Floating in the Sky

This makeshift raft was a perfect example of the visual, spatial distortion caused by the extreme reflection in the mountain lake. It is even more of a visual distortion to be standing there looking down into the sky. This phenomena has happened to me a few times, even while kayaking on a lake, but the clarity of this particular event was remarkable. This does point out the old saying about early birds and worms, but it is probably more realistic in terms of photographers and photos.

Mountain Moon Rise

This was the night of the rare, Blue Moon, in July of 2015. I sat out on the side of the mountain waiting for the moon to rise and when it did, there were clouds. I took a number of shots at different settings with two different cameras and finally got this image with the moon behind a cloud. I started out to be fairly chilly at over 10,000 feet up in the mountains of eastern Utah, but for some reason it warmed up a bit. Being from the low desert, I was surprised that I had to wear my winter parka to keep warm on a July evening.

The Monster of the Lake

This was pretty scary. I noticed it surfacing about 30 yards away and quickly got my camera to take one image before it sank once again beneath the calm surface of the water. Actually, it just sat there and I took my time composing the photo. It is impossible to plan this kind of shot, they just happen. This photo was taken at Moosehorn Lake in the High Uintah Mountains of Eastern Utah.

A Real Mirror in the Lake

A small boy came up the lake with his mother and said, "What happened to the water?" He could not see the surface of the water and assumed it was all gone. I had about the same reaction to this series of amazing images. Conditions have to be just right, with no wind and the sun at the right angle. It also helps to be at 10,400 feet up in the High Uintah Mountains. This is not the famous "Mirror Lake," this is Moosehorn Lake, about a mile away.

Reflections on Bald Mountain

This photo was taken from the shore of Moosehorn Lake in the high Uintah Mountains of northeastern Utah. I am not quite sure why this particular mountain is called Bald Mountain since all of the mountains in the area look pretty much the same. The summit of Bald Mountain is 11,943 feet above sea level and is considered to be one of the easiest mountains in Utah to summit. The trail gains 1250 feet to the summit, which I would not consider easy. But I guess you would have to consider that I was at 10.400 feet when I took this photo.

Once in a Blue Moon

July 31, 2015 was a Blue Moon night. No, the moon did not change color, it was the second full moon in the same month. This is a photo I took while high in the Uintah Mountains at about 10,400 feet. If you look closely, you can see the outline of a bat that happened to fly by when I took the photo. Yes, this is a color photo of the moon that night.

Mt. Nebo and Rock Canyon

The high peak in the distance is Mt. Nebo, the highest peak along the Wasatch Front visible from Utah Valley. The big rock cliff on the left is Rock Canyon. The hill in the right center is Squaw Peak from the north. If you look closely, you can see the Squaw Peak trail. This was a perfect day for a hike into the mountains.