support his decision to keep locations to himself. The only way to keep them safe.
Definitely there are practices that are way more destructive than hiking and camping… Impact on this type of environment is long lasting and difficult to “repair”. As you mentioned education, information and appreciation is the only way to protect this areas.
Best light was at the 2:46 mark on the video. Drone was flying seconds before the annoying yellow light lit up the valley. . I'm not a fan of bright sunny days without a million clouds.
Restricting wheeled vehicles to already established roads and trails seems like an obvious solution. The southwest deserts are already crisscrossed with dirt roads allowing access to limitless areas. Damaging the landscape that belongs to all of us for the sake of cheep thrills seems so wasteful.
I'm from Ireland. Maybe if part of the area in question was put aside for 'scrambling' etc and regulated? All needs would be satisfied - just a thought. Bye the way your video has given food for thought not just in the USA. Hopefully,with proper governance now, your great republic might be a shining beacon again, to all democracies and help deflate the dangerous dictatorships that are still with us 👍 It's 'The Earth first'!
And that is exactly what is already done less then 1 percent of the area is open to ohv off road and the small amount of people who hike back there only need to be respectful of the vegitation and beautiful views!
Alex - You are easily my current favorite UA-camr. So I say this with great respect and sincerity. (SideNote: the 6:10-6:40 section was amazing as was the 12:40 - 13:00 minute section. So gorgeous!) So - "Impacting Environment" - Yeah. It sucks. Being able to walk in and see a pristine landscape, unaffected by anything that came before us, that's the dream. When I sat on top of Mesa Arch and watched the sun come up and roll across the valley - it was one of the most mind-blowing episodes in my 55 year old life. (As it turns out, it was also illegal, as you are not allowed to walk up Mesa Arch, which I was completely unaware of at the time.) I will never forget it. If there had been a bunch of ATVs and off-road vehicles tromping through my vision on their way to a Starbucks down in that valley it would have ruined it. BUT ... such is life. Thousands of years ago the native people who were indigenous to the land we now call America used to watch uncounted thousands upon thousands of buffalo storm across the plains, utterly destroying everything in their wake. There may have even been some young native girl who bemoaned this event. "Why must these Tutonga ruin these beautiful plains every year?" Who knows? Who knows what sort of plant life or small creature was destroyed on these yearly Buffalo romps? You stated that you were influenced to go to these spots by previous photographers that you happened upon. Who knows who or what influenced them to go there and take those images that influenced you? Who knows how many future people will tread across these very features based on ... *gasp!* ... your video! This video! Perhaps 20, or 50 or thousands of future photographers will be inspired by YOUR work and go stomping across these good lands in search of the same inspiration you found in those who came before you. Who knows? In the end, our impact on the planet is what it is. We can all sit inside and never roam outside for fear of what possible impact we may have, but I don't think that's the answer. You may think that those tire paths ruined your shot. Someone else may think they actually made it better. Who is to say? You asked for our thoughts. My thoughts are that life and everything that goes with it is so much bigger than we are. We are just a blip on the planet's timeline, and for 99% of us the truth is that time will forget us. Our thoughts, our footsteps, our impact ... it will all be lost to time. Does that mean we should be nihilists and not care about our footsteps and our words? No. I don't think so. We should care, but for our own reasons. For our own self-respect. For our own pride of ownership of our little slice of history. Those are my thoughts. Namaste my Ninja.
I'd love to meet someone who thinks the tire tracks enhance their photos :P I always think about what my content might do to an environment and how it may influence others to visit. Personally I think there's a balance to traffic. Our national parks for example are probably at their limits, in my personal opinion. From what I read the 12 years of restoration really helped this area yet it was still being occupied by tourists, photographers, and locals. Sure we can sit around and say nothing matters because we are just a blip in the timeline of the universe, but that feels dismissive and ultimately non productive when discussing pretty much anything, which you hinted at already. Personally I hope there are ways to visit areas with as little impact as possible which might be optimistic but I don't want to sit idly by and say this is just life, we can do better.
@@AlexArmitage Perhaps it is because I am older that I am more pessimistic, but in the end I have found that I can't spend my energy hoping that others will feel the same as I do or follow my lead. If 2020 proved anything it is that there is a true divide in belief systems. Half the country truly believes in their heart that the other half has it completely wrong. One of the BIG reasons I really enjoy your videos is because you come across as an individualist. You don't seem unduly confined by the morays of populist thinking. You remind me of those who dared to "go west" so many years ago, striking out on their own and looking for high adventure.
There will always be impact on landscapes as long as there are creatures active in them. Beavers impact places just going about their usual and natural business. Ponds turn into meadows, meadows into forests (simplified example). Large mammals like elk will leave long standing tracks in delicate environments. Off road vehicles have been hurting various delicate desert ecosystems for a long time. Lots of people do not see the beauty of deserts nor their value, and that adds to the problem. I agree with you and wonder at the logic of opening that area again to OHV enthusiasts. Based on some of what I just noted, is the answer that nobody ever sees or knows about a place like this (except for the elite "preservationist")? You offer a thoughtful question to all who appreciate the world God created and which we live in. I think we all need to answer that question. Great drone images by the way. Wonderful abstracts. I liked it all and especially that it comes from such a thoughtful person as yourself. Thank you, Alex.
That is very kind of you to say. I didn't make comparisons to natural or nature driven change such as wild life or something like a tornado or wildfire. They certainly cause great change, but they also don't occur out of free will. What makes us so incredibly special as humans is we have the conscious mind to see what good or bad we are doing to anything around us. I always dislike when someone tries to argue that we are just a species of animal impacting the planet to imply we can just trash it, ruin it, and use it up. Obviously that was not the point you were making so this isn't some type of rebuttal to what you said at all :)
@@AlexArmitage I should have been more clear but did not realize it as I was typing. I meant, that humans walking in the landscape, are no more damaging than some animals doing the same. We have choice and we can be aware of what we are doing and how it affects things. I meant we should not remove ourselves from going out and seeing the wonders there are to see, thinking that if we do not go out there, we will preserve that place. I compare human walking to the walking of large animals (sometimes in more impacting herds); that it is natural for us to walk the wild, too. We know better and therefore should be more careful, of course. Thanks for your response. Happy New Year, by the way. I think I will subscribe now.
@@AliasJimWirth I knew what you meant. I think my reply sounded like it was directed at you when it was intended to be more general, you just made points I wanted to respond to. I agree with you completely and think it just requires balance. Thanks for subbing and hope you knew I wasn't disagreeing with you!
Wow. You have a strong opinion but are still respectful of someone who disagrees with you. And you even invite dissenting opinions. Think of how much our public discourse would improve if more of us did that. I suspect that people who take their ATVs out there are drawn to the area because it is pristine nature, so I would like to think they would want to preserve it as well. Can’t we all come together and agree on some policies that would protect what we all value? Having said that, they really need to close areas like those to destructive activity.
Thanks John. I know my biases and also understand the other side, or at the very least try to understand it. It looks like a really fun place to just ride a dirt bike around so I completely get the appeal. I just wish it wasn't so destructive :(
Great comments Alex and I agree with you about impacting the environment. We have similar problems in the UK from off road vehicles being allowed to drive down bridleways and small country lanes. I thought your photos were great and loved the videos and put to some great music BTW. Thanks Alex keep these great and interesting videos coming.
Hey thanks Steve. I enjoyed making this episode in the field and editing it quite a lot. I just felt I could do more and really thought it was worth taking the time to talk about. Appreciate the support!
As a BLM contractor, I've paid close attention to the dramatic shift in policies under the trump administration. It's difficult to describe the feelings that I've had as I witnessed the wholesale war waged on our protected lands. From wholesale opening of ohv access, logging of old growth forests, and unlimited access to drilling and mining in national monuments and culturally significant places; we have never experienced anything like this. I hope and expect many of these wrongs to be made right under our new administration. But, what will stop this madness next time? Hopefully, our collective votes and angry voices.
I wish those decisions had to be made via a vote and I realize I'm quite biased when I say I don't understand why some of these historic places are chosen.
As some one who lives in the area you are photographing most of the land in the area is prohibited for ohv and people are limited to the swing arm area which is very small the vast majority of the area is protected and they are not hurting it at all I do not ride ohv btw
Also the clay is called bentonite it is very cool your fine to walk on it your tracks will be erased the next rain storm and it's good to see you care about it
@@AlexArmitage it depends on what you mean by it only the swing arm area and other selected areas are open for off roading our blm does a great job at protecting the landscape and have a system of trail cameras set up to catch rule breakers trust me ive seen people get fined i live in near cainville and have talked to the blm workers who manage the land theres an endangered cactus that they protect like crazy the area is plenty protected
I've noticed "strange lines" 40 seconds into you video and then at 2:30 or so I realised the cause of the tracks and how massive the destruction of nature is. Yes, politics ruined your photographs indeed ... and it destroyed this unique landscape for everybody :-(
Alex, yes it was a travesty when they re-opened Factory Butte to OHV's. If you don't know about them, check out the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). They do great work advocating for Utah public lands. I have been a member since the 1980's.
I spent most of the morning flying the drone, so I'll certainly admit I was more focused on that than normal! Many times I think it helps me see things I wouldn't, but sometimes when the conditions aren't what I want them to be I will sit back and enjoy things without thinking of even taking the camera out :)
The issue is much deeper than your photos Alex. Will we have this fragile, precious land available for future generations?
The Secretary of the interior is the responsible person for preserving our lands for all to enjoy.
Thank you for taking the time to speak about this.
I'm sure you know Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) will be the next Secretary of the interior and would probably appreciate hearing from you.
Thanks for your awesome images and sharing your passion!
I actually tried to look into who actually made this decision but couldn't find all that much. A lot of fingers pointed to the BLM management in Hanksville, Utah. I didn't want my video to be about who to blame and mostly just wanted to ask why it was changed. I wouldn't mind sending this video off if someone that can make changes would actually watch it though.
@@AlexArmitage
I agree it's not about blame. Someone in the BLM made the decision, whether it was local or national. I think if you were able to edit that video down to a minute or two you will at least get a response if you send it to the right resource.
Such a powerful speech at the end. And a beautiful video as usual ! I really love your work ! Definitely one of my favorite youtuber of the moment !
I think it’s a huge issue all around the globe. Here in Switzerland I often think the same. I want to show my beautiful area but in the same time I don’t want people to ruin beautiful locations...
When I’m taking pictures I ALWAYS have to clean someone else’s crap.... there’s plastic, there’s empty boxes....
It’s really sad !
I don't always share locations in the hopes places don't get overrun but at the same time a place like this is huge and it would be difficult to really harm it with a few more photographers. Driving around all over it? thats another story :)
Thanks for this great video. We were just there taking photos and couldn’t help but think the same about all those markings. I also thought rain would restore it. 😕 Your video was very informative. Thank you.
Anytime Clara and thank you :)
I'm a 4x4 offroader and dirtbiker but I totally agree with u on this one. We drove by factory butte last year and was shocked to see ohv's out there tearing it up. Unique places like this needs to be protected.
Good to hear from an OHV person on the subject. Glad you agree!
Love the video. Utah is one of my bucket list locations and you certainly added to my desire to go!
It's a wonderland for photography, no doubt.
"I don't know what that is in Celsius without embarrassing myself " 😂 I felt that one man! Nice video!
something something 32 and x1.8 haha. I'd say it was too cold to think but I'd likely do the same even in the heat. Thanks Phillip!
@@AlexArmitage Aint that the truth! Also, about the end of the video. It's definitely a tricky subject deciding how land should be enjoyed but I think it says a lot about you that you even question what you're doing. Blissful ignorance and apathy is the most dangerous thing for our public lands.
The adage of 'leave only footprints and memories' is even not appropriate here- you are quiet right that it is a unique landscape with particular qualities of shale stone - and your understanding approach of even reflecting on you own impact is laudable - they ( whoever the real decision makers are) should not allow such destructive elements on such a fragile environment and at least one person has your back for making such appropriate comments on that situation.
Thanks Mac, or Art, or how about Rooster? Haha. I appreciate your kind words and I genuinely wish there was more I could do. Thank you for the support!
Always a tough choice to decide how much land to open to OHVs and how much should be protected. After living in CA where so much land is wilderness and hiking only, I love all the forest roads in CO that allow you to drive to 13k+ feet in the mountains but I know how big an impact it has on the landscape. CA isn't covered in mine tailings like CO, so the tradeoff is very apparent. Utah has always been such an open and wild place but the impact is getting more and more pronounced. Educating people is more important than ever and hopefully we can help our government organizations make the right decisions in what should be protected and what should be open to OHVs. Such an iconic landscape as Factory Butte seem like something to protect when you consider the wide open spaces through the 23 million acres of land that BLM manages in Utah. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Yeah my take away is theres even a designated OHV area right next to here that looks like a ton of fun that was open during that 12 year closure. Places like that should exist. I just don't know why such a landmark and beautiful spot like the butte was reopened when theres so much non-unique land that could be utilized for OHV.
Sorry to hear about the trails! Great footage!
Thank you Ray and me too.
I enjoyed the video - both parts. I do agree with you that areas like this need to be carefully stewarded so as not to be permanently degraded.
Thanks Scott and I agree :)
This was a great video in multiple ways. You provide insight to a problem in addition to capturing some awesome video and images. Thank you!! We have been in the area within the last month and to a certain extent the BLM is restricting driving in some of that region. However I’m not sure they will restrict Swing Arm City. We did Skyline Overlook and Factory Butte and found it so beautiful that we’re going back for more images and hopefully better drone footage. Thank you for your thoughts and your images.😀👍
Thanks so much Lynn!
@@AlexArmitage When we go over next month, I’ll stop at the BLM office and check exactly what they are permitting!
I'm not even from the US, over here in the Netherlands I have seen what the outcome of this is. We are 17 million people on 41K square kilometers and the country almost has no open area anymore. The only way to keep pristine nature is to close it down. Hope BLM will close the area again now your new administration is getting into power.
Well I can safely say America, especially non coastal areas still has plenty of land and much of it is quite beautiful. Still unsure why this specific area was opened back up, as fun as it may be.
Deep an thought provoking. Another sensational video and beautiful images. Thank you
Thanks Brad :)
Amazing footage and shots ! Regulation about human activities on that kind of location is needed, we know why. I use to be a flyfisherman and the subject is runing in my mind from years about rivers, fish, nature... We must take care with beauty... Thanks !
Thank you Sheenandoha! I completely agree :)
Much has been said, and I agree with most of it, so not much to add. Just a thank you for raising awareness and opening discussion, with the weight of your (beautiful) pictures. The way I see it, that's a part of what photographers can/should do.
We all impact our surroundings. I think we just have to weight how much impact we make vs a brief pleasure.
Well said!
I hear you mate, we have the same problems in the UK. Your photographs are beautiful Alex, and maybe just maybe, someone who can do something has watched or will watch this video and will see the absolute need to do something. Hopefully that something will be to make a difference and protect the land. Another very good video Alex, thanks for sharing.
Anytime Gary and one can only hope!
It is not wishful thinking to assert that people who share your views will eventually impact the World we live in and in so doing bring about positive and lasting change. As a species we have much to learn not least of all that harmonious coexistence with nature is not only desirable but a necessary end. I am confident things will change for the better but it will take time and effort. Meanwhile, to promulgate views such as yours is a worthy cause. And I'm sure many of your viewers, me included, are fighting the cause. Thank you for another engaging and thought provoking video. I enjoyed the photographs.
Thanks Daniel! I think my goal is to figure out what more I can do over time but it's definitely hard to figure out where my efforts would be put best.
@@AlexArmitage Hello Alex. You've given yourself quite a challenge! Encouraging your viewers to participate, writing to the appropriate authorities, and, as you've suggested in the video, perhaps even providing the powers to be with photographs and video footage, might suggest a few tentative steps forward.
I was out there in October and when I got back home I had quite a bit of cloning to do :)
I gave up! haha
Epic scenery :) Happy shooting
This is me too, sorry the other one is my gaming account xD
Shale, pronounced Sh-aaaaaa-l An important message regarding protecting the environment, and mans effect, positive or negative on it.
I definitely don't think I pronounced it right hah, but I am just glad to know what it's called!
My photos from the area in 2016 are almost completely devoid of tracks on the flanks of Factory Butte. Glorious photography. No tracks at all on those formations on the east and southeast. Now these formations are covered with tracks. I would like to have gotten closer to the butte to fly drone; now I can but of course it isn't what it used to be. Utah is a "red state"; meaning there's plenty of states where outdoor activity is all but forbidden anyway but Utah is more libertarian. I have a doubt a solution exists that pleases everyone or even very many.
Worth mentioning is that Swing Arm City is 1000 acres of OHV land contiguous to Factory Butte with similar topography so it’s not like there isn’t accommodation for OHVs RIGHT THERE already. I was recently out shooting in the area and not only were the hundreds of tracks an aesthetic disaster but the noise pollution was ever present. It was like a chainsaw convention with the accompanying fumes drifting past me from time to time. Another photographer at the location had been talking with a BLM guy and was told the area would have had a better shot at remaining closed if it was better known among photographers. There was no voice of opposition when the decision to open it back up was made.
That is really surprising and wish there was more we could do :\
I think we all have a responsibility to the environment that surrounds us and should treat it with respect. What you said makes sense and you are right. I live in Scotland where there is a "free to roam" policy (unlike England) and people, what ever there activity, must respect the environment around them for other people to enjoy. One UA-camr I follow from England has now stopped stating the location where he is photographing because other people have seen his videos and gone to these area and left rubbish about and not respected the locations environment. Sad but true..
I don't typically include locations unless it's quite obvious where I am to figure out. I'd be quite sad to find out a fellow landscape photographer would ever leave trash where they went. Goes against the entire idea of the hobby for me.
I follow an adventurer type UA-camr who no longer reveals the locations he visits beyond which mountain range, and that sort of thing. He has shown known places where people have left graffiti on cave walls and local boulders, etc., and I totally support his decision to keep locations to himself. The only way to keep them safe.
Definitely there are practices that are way more destructive than hiking and camping… Impact on this type of environment is long lasting and difficult to “repair”. As you mentioned education, information and appreciation is the only way to protect this areas.
In a few years another photographer will go there trying to get pictures like yours and will be disappointed because there are no lines and texture :D
Hah. I highly doubt that :)
Best light was at the 2:46 mark on the video. Drone was flying seconds before the annoying yellow light lit up the valley. . I'm not a fan of bright sunny days without a million clouds.
Restricting wheeled vehicles to already established roads and trails seems like an obvious solution. The southwest deserts are already crisscrossed with dirt roads allowing access to limitless areas. Damaging the landscape that belongs to all of us for the sake of cheep thrills seems so wasteful.
It's a tough balance, that's for sure.
I'm from Ireland. Maybe if part of the area in question was put aside for 'scrambling' etc and regulated?
All needs would be satisfied - just a thought. Bye the way your video has given food for thought not just in the USA.
Hopefully,with proper governance now, your great republic might be a shining beacon again, to all democracies and help deflate the dangerous dictatorships that are still with us 👍
It's 'The Earth first'!
It was regulated and it got removed :(
And that is exactly what is already done less then 1 percent of the area is open to ohv off road and the small amount of people who hike back there only need to be respectful of the vegitation and beautiful views!
Alex - You are easily my current favorite UA-camr. So I say this with great respect and sincerity.
(SideNote: the 6:10-6:40 section was amazing as was the 12:40 - 13:00 minute section. So gorgeous!)
So - "Impacting Environment" -
Yeah. It sucks. Being able to walk in and see a pristine landscape, unaffected by anything that came before us, that's the dream. When I sat on top of Mesa Arch and watched the sun come up and roll across the valley - it was one of the most mind-blowing episodes in my 55 year old life. (As it turns out, it was also illegal, as you are not allowed to walk up Mesa Arch, which I was completely unaware of at the time.) I will never forget it. If there had been a bunch of ATVs and off-road vehicles tromping through my vision on their way to a Starbucks down in that valley it would have ruined it.
BUT ... such is life.
Thousands of years ago the native people who were indigenous to the land we now call America used to watch uncounted thousands upon thousands of buffalo storm across the plains, utterly destroying everything in their wake. There may have even been some young native girl who bemoaned this event. "Why must these Tutonga ruin these beautiful plains every year?" Who knows?
Who knows what sort of plant life or small creature was destroyed on these yearly Buffalo romps?
You stated that you were influenced to go to these spots by previous photographers that you happened upon.
Who knows who or what influenced them to go there and take those images that influenced you?
Who knows how many future people will tread across these very features based on ... *gasp!* ... your video! This video! Perhaps 20, or 50 or thousands of future photographers will be inspired by YOUR work and go stomping across these good lands in search of the same inspiration you found in those who came before you.
Who knows?
In the end, our impact on the planet is what it is. We can all sit inside and never roam outside for fear of what possible impact we may have, but I don't think that's the answer. You may think that those tire paths ruined your shot. Someone else may think they actually made it better. Who is to say?
You asked for our thoughts.
My thoughts are that life and everything that goes with it is so much bigger than we are. We are just a blip on the planet's timeline, and for 99% of us the truth is that time will forget us. Our thoughts, our footsteps, our impact ... it will all be lost to time. Does that mean we should be nihilists and not care about our footsteps and our words? No. I don't think so.
We should care, but for our own reasons.
For our own self-respect.
For our own pride of ownership of our little slice of history.
Those are my thoughts.
Namaste my Ninja.
I'd love to meet someone who thinks the tire tracks enhance their photos :P I always think about what my content might do to an environment and how it may influence others to visit. Personally I think there's a balance to traffic. Our national parks for example are probably at their limits, in my personal opinion. From what I read the 12 years of restoration really helped this area yet it was still being occupied by tourists, photographers, and locals. Sure we can sit around and say nothing matters because we are just a blip in the timeline of the universe, but that feels dismissive and ultimately non productive when discussing pretty much anything, which you hinted at already. Personally I hope there are ways to visit areas with as little impact as possible which might be optimistic but I don't want to sit idly by and say this is just life, we can do better.
@@AlexArmitage Perhaps it is because I am older that I am more pessimistic, but in the end I have found that I can't spend my energy hoping that others will feel the same as I do or follow my lead. If 2020 proved anything it is that there is a true divide in belief systems. Half the country truly believes in their heart that the other half has it completely wrong.
One of the BIG reasons I really enjoy your videos is because you come across as an individualist. You don't seem unduly confined by the morays of populist thinking. You remind me of those who dared to "go west" so many years ago, striking out on their own and looking for high adventure.
I think posting a video with amazing shots and commentary about how astounding the place is, does more harm than your footprints walking up the hill
Im sure I have some impact but I feel like the best thing I can do is encourage viewers to leave it better than they found it, hopefully.
You need to see how it is in Romania, after each year the mountain landscape changes and it is very sad :(
:( I can't imagine
There will always be impact on landscapes as long as there are creatures active in them. Beavers impact places just going about their usual and natural business. Ponds turn into meadows, meadows into forests (simplified example). Large mammals like elk will leave long standing tracks in delicate environments. Off road vehicles have been hurting various delicate desert ecosystems for a long time. Lots of people do not see the beauty of deserts nor their value, and that adds to the problem. I agree with you and wonder at the logic of opening that area again to OHV enthusiasts. Based on some of what I just noted, is the answer that nobody ever sees or knows about a place like this (except for the elite "preservationist")? You offer a thoughtful question to all who appreciate the world God created and which we live in. I think we all need to answer that question. Great drone images by the way. Wonderful abstracts. I liked it all and especially that it comes from such a thoughtful person as yourself. Thank you, Alex.
That is very kind of you to say. I didn't make comparisons to natural or nature driven change such as wild life or something like a tornado or wildfire. They certainly cause great change, but they also don't occur out of free will. What makes us so incredibly special as humans is we have the conscious mind to see what good or bad we are doing to anything around us. I always dislike when someone tries to argue that we are just a species of animal impacting the planet to imply we can just trash it, ruin it, and use it up. Obviously that was not the point you were making so this isn't some type of rebuttal to what you said at all :)
@@AlexArmitage I should have been more clear but did not realize it as I was typing. I meant, that humans walking in the landscape, are no more damaging than some animals doing the same. We have choice and we can be aware of what we are doing and how it affects things. I meant we should not remove ourselves from going out and seeing the wonders there are to see, thinking that if we do not go out there, we will preserve that place. I compare human walking to the walking of large animals (sometimes in more impacting herds); that it is natural for us to walk the wild, too. We know better and therefore should be more careful, of course. Thanks for your response. Happy New Year, by the way. I think I will subscribe now.
@@AliasJimWirth I knew what you meant. I think my reply sounded like it was directed at you when it was intended to be more general, you just made points I wanted to respond to. I agree with you completely and think it just requires balance. Thanks for subbing and hope you knew I wasn't disagreeing with you!
@@AlexArmitage Oh yeah, totally. We're good. I look forward to what your channel offers. Thanks.
Wow. You have a strong opinion but are still respectful of someone who disagrees with you. And you even invite dissenting opinions. Think of how much our public discourse would improve if more of us did that. I suspect that people who take their ATVs out there are drawn to the area because it is pristine nature, so I would like to think they would want to preserve it as well. Can’t we all come together and agree on some policies that would protect what we all value?
Having said that, they really need to close areas like those to destructive activity.
Thanks John. I know my biases and also understand the other side, or at the very least try to understand it. It looks like a really fun place to just ride a dirt bike around so I completely get the appeal. I just wish it wasn't so destructive :(
Great comments Alex and I agree with you about impacting the environment. We have similar problems in the UK from off road vehicles being allowed to drive down bridleways and small country lanes. I thought your photos were great and loved the videos and put to some great music BTW. Thanks Alex keep these great and interesting videos coming.
Hey thanks Steve. I enjoyed making this episode in the field and editing it quite a lot. I just felt I could do more and really thought it was worth taking the time to talk about. Appreciate the support!
As a BLM contractor, I've paid close attention to the dramatic shift in policies under the trump administration. It's difficult to describe the feelings that I've had as I witnessed the wholesale war waged on our protected lands. From wholesale opening of ohv access, logging of old growth forests, and unlimited access to drilling and mining in national monuments and culturally significant places; we have never experienced anything like this. I hope and expect many of these wrongs to be made right under our new administration. But, what will stop this madness next time? Hopefully, our collective votes and angry voices.
I wish those decisions had to be made via a vote and I realize I'm quite biased when I say I don't understand why some of these historic places are chosen.
YES
Is this a Benro Bat you are using?
the benro what? hah
@@AlexArmitage tripod series, Bat
@@pimeto oh what a weird name! No those are MeFoto tripods. Which I think are made by Benro :)
As some one who lives in the area you are photographing most of the land in the area is prohibited for ohv and people are limited to the swing arm area which is very small the vast majority of the area is protected and they are not hurting it at all I do not ride ohv btw
Also the clay is called bentonite it is very cool your fine to walk on it your tracks will be erased the next rain storm and it's good to see you care about it
I'm pretty sure they opened it up to OHV vehicles in 2019
@@AlexArmitage it depends on what you mean by it only the swing arm area and other selected areas are open for off roading our blm does a great job at protecting the landscape and have a system of trail cameras set up to catch rule breakers trust me ive seen people get fined i live in near cainville and have talked to the blm workers who manage the land theres an endangered cactus that they protect like crazy the area is plenty protected
I've noticed "strange lines" 40 seconds into you video and then at 2:30 or so I realised the cause of the tracks and how massive the destruction of nature is. Yes, politics ruined your photographs indeed ... and it destroyed this unique landscape for everybody :-(
Alex, yes it was a travesty when they re-opened Factory Butte to OHV's. If you don't know about them, check out the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). They do great work advocating for Utah public lands. I have been a member since the 1980's.
I read there articles when I did research for this video :) I was actually thinking of passing the video along to them!
First ;)
It's weird to think how removed from the experience you are, simply due to the babysitting of all those cameras. Kind of a bummer.
I spent most of the morning flying the drone, so I'll certainly admit I was more focused on that than normal! Many times I think it helps me see things I wouldn't, but sometimes when the conditions aren't what I want them to be I will sit back and enjoy things without thinking of even taking the camera out :)
@@AlexArmitage I struggle at the opposite end, and require myself to have a camera in hand when I go out.