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October has proved unseasonably mild in Utah this year. I took advantage of this for a late-season overnighter in the Uintas on Saturday the 4th. Snow had already fallen above about 10,000 feet but it stacked up only in patches and wasn't yet an obstacle. Unfortunately, I didn't get started on the trail to 6 p.m.
Although I'd hoped to get as far as Island Lake from the Crystal Lake TH, I had to stop at Long Lake when I lost daylight and temperatures started to drop. But that's getting ahead of the narrative. Conditions were prime for a walk in the woods prior to sundown.
The light peaked as I crossed the shoulder north of Haystack Mountain. The setting sun turned Mount Watson's south face gold.
Golden Watson by ashergrey, on Flickr
Testing out the new Canon 16-35mm f/4L IS was a major motivator for this quick trip. I swapped out the f/2.8L for the new variant. The venerable f/2.8L is well-known for its gorgeous sunstars. The new lens doesn't have quite the same touch.
The image stabilization on the new lens had not been a major selling point for me, but I gave it a workout shooting handheld during the blue hour.
Most photographers will say image stabilization is unneeded on such a wide lens, since a steady-handed user can get reasonable results down to shutter speeds around 1/30 or better. But in use, the IS allowed me to keep shooting at a lower ISO for longer while going handheld.
For someone who often shoots on the go, I can see IS helping getting those quick pictures when you just can't be bothered to stop and set up the tripod.
October Meadow by ashergrey, on Flickr
The light failed as I was shooting around the ponds on the outskirts of Long Lake. I donned the headlamp and started looking for a place to pitch camp.
My path looks a little erratic on the map because I was following the old trail alignment displayed on the USGS topos. More modern maps reflect more recent changes.
[PARSEHTML]<iframe src="http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3847512/GPS/Long_Lake.kml&t=t4" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="800" height="800"></iframe><br><br>[/PARSEHTML]A rather loud and obnoxious group had set up camp on the north-western shore of the lake, so I picked a spot on the opposite bank. While setting camp, the other group proceeded to flash my campsite with a green laser. Their dogs barked and kids shouted their heads off. It left me feeling pretty annoyed for not getting an earlier start.
A three-quarter moon lit the landscape nicely.
A long-exposure of Long Mountain from the Lake's shoreline.
Long Lake Stars by ashergrey, on Flickr
The cold started to gnaw. I went on the hunt for firewood.
Some green branches had been cut and left to dry on the ground by previous campers. The prior week's snow had left the wood damp. While I'd never condone cutting from a live plant, I burned these because the damage had already been done.
The night felt long and cold. I'm guessing overnight lows were in the high 20s or low 30s. During the dragging hours I kept finding myself with cold spots from rolling off the air mattress tucked in my hammock.
When morning came, it felt quite the struggle to dress and get moving. A chilling breeze moved over the area.
Long Lake Sunrise by ashergrey, on Flickr
I took a walk with the camera around the south end of the lake as the sun crept up off to the east.
The annoying group on the far side of the lake hadn't even stirred by the time I returned.
Autumn Frost by ashergrey, on Flickr
Time came to pack up and head for home.
The chilly morning soon warmed and I said goodbye to the high country for the year.
[PARSEHTML]<iframe src="http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3847512/GPS/Long_Lake_return.kml&t=t4" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="800" height="800"></iframe><br><br>[/PARSEHTML]
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Although I'd hoped to get as far as Island Lake from the Crystal Lake TH, I had to stop at Long Lake when I lost daylight and temperatures started to drop. But that's getting ahead of the narrative. Conditions were prime for a walk in the woods prior to sundown.
The light peaked as I crossed the shoulder north of Haystack Mountain. The setting sun turned Mount Watson's south face gold.
Golden Watson by ashergrey, on FlickrTesting out the new Canon 16-35mm f/4L IS was a major motivator for this quick trip. I swapped out the f/2.8L for the new variant. The venerable f/2.8L is well-known for its gorgeous sunstars. The new lens doesn't have quite the same touch.
The image stabilization on the new lens had not been a major selling point for me, but I gave it a workout shooting handheld during the blue hour.
Most photographers will say image stabilization is unneeded on such a wide lens, since a steady-handed user can get reasonable results down to shutter speeds around 1/30 or better. But in use, the IS allowed me to keep shooting at a lower ISO for longer while going handheld.
For someone who often shoots on the go, I can see IS helping getting those quick pictures when you just can't be bothered to stop and set up the tripod.
October Meadow by ashergrey, on FlickrThe light failed as I was shooting around the ponds on the outskirts of Long Lake. I donned the headlamp and started looking for a place to pitch camp.
My path looks a little erratic on the map because I was following the old trail alignment displayed on the USGS topos. More modern maps reflect more recent changes.
[PARSEHTML]<iframe src="http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3847512/GPS/Long_Lake.kml&t=t4" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="800" height="800"></iframe><br><br>[/PARSEHTML]A rather loud and obnoxious group had set up camp on the north-western shore of the lake, so I picked a spot on the opposite bank. While setting camp, the other group proceeded to flash my campsite with a green laser. Their dogs barked and kids shouted their heads off. It left me feeling pretty annoyed for not getting an earlier start.
A three-quarter moon lit the landscape nicely.
A long-exposure of Long Mountain from the Lake's shoreline.
Long Lake Stars by ashergrey, on FlickrThe cold started to gnaw. I went on the hunt for firewood.
Some green branches had been cut and left to dry on the ground by previous campers. The prior week's snow had left the wood damp. While I'd never condone cutting from a live plant, I burned these because the damage had already been done.
The night felt long and cold. I'm guessing overnight lows were in the high 20s or low 30s. During the dragging hours I kept finding myself with cold spots from rolling off the air mattress tucked in my hammock.
When morning came, it felt quite the struggle to dress and get moving. A chilling breeze moved over the area.
Long Lake Sunrise by ashergrey, on FlickrI took a walk with the camera around the south end of the lake as the sun crept up off to the east.
The annoying group on the far side of the lake hadn't even stirred by the time I returned.
Autumn Frost by ashergrey, on FlickrTime came to pack up and head for home.
The chilly morning soon warmed and I said goodbye to the high country for the year.
[PARSEHTML]<iframe src="http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3847512/GPS/Long_Lake_return.kml&t=t4" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="800" height="800"></iframe><br><br>[/PARSEHTML]
Featured image for homepage:
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