Utah on Fire- A Trip to the Mt. Nebo Scenic Loop

The fall in the Wasatch Mountains although not as diverse as the east coast can have some of the most intense colors I have seen. From the bright yellows and oranges of the aspens to the reds, oranges, and pinks of the oaks, I am easily inspired to get out and shoot every fall. This year the oaks seemed to turn a muted version of their usually vibrant color and then quickly fade to brown. This was a little discouraging as these are usually some of the best colors. On a recent trip up Big Cottonwood though I noticed that the aspens were looking very nice so I decided to take the hour drive south to the Mt. Nebo Loop. As I arrived, I quickly noticed that the oaks were pretty much doing the same, but as I drove higher and higher and into the aspen ecosystem I was excited to see that much of these trees were at peak color.

An overlook with the south end of the Utah Lake in view.

As I was shooting the image at the top, this man on horseback wandered over and we chatted for a bit. He was a nice man that I could tell had spent many years outdoors, many of which I'm sure were up in these hills. As quickly as he came, he was soon to disappear into the woods.

The sun back lighting this aspen grove created a brilliant glow to the forest.

This owl kept me company for a little while at my campsite before flying off to probably find dinner.

My campsite for the night. I cooked some really tasty chicken fajitas with my super easy and efficient MSR stove and pots

I wasn't really planning on shooting a vista type sunrise but as I turned the corner early in the morning I saw this view and couldn't resist. The aspens in the foreground made for the perfect leading line for this image.

The drive alone is worth the effort to get up to this beautiful area with winding roads, scenic overlooks and great trails.

I spotted these wild turkeys on my way home. There were about 10 of them roaming about in the woods.