HIGH COUNTRY ASPEN AT FISH LAKE – NEAR LOA, UTAH

When I mentioned to our knowledgeable advisor in the Torrey visitors’ center that I was hoping to see aspen in their golden prime, he suggested a loop drive outside the park, one popular with the locals but usually not visited by the Capitol Reef tourists.  He warned that the leaves would only last until the next wind or rainstorm, so we decided to drive the Fish Lake loop before the warm, dry weather breaks this weekend.

Aspen at their best!  Yellows, golds and reds, some trees already bare, others still green.  The landscape was a complete change from the enormous red cliffs of Capitol Reef – I almost felt as though we were in Colorado.

We took a picnic lunch with us – chicken sandwiches, grapes, cookies.  We split our usual hike into two parts, a heart-pounding uphill climb (to 9,500 ft elevation), followed by a lunch break and an easy stroll along the shore of Fish Lake.  The colors were absolutely glorious, and we were frequently drenched in a rain of golden leaves, listening to the song of the quaking aspen in even the slightest breeze.

Climbing the strenuous path uphill, I had plenty of time to closely examine the golden aspen leaves!	Walking the easy path along the shore of Fish Lake, I was able to look up to enjoy the view.

Finished with our hikes, we drove slowly along the lake shore in awe.  Odel stopped at all the marked “Scenic Overlooks”, and pulled over frequently when the colors of the aspen were particularly incredible, so that I could hop out and take another couple dozen photos. 

	Aspen still green, aspen golden, and aspen flaming orange… I was surprised to see such variety on one hillside.
	This is the color that knocks me out – flaming golden red atop the tall, white trunk against a clear blue sky.  I wanted to pitch a tent and stay until the leaves rained down!

Today we have another driving tour planned, back into the rocks, this time south of Torrey.  I knew these pictures would be lost in the many hundreds of rock photos I’ll take if I didn’t get them posted!  It was a fabulous day, not to be forgotten – a completely different face of this beautiful area.