And Mill Creek for Red...Neff's too

Yesterday's snowy adventures up in the Aspen Groves of Guardsmans Pass took up my morning.
I posted that adventure yesterday as soon as I got back.
In the afternoon I drove the few minutes over to our neighborhood canyon, Mill Creek, to see what the colors were looking like there.
Here's the report on that part of the day's adventures.

As I drove, I was shocked by how many branches, limbs and entire trees were fallen along the roadside.
Midway up I was looking forward to seeing if I could see the hidden heart tree in snow.
A park officer made it clear that no one was going to be allowed to drive further up the canyon for now.

The sign says the road closes Nov 1, "weather permitting".
Guess this storm was the reason that phrase was included in the signage.

A picture of the road I had just travelled...

One of the picnic areas...fit now for picnicking snowmen.

The bright autumn colors blanketed in white...gorgeous!

Trees were bent over all around me, and stream was full of broken off branches.

A typical Utah man: The guys around here just will not give up their short until the drifts are so high their butts start freezing.
Now my thinking is that if they are OK wearing shorts in the snow, why don't they "Man Up" and do like the highlanders do.

Wouldn't this photo (and the guy too...) be much more appealing if the guy was wearing a bright plaid kilt?

More trees broken from the heavy load of snow.
I kept hearing what sounded like rifles shots all around me...

Each branch sounded a distinctive "crack" just before it fell.

I had passed linemen working at the foot of the canyon. Now I could see why they were going to have a very busy day up here.

The sight of colorful branches pressed into the snow was such a sad sight.  What a loss in the blaze of an autumn forest!

The size of some of the tree trunks were impressive.

I  was starting to catch on that this snow event was a doozie.

The storm was not yet over and more was to come overnight.
I realized that some of these trees were doomed.

When I got back into my car and drove about 1/8 of mile back down  the canyon I was SHOCKED to see that this tree had fallen across the road during the few minutes I had been parked at the gate.
I was able to just squeak by the top of the tree...now eyeing all the roadside trees quite warily as I drove along.

During autumn snows of other years I had wandered about the forests, hiking trails and enjoying the beauty alongside the creek taking close up macro shots as I went along.
This year...I stuck to the middle of the road and put my telephoto lens to good use as I stayed in areas that were clear and safe from possible falling trees.
Isn't that multicolored tree just spectacular?

Local high school track team members were running the road with their coaches.
I was glad they ran mostly in the middle of the road; I also hoped they were going to be leaving the canyon soon before even more trees began to fall.

As you can see by all the still green foliage, fall has just barely arrived in the canyon.

This is NOT a black and white photo of the Porter Fork fave scene taken yesterday...

And how it looked last Saturday, four days earlier.

Perhaps my favorite shot of the day in the canyon.

 

Log Haven again... time in falling snow.

And how it looked earlier in the week.

The waterfall yesterday.

And Saturday's look.
The weather is to shoot back up into the 70's in a day or so, so I think this look will continue again for awhile.

 I love how the reflections on the windows suggests winter has crowded inside Log Haven and the trees are looking out the window enjoying the view.

Someone has made a snow man...

The sound of snow "mfphing" down from the trees and the
"caw-RACK!"
sound of breaking trees was all around me.
Frankly it was creepy.

 

This shot was another favorite.
Doesn't that pathway look inviting and magical?
I might just have to have this one enlarged and printed up.

This would make a good above the mantle picture too....

I liked this shot with the dark mysterious center.

 

Will this tree make it?

Looks doubtful doesn't it.
It was so pretty too...

(I confess I was miffed that a fallen branch had obscured my favorite bridge view...)

Whew...I made it safely out!
And as long as I was noodling around, I decided to run up to Neff's Canyon too.
That is the canyon that is above our house where I took my Good Friday storm pictures.

Can you stand how beautiful Neff's Canyon is in autumn snow?
I am just in awe...and standing in a parking lot filled with all wheel drive Subaru.

 

The view across the Salt Lake valley from the other end of the parking lot.

 

So did you have a favorite photo from the day?
Would you have liked to have come along on my canyon adventures?
I should warn you:
An adventure IS an adventure.
You never know what will happen.

After driving to the top of Guardsman's Pass in the morning I went to turn around in the two foot deep snow. My regular (non-snow) tires experienced a bit of spinning in the snow and then my dash board lit up like a Christmas tree with every kind of dire warning imaginable.
The spinning itself didn't do a lot for me emotionally...but I eased the car out of the situation while eyeing the dash board wondering what I should do next.
I was out of cell phone range...
The lights finally winked off until just the cruise control and "check engine" light was still lit.
I wasn't using cruise control.
Well, I certainly was up high enough that I could put the engine in neutral and just coast on home.
Which is exactly what I did until I came to the freeway.
Coasted at under 20 mph on a road that was so snowy my windshield wipers turned into snow logs.
I should also mention that I had begun my trip fueled with two cups of coffee, a glass of orange juice and a bowl of cereal.
It was cold stomping around up there taking pictures.
Ever noticed how really cold weather and altitude does interesting things to one's bladder?
Yeah...it was an interesting morning for me as I coasted down the  hill.
The car went into the shop and I learned that if the engine light comes on after a spinning tire situation the car's computer will reset itself in about 24 hours so not to worry.
Also I had a tip from Vicki that I verified and am now passing along to everyone else:

If a check engine light is solid, it is OK to continue to drive.
If it is blinking it is (basically) not OK to keep driving.

Wish I had known that before all this happened.
Wish they had taught me that instead of geometry in high school!