Milky Way Reflection in Serpent Eye Pool

Due to miles of deep sand, this site is best accessed via experienced drivers in particular 4WD vehicles, in a workshop or with a guide service. Most of the services accessing this site seem to do so in an older generation pre-2007 Chevy Suburban, when they had limited slip differentials and a front transfer case including 4WD Low gearing.

I've made many visits to the Grand Staircase-Escalante, Coyote Buttes, Vermilion Cliffs area over the years, but this was my first visit to this site with relatively clear night skies.

It was cloudy the first time I visited this location, so I was eager to return for some Milky Way photography. This was one of my first Milky Way images I captured on the Nikon D850, so I was particularly interested in testing its dynamic range on the Milky Way reflection.