Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The Dixie National Forest

My last morning at the Bolder Lodge is a sad parting. The comfortable room with a warm bed and great view of the pond will be missed. The fabulous meals I will remember for a long time, after all who would have thought that "elk sausage" and eggs would taste so good. At my age it is rare to discover such a new and wonderful taste as fresh hand made elk sausage. Yum! So much goodness in this remote location is a great find for any traveler. If you find yourself in the area this is a must stop.



Now, in the cool morning light, I head north on highway 12. Soon the road begins to slowly wind upward, the warmth of desert air gives way to a slow chill as large open range  becomes lower alpine meadows. Small patches of snow dot the fields, give evidence of the climb to a higher altitude. Soon small stands of Aspen and Pine trees dot the open range. It is not long before the trees dominate the landscape and the snow covers all the ground. The road continues it's ascent to reveal long vista views of spectacular breadth and depth, more I think, then can be seen in a photograph. The peak elevation is over 9,000 feet. At this altitude the air is cold and crisp and the wind bites, making my eyes water as set up to shoot some pictures. It is mid-day and I am looking out from the top of the south east corner of the Dixie National Forest. 







The alpine Aspen stands form soft shapes in the expansive snow fields accented by dark pines, a designers pallet of snow whites, soft browns and dark greens with blues and violets to the horizon.


 The light is bright and the snow reflective, a warm coat and sunglasses are necessary in this place.

Soon I pass the crest of the forest and start my descent back down to a warmer altitude. It was good to feel the cold air after so much desert heat but I have to confess that I would rather be in the heat of the lowlands then the alpine cold.






 From here I can see in the distance, the face of Capitol Reef National Park, my next stop.

1 comment:

grmancari said...

I love the natural colors. Great shots, and good eye!