Photos

Waking up at 5:00 or 5:30 (or earlier!) can be brutal. Catching the sunrise makes it all worth it.

This is Maple Lake, a small, lovely lake near the beginning of the Nebo Loop Scenic Byway at the southern end of the Wasatch Mountains. I got up at 5:30 yesterday, hurried down there, and got to the lake in time to catch the first rays hitting the mountains behind. In fact, this is the second shot I took.

I had never been on most of the Nebo Loop, which winds its way through the mountains near Payson, Utah, climbing to over 9,000 feet in the process. The farthest I had ever been was Payson Lakes a few miles past Maple Lake. I went yesterday as far as Devil's Kitchen, and was blown away. It was absolutely stunning. My sister went several years ago, and wasn't impressed, so I guess I kind of avoided it for that reason. I didn't know what I was missing. The crown jewel of the loop is Mt. Nebo itself, which at just under 12,000 feet elevation is the highest point in the Wasatch Mountains. I've got plenty of pictures of Nebo, which is now vying for my favorite mountain around here.

In addition to the polarizer, I also used my grad on this one. I was a little hesitant to use it, as I ruined a great shot of the Great Salt Lake the other day by overusing it. But I guess this one turned out all fine for exposure and use of the grad. I didn't edit it much--played with the green, yellow, and blue a little, but that's about it. I plan on going up again in the fall, when the maples are turning. Hopefully I'll get an even bigger collection of nice pictures then.