Fall colors and the Wasatch Mountains – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 320, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 150mm, natural light
This morning is cloudy and gray but seven years ago today it was bright, the air was crisp and the fall colors of the Front Range of the Wasatch Mountains were in their full glory. Taking a leisurely drive from Bountiful Canyon across Skyline Drive to Bountiful and Francis Peaks is something I haven’t done this year but I can vividly recall the drive from seven years ago today.
There are loads of places to pull over and savor the view of the valley from Skyline Drive. In this photo the bright red and oranges of oaks, dark greens of a conifer and the yellow leaves of aspens are a bright pop of color while far below some of the marshes of Farmington Bay WMA are visible.
Fall colors and Bountiful Peak – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 320, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 18mm, natural light
Grand views of Bountiful Peak with fall colors at its base took my breath away several times and the vibrant fall colors against a bluebird sky were especially satisfying.
Of course I was looking for birds on the trip up and I saw quite a few including my first sighting of a Hairy Woodpecker in Utah but you know, it isn’t always about the birds for me, it is also about slowing down and savoring the journey, soaking up the spectacular views, memorizing what I saw, the way I felt and taking the time to relish it all. After all, life isn’t a race.
Bountiful Peak in Autumn – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 320, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 42mm, natural light
Hearing a breeze moving in the golden colored leaves of the Quaking aspens is something I have enjoyed since I was in my early 20’s, if you have never heard that sound I suggest putting it on your bucket lists for a fall trip because it is an auditory and visual delight.
I should mention that the roads up to Bountiful and Francis Peaks can be rough, that there are spots where it is narrow and that there are steep drop offs but the I think the views are worth having a few moments of giddy anxiousness.
Fall colors in the Wasatch Mountain range – Nikon D200, f16, 1/320, ISO 320, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 31mm, natural light
The Gambel oak leaves high up can be any where from orange to red at this time of the year and they look brilliant against the dark conifers and still green grassy slopes. I remember hearing and seeing Dark-eyed Juncos at this spot but I wasn’t able to get a single photo of them.
Male Dusky Grouse on Francis Peak – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
Even though I missed out on photographing the juncos that morning I was over the moon when I spotted and photographed a lifer Dusky Grouse seven years ago today. The male grouse held still long enough for me to get a nice series of images of him at the edge of the road near the top of Francis Peak before he took off and flew away.
I do know that viewing these images again has me wondering if the fall colors are going to be as fantastic this year up on Skyline Drive as they were seven years ago.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Dusky Grouse photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here to see more of my Utah landscape images.
These landscape pics are a beautiful reminder that fall is finally here. It’s my favorite time of the year. Thanks Mia.
Absolutely gorgeous scenery! Hope you get up there to see the colors — and another lifer 🙂 — soon.
Our Liquid Amber now has a second tiny area of red — just what’s at the end of a little twig. It isn’t sure that Fall has come.
Thank you for sharing the incredible beauty of the area! And that grouse!
Hope your expectations for this fall are exceeded.
(I’m sure you will be surprised to hear this, but central Florida is hot, humid and transitioning from “green” season to “brown”.)
You live in an amazingloy beautiful part of the world.
I have driven this drive for many years, I was a hang glider in my teens, I have never seen a dusky grouse up there! What a great find! I have not been for the last few years, we tried but the road was in the worse shape I have ever seen it. I was told they are not grading it as often due to the lack of funding and they now use a helicopter to take workers to Francis peak. I read this year the road is better. I love the views and the drops! I had a high school classmate go missing and a week later they found him in his truck off one of the drops up there, so be careful when driving the road.
These pics make me swoon! I’ll have to check out this drive. I’ve done the Alpine Loop, which is spectacular but very few places to pull over. Same with on the way to Monte Cristo area.
Beautiful scenery. Beautiful colouring on the Dusky Grouse.