Saturday Sunset

A magenta sun...

 

Gorgeous!

Albion Basin-July 2012

I knew I had to get up to Albion Basin (above the Snowbird ski resort) sometime this week.
The forecast calls for over 100 degree heat later this week...and I know that kind of heat can finish off wildflower meadows quickly.
It is just a short 25 minute drive away; I hopped into the car around seven pm and headed up the Little Cottonwood Canyon.

The flowers were not as "epic" as some past years, but I am not complaining.

 

The sun was mostly covered by one huge stubborn dark cloud on the horizon.
The sun won out for a few moments and provided some excellent lighting on the basin's surrounding mountains. 

 

I messed around using my tripod, my telephoto lens and my "nifty 50" lens, the one that doesn't zoom but provides very sharp images.
Zooming is done by moving one's feet to up close or farther away!

This photo blew me away.
Doesn't it look like a painting?

 

 

Each time the sun broke through I raced to position myself behind flowers for a back lit picture.

 

 

The moments of sunlight break through didn't last long; happily there were willing flower subjects all around me so I didn't have to race far to find a good shot.
Love seeing the seeds hidden in the developing pod.
Kind of like a natural fetal ultra sound image! 

Musical notes?
Surely the flowers are singing a song...

This scene looks like it could have been taken in Scotland...or perhaps some European mountain area.

This kind of flower comes in so many colors but each have the electric lime green pointy bits.

 

The tall spike flower looks like...

...this, up close.

Sticky geranium, with insect feeding.

 

 

A cleft in the rock: perfect!

You've heard the expression: a carpet of flowers?
Yes, there are such things in nature.

The electric green pointy things again.

 

 

 

 

 

Electric lime green with a neon orange underside pointy thing!
All the flowers above are the same kind of flower.

 

On the drive home the sun began a dazzling sunset display over the valley floor.

 

 

 

Dragonflies stitched around my head as I enjoyed the constantly changing view.
I was back home just before nine.
Two lovely hours away yet not far from home at all.

I'd rather be camping...

Our church scheduled a Married Couples camp out at another "thirty minutes away" campsite, this time a place called Tanner Flats.
Little did we know that that the over 40 aged married wouldn't attend at all....we were the old folk amongst the 20 and 30 something crowd.
They brought their babies...one baby was three weeks old!
We were without an infant relative ourselves but made do with rocking other people's wee kinfolk.

The flowers this time of year are so beautiful...don't you love the freckled face on this lovely stream side flower?

 

I took this picture on my own; Bernie just saw it and said he had fished this hole the first day of camp without me.

Love the green cast of the water.
This particular stream is a "do not touch" stream.  It feeds the water needs down in the SLC and so campers are NOT ALLOWED to touch the water.
Psh.
Oh well. 

Well at least photography is allowed. 

The "main" wild flower event was up the road at Albion Basin. So many people were up enjoying the wildflowers there that there was no parking to be found!
We enjoyed another area nearby.

Not too shabby flower and view wise.

 

 

Mounds at the base of flowers catch my eye...

(The hiking menfolk immediately suggested that each other step on the ant hill. 
One of the women said "Jr. High...you guys are NOT in Jr. High any more!"
I am pleased to say that none of the guys took the dares to step in the ants.)

Totally love this photo. 

The babies were hiked along with us...this lass was four months old.

And this one was 13 months old.
The gear they have for babies now days just astonishes me.
We were told these were not really the coolest baby carriers...

Mama Deer doesn't mess with back packing her babies around...don't you love the baby spots?

The surrounding mountains apparently had trouble deciding what color to be.

We were hiking right under a ski lift.
 I liked the Alta signature motif of a stylized snowflake being part of the design.

Obviously an easy trail if the moms are in flip flops.

 I do love this view!
Switzerland...I get memories of Switzerland with each glance.

The super bright pink wild roses really knocked my eyes out.
No pale shy pink going on here.

Love this shot too...just wish I could have had my tripod for a clearer shot.
Might run up there again for another photo op.

The Indian Paintbrush growing with a perfect background. 

The pink tinged morning glory like flowers were growing just a foot away from the white version.

Wondering if they are different plants or ???

 

Nice little hike, nice little overnight camp out.
Our car is kind of staying loaded with our camp gear for now.
It is just so easy to pop up our tent, unroll our sleeping bags and spend the night up in the mountains right now.
Frankly I have little motivation to do much else.
Can you blame me?
Just wish my fellow camera toting bloggers could come along for a photo shoot day trip with me.
Seriously.

(If you think you might enjoy seeing the wild flowers photos full screen, click HERE and enjoy a slide show of the shots.)