Nebo Loop, take 2

Earlier this summer we had attempted to drive the 32 mile long Nebo Loop, which begins about an hour southeast of where we live.
The Loop is noted as being one of the most scenic drives in Utah, and during the fall when autumn colors are at their peak, the drive is highly recommended for viewing.
Sunday afternoon we decided to make the drive down there again, confident that this time the access gate would be unlocked.

There was no fall color change to witness, but we noted various vistas that we will want to visit again in a month or so. 
Those views are pretty great even in summer green actually.

A road side sign promoted a scenic point called "Devil's Kitchen: A Mini Bryce Canyon".
Huh. 
The pull over area looked like the rest of the area, just forests of white fir trees, with a small asphalt path leading deeper into the tree.
About a city block in the landscape totally changed to the promised Bryce Canyon look.

A handful of people and one cheerful Brittany Spaniel stood on the platform overlooking the "kitchen", and we helped each other find the various formations that were listed on the guide sign.
The saddle horn hoodoo was directly behind the sign which caused a bit of a mystery for a moment.

So I am guessing this is where the Devil goes when he wants to mix up a batch of Devil's Food Cake?
(sorry...couldn't resist...had to say it...)

Along the path to the Kitchen.  I wondered how many people had not even noticed this beautiful tree trunk with so many colors.

There was just one little bit of aspen gold to be seen if one took a moment to look.

Black clouds that flashed with lightning topped all the long views.
At this point we had been driving the loop for about 40 minutes, stopping randomly at the various vistas and checking out various campgrounds.
I was feeling a bit peevish...and commented that aside from the long views, I wasn't seeing much of interest.
No birds too.
We speculated on why that might be.
And then...

I spotted this bird perched in a dead tree about a half a block off the side of the road.
Bernie slowed down, then backed our car up so I could get a clear shot.

Aren't those talons serious looking?

I do appreciate a bird who is willing to pose for me for awhile...
I noticed later when I enlarged the pictures that the beak had a touch of yellow at the top.
Details like that are a big help when it comes time to identify the bird.

After about three minutes the bird lifted off and flew across the road ahead of us, winging and gliding until he landed further away.

That was that...we didn't see a single other bird aside from a duck later on at Lake Payson. 

The lavender wild asters were in bloom along the roadside; a sure sign that summer is coming to a close.

At Lake Payson the storm clouds finally let loose on us.
Bernie wished to fish for a bit...

I was ready to take a ramble on the neat lake encircling path after sitting so long in the car.
As usual I was wearing my orange hiking shirt and Bernie said he enjoyed being able to visually follow me was I walked around the entire lake

The rain got pretty intense and my camera was tucked under my shirt for most of the walk but there were places along the way where the overhanging trees provided dry shelter for me.

The colors on the surrounding hillsides were not "Fall" colors; they were just bits of folage break that revealed the colorful soil beneath and browned out grasses and such.
In a couple of weeks though...the colors will be the real deal and then some.

Some of the undergrowth sported hints of color aside the path.

 

 

I am facinated by berries and all their variations.  Years ago Victoria magazine had a series of photos of berries that had been gathered on branch and used for centerpieces and wedding pieces.
The article awoke an interest in berries in me that has never left.
I had never seen a berry like this one before.

The dawdling stroll around the lake didn't take long.
I came upon Bernie toward the end; he was fishing with wet flies and wearing a rain dappled brown felt fedora.
A very attractive scene he made.
Sorry for no picture; the rain was heavy enough at that point I was unwilling to risk wetting my camera to get the shot.

By the time I made it back to our car the storm had moved on.
Lightening and thunder was to be seen and heard nearby, so Bernie gave up fishing and came back to the car too.
We both agreed that the Lake Payson campground would be a lovely place to spend some time camping soon.

The loop meandered down after the lake area.
Bernie pulled over and checked various places along the road to see where the best fishing holes might be found.
It is at times like that that I am so happy that we have found pleasure in the compatible hobbies of fly fishing and photograph.
We are so glad that our hobbies keep us both fit and happily spending time together at such little expense.

The only other true bit of fall color seen that day.

When we finally wound down the loop to a residential area, Bernie began looking for a way to connect back up with the freeway north and back to our home.

He was pretty sure we were headed north west.
The mirror compass informed us we were actually heading south east!  The clouds had obscured the sun; the loop had wiped out our sense of direction.
We heeded the compass and quickly found a way back on the freeway.

A year ago on 9-11 we had hiked up to Silver Lake and been witness to the most amazing hatch and fish ballet performed in the light of a setting sun.
We had hiked up the mountain surrounded by green, and hiked back down with color change all around us.
It was a day full of wonder for us.
This 9-11 we chose the same sort of day for our remembrance.
Some people have suggested that 9-11 should be a day of service.
Our President spent the day feeding the homeless in a soup kitchen.
I am all for service, and soup kitchen duty is a duty to be attended to regularly.
If someone was to ask how I think 9-11 should be spent, I would advise finding something in America that brings a sense of joy to your soul and engage in whatever that is on that day.
And during that time, be aware of the freedom that we all enjoy.
Pray that the freedom will stand forever.
Pray everyone in the world will one day enjoy the same sort of freedom.
Pray for the those who put their lives at risk for our freedom.
And pray that they too will soon be home and enjoying their freedom too.
9-11 will always be a day of remembrance of a horror.
For me, I chose not to dwell on the horror.
That feels like awarding attention to the attackers for their success on that one day.
As I took in the late summer beauty around me, I said a prayer for those who hate us.
And felt a sense of victory in how I spent my day.

Sara's Visit Day Two: Timpanogas National Forest

It was a "just us girls" day. We lingered over breakfast, still hoping for a clearing sky as promised by the weather service. It stayed gray, so I packed a thermos of hot maple tea, cheese, cookies and assorted nuts, jackets and gloves, sent Sara to the empty house across the street to pick some tree ripened apples, and we were on our way.

I love going to Timpanogas; the jetting mountainsides provide wonderful backdrops for the seasonal changes below.

We stopped at Sawmill picnic ground and walked a bit after our long 45 minute drive.

Sara stopped and stared at the scenery overhead.

Doesn't see look like she was born for this seasonal scene with her red hair and green jacket?

We both wondered at the gaping hole on one mountainside. Sara asked if this area was near an earthquake fault line (only us Southern Californians would ponder that possibility.)

The answer: Yes.

It must have been quite a day when that house sized chunk of rock took a tumble.

As we drove higher, the color change became more pronounced.

The vistas became grander.

The road through the forest has lots of hairpin turns. Trail heads are marked, but not always immediately apparent when coming around a bend. I pulled over quickly when I spotted this trail, parked and we entered into an aspen grove via a semi-muddy narrow path.

It was utterly silent except the occasional sound of aspen quake. We saw a few moose tracks, but none were frolicking that morning.

The road through the forest is a narrow two lane affair with only occasional wide spots to allow parking.

Coming upon scenes like this resulted in me making a fast pull over, then the car doors would fly open and our cameras were switched on and raised as quickly as possible.

Then we stood still and took it all in.

Took another angle, then another and another...

Looking for the perfect photo composition: I think I found it with this shot.

What at a distance plants that appeared to be small brush were actually quite large trees.

Some clustered in rainbow-like color phases.

I had never seen color shaded acorns before. Aren't they usually just green, then butternut colored?

Apparently not.

A sign announcing that Cascade Springs was a mere seven miles up one way had me considering my options. It appeared to be down a roadway that lead through rather uncolorful topography. On the other hand....I had never seen Cascade Springs before.

What the heck...we had all days to explore the area.

I am so glad we did. The springs were amazing. An entire area of small waterfalls tumbling from one meadow like area to another, underground springs and snow melt combined to make streamlets wander swiftly through the land layers.

The colorful leaves added to the water's beauty.

The area had lots of vibrant red color changed leaves. Sara and I took lots of these kinds of pictures.

Interpretive signage informed me that the water was slightly warmer than normally be expected as the spring was being fed from two miles below the earth's surface. I had to find out for myself; a dip of my fingers proved that while the water wasn't warm it was definitely not as cold as the air around us.

Leaves....trees...streams....scenes...so many beautiful sights all in one place.

The park service had built paths through and over the springs. I didn't hesitate to ask a photographer to shoot a picture of us two.

This was what the river looked like behind and below us from the bridge.

Walk, see, stop, shoot a picture....repeat.

After the Springs we headed back towards Mt. Timpanogas, where the view was the most amazing.

Focus on the fall colors...the red grove, or the golden aspen, or focus on the mountain with the wonderful snow etched stripes?

How to best frame the picture...it is SUCH a blessing to have the modern camera that lets me take as many shots as I want.

Then a turn to the left and there is another whole scene to consider.

Mountain snow lined stripes, trees in color banded stripes....I love it when the trees line up by color like that!

The mountain top clouds were being cloaked with misty veils; and each glance at them had me shooting yet another picture as the light and the shadows changed.

See the yellow aspen grove on the right? That give a good perspective to how large this mountain really was. The snow bed is there year around, and some say it is actually a glacier field.

Distant vistas white with snow, close up berries, equally white. Isn't it amazing how many colors berries come in?
Wouldn't white berries like these be wonderful in a bridal bouquet?


"Fall comes down from the mountain"

Sometimes it looks like fall comes down from the mountain via a winding path!

Where did all this color hide on top of the mountain before?

Did it seep out from the bottom edge of the rocky cliffs?

Or did the summer flowers melt into colors and run down the hillside?

In Provo Canyon we took another look at Bridal Veil Falls....

Wondered at the how it could be that the rocky layers could suddenly tip up at one point....

And I shot a picture of the Sara whose smile told me that she had had a most satisfying day!

(We drove home at around four...and upon seeing IKEA on the side of the freeway, Sara revealed that she had yet to visit my favorite store. Well that neglectful attitude was swiftly remedied: we swung in, shared a plate of Swedish meatballs and lingonberry sauce, mash potatoes and lingonberry soda and took a gander at all the colorful store products.

We had laughed together in the forest as we sipped our tea and munched our cookies while driving through the forest. Uber fit bikers huffed and puffed as they challenged themselves to bike up the steep hills; we knew we were having a lot more fun than they were.

We may not be cover girls for Women's Fitness magazine, but I think we really did have more fun doing the trip our way, cookies and Swedish meatball included!)