Norwegian Maple

When we moved to Salt Lake City the yard of our new house had two mature Norwegian Maple trees. Norwegian Maples (Acer platanoides) are popular shade trees in the intermountain west because they grow quickly and tolerate alkaline soil and an arid climate. Norwegian Maples are native to Central Europe, and were introduced to the …

A snowy winter in SLC

2023 has been an exceptionally snowy winter in Salt Lake City. Nearby Alta ski resort reports 616″ of snowfall as of March 4, the snowiest in their 43 recorded seasons. This post shares photos of this winter in SLC from January through March. Morning after March 5 snowfall. February 22 snow Snowy Red Butte Gardens, …

Views from the Top

An aspect of downhill skiing that may be underappreciated is the spectacular scenery that can be seen from the ski slopes, particularly in Utah. The following pictures were taken on a beautiful January day skiing at the Canyons area of Park City. Near the top of the Condor chairlift Downhill among the spruce and fir …

Snowy New Year’s Day in Salt Lake City

The western United States has been experiencing drought over the last few years. So, the wet and snowy weather here in Salt Lake City over the past few weeks has been very welcome. Following are some pictures of the snowy city around New Year’s. Slight improvement in drought conditions over the past month can be …

Gloria Falls Trail in Little Cottonwood Canyon

The trailhead for Gloria Falls is just short of the Snowbird and Alta ski resorts as you drive up the Little Cottonwood Canyon from Salt Lake City. Longer trails to White Pine and Red Pine Lakes also start from this site. In mid-October we were rewarded with magnificent views of fall colors in the canyon …

Nobletts Trail in Uinta National Forest, Utah

The Uintas Mountains are an east-west trending sub-range of the Rocky Mountains that contain the highest mountain in Utah, Kings Peak (elevation 13,528′). Nobletts is an easy hiking trail on the western flank of the Uintas, its trailhead is about 50 miles west of Salt Lake City. The trail follows Nobletts creek for about 2 …

Antelope Island, by the Great Salt Lake

Antelope Island State Park in Utah is on the shore of the Great Salt Lake. In addition to beautiful scenery, visitors to this park can expect to see bison, mule deer and other wildlife. The pictures below were taken in early April, the haziness of the day added to the impact of the views. From …

Stewart Falls, near Provo Utah

Recently five of us (three people and two dogs) had the good fortune to hike to Stewart Falls on a gorgeous day in early April. The walk to the falls and back was just 3.5 miles, but made a bit more challenging by stretches of not-yet-melted snow. The following photos and videos attempt to capture …

Conifers; Utah’s Wasatch National Forest

A winter trip to Utah offered the opportunity to appreciate conifers in a different part of the country. The photos below show three trees seen along the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, east of Salt Lake City. Lodgepole Pine The Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta subspecies latifolia) is found at middle …