Lake Blanche Overnighter

Lake Blanche, Twin Peaks Wilderness, Utah, Wasatch Range, sunset, Big Cottonwood Canyon
Big Cottonwood Sunset : Prints Available

Sunset over Big Cottonwood Canyon and the Great Salt Lake beyond, from high up in the Wasatch Range near Lake Blanche – Utah.

Lake Blanche, Sundial Peak, Twin Peaks Wilderness, Utah, Wasatch Range, moonlight
Lake Blanche Moonlight : Prints Available

A nearly full moon rises behind Sundial Peak and Lake Blanche.

Last night we did a quick backpack hike from Big Cottonwood Canyon to Lake Blanche and Sundial Peak, in the Twin Peaks Wilderness of the Wasatch Range in Utah. Though the wind was relentless during our stay, we had fun exploring this lovely basin and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset and moonrise above the lake.

>> See more photos and leave a comment here! <<

Wasatch Color

Guardsman Pass, Utah, Wasatch Range, aspens, autumn
Trail Through Red Oak : Prints Available

After tromping around in the snow smothered aspens near the top of Guardsman Pass yesterday, we drove down below the snow line towards Midway and found a fantastic trail to hike through vast groves of colorful aspens and brilliant neon red oaks. Pure eye candy!

Guardsman Pass, Utah, Wasatch Range, aspens, autumn
Wasatch Colors : Prints Available

Guardsman Pass, Utah, Wasatch Range, aspens, autumn
Aspens and Oaks : Prints Available

Guardsman Pass, Utah, Wasatch Range, aspens, autumn
Colorful Forest : Prints Available

Guardsman Pass, Utah, Wasatch Range, aspens, autumn
Guardsman Aspens : Prints Available

The beauty of autumn (especially amongst aspens) is sometimes so overwhelming that it fills me with an intangible sense of longing — a desire to grasp the beauty, to hold and own the moment forever. But these moments and feelings slip by like sand through your fingers, and there’s nothing to do but let the beauty stream by and be grateful for the experience, however brief it may be.

Autumn Snow in the Wasatch

Utah, Wasatch Range, Willow Heights Trail, aspens
Willow Heights Snowy Aspens : Prints Available

Our big summer road trip is almost over and soon I will start posting many new photos and trip reports from our adventures up north! In the meantime, here are some photos from yesterday up near Guardsman Pass at the head of the Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Range of Utah. With a fresh snowfall smothering the golden aspens, along with a mystical foggy atmosphere, the photography conditions were just about as dreamy as can be!

Guardsman Pass, Utah, Wasatch Range, aspens
Snowy Golden Aspen : Prints Available

Guardsman Pass, Utah, Wasatch Range, aspens, panorama
Snowy Aspen Vortex : Prints Available

A vertical panoramic view of a foggy, snow-smothered aspen forest in September.

Guardsman Pass, Utah, Wasatch Range, aspens
Snowy Creeping Aspens : Prints Available

Guardsman Pass, Utah, Wasatch Range, aspens
Snowy Foggy Aspens : Prints Available

Guardsman Pass, Utah, Wasatch Range, aspens
Snow Smothered : Prints Available

Guardsman Pass, Utah, Wasatch Range, aspens
Leaning Aspens : Prints Available

Guardsman Pass, Utah, Wasatch Range, aspens
Autumn Snowfall : Prints Available

Guardsman Pass, Utah, Wasatch Range, aspens
Snow Covered Aspen Leaf : Prints Available

Timp Dayhike

Hiking Mt. Timpanogos from the Aspen Grove trail

On our way back from the Sawtooths, on Tuesday Claudia and I did a day hike up Mount Timpanogos, the most famous and beloved mountain in the Wasatch Range in Utah. We started from the Aspen Grove trailhead, and our leisurely tour took us 9 hours up and down.

The summit of Mt. Timpanogos, Utah

Looking up at Timp – the summit shelter is just barely visible at top right.

See some more photos below! Continue reading “Timp Dayhike”

Sundials

Sundial Peak, Wildflowers, Wasatch Range, Utah

Sundial Flowers : Prints Available

Wildflowers below Sundial Peak, lit by a half-set sun - August.

Here’s some photos from a nice hike we did in the Wasatch Range in Utah a couple days ago!

Sundial Peak, Wasatch Range, Utah, sunset, Lake Blanche

Sundial Sunset : Prints Available

Red sunset light on Sundial Peak - August.  In the foreground is the red glacier-scoured rock that surrounds Lake Blache.  Shortly after taking this photo, thunder clouds and lightning came over the ridge into the basin, sending us running for our lives down into the forest!

On tap: a week in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho! Stay tuned…

Sunset on Timpanogos

Timpanogos Summit Panorama

This last weekend I went up to Utah to visit my parents, who are building a house in Midway, and my sister, who was visiting and is about to move back to Berlin. On Saturday night I was supposed to go to a play with them, but my mom was kind enough to let me play hooky to go hike up Mount Timpanogos instead.

Since it was almost a full moon, I decided to go watch the sunset from the summit and hike back down under the moonlight. I’ve been up the mountain twice before via the Aspen Grove trail (including a glorious snowboard descent), so this time I took a different trail – the Timpooneke Trail. The trail gains ~4,500 feet over ~8 miles, and after a quick three hour hike I reached the summit at 5pm, with a full two hours to relax up there by myself, soaking in the views and taking photos.

Timpanogos may be Utah’s most beloved mountain, and indeed on this Saturday I counted over 300 signatures in the summit register – all from that day! It’s great to see to see that so many people enjoy this majestic peak that’s in their backyard.

See my sunset photos from Timpanogos here.

I look forward to returning soon and photographing Timp under a blanket of winter snow.