What a glorious time of the year! This week we had a cold storm move over the state. It left our mountains dusted with a layer of snow and brought a cold nip to the lower valleys. Fall seems late in arriving this year, but I feel like the turn in the weather will hasten the arrival of autumn colors. We’ll be driving to the San Juan Mountains later this week and hopefully be blessed with abundant vistas of golden aspen forests.

When the storm hit us on Friday, I was busy with chores around the house and yard. I’d periodically look out the window at Mount Timpanogos to the north of us and see its peak jutting out of a cloud layer. Fresh snow covered the top third of the mountain. As the day wore on, the words of John Muir pounded in my head, “The mountains are calling and I must go”. I loved that phrase from thirty years ago, but now it seems trite and overused as it appears on countless posters and tee-shirts across America. The truth is though, that the mountains really were calling out to me. I lasted until about 1:00pm and then I couldn’t take it any longer. I told Virginia I had to go. She’s a good woman. Not only did she let me out of my chores, but she gave me her blessing as well.

I grabbed my camera bag, dressed for cold and wet weather, and ran for the car. It’s almost exactly a 35-mile drive from my home to Provo Canyon over the Alpine Loop, past Sundance Ski Resort, around Mt. Timpanogos, down American Fork Canyon, and back home. In years past I’ve even ridden my bicycle over the loop. It’s a great ride. I have my favorite pull outs that I stop at almost every time. I’ve done this for over 40 years. It doesn’t matter how many times I stop to shoot, it’s always a different view with different weather conditions. Friday was like no other.

The pullout where I shot these images is one of my favorites. I call it my million-dollar view. Sometimes I share this vista with other photographers. The pullout only allows 4-5 cars to pack in here together. On Friday I had it to myself. I threw my camera bag and tripod on top the car and scrambled up after them. I set up the camera and sat on the roof of the 4-Runner watching the mountain change under the floating clouds for well over an hour. It was indeed magic light. The forest is just beginning to change colors. From these images it might appear that the fall change is well under way. These images give a slightly false reading because the trees are backlit by the sun and appear a bit more yellow than they actually are. It didn’t matter to me. I soaked it in and shot image after image as rays of light drifted across the scene.

Blue skies have once again returned to the state. But the forecast calls for more storms by the coming weekend. The shorter days and dropping temperature should only hasten the appearance of the brilliant colors. I hope you take the opportunity to make short drives into our nearby mountains, escape the city, and revel in the beauty of autumn.