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The full moon is supposed to come once a month. Once in a Blue Moon we get two full moons in a single month... and once every few years we see 13 full moons in a 12-month calendar year. This was the case in 2012.
The 13th full moon occurred on December 28th. It followed a significant winter snow storm in northern Utah. The front moved past just in time to reveal a somewhat hazy view of the bright disc hanging in the frigid sky.
I'd hoped to drum up interest in friends or family to accompany me for a snowshoe outing under the full moon but severe low temperatures tempered their willingness to brave the elements. So late the night of the 28th (a Friday, with no work to worry about the following day) I set out to see what the moonlight would reveal.
Wasatch National Forest by ashergrey, on Flickr
Most of my snowshoe outings have been into the canyons of the central Wasatch east of Salt Lake City, since it's a safe bet to find deep snow there. This time around, I decided to try something at a lower elevation.
Farmington Canyon is the northern access to the Skyline Drive backway linking Farmington and Bountiful, Utah by way of the Wasatch crest. It used to be that the FAA did winter maintenance on the treacherous Farmington Canyon road during the winter, as the agency's crews needed to access the Francis Peak radar towers.
A landslide in the spring of 2011 on a section of the road changed that.
Rockslide 2 by ashergrey, on Flickr
As the U.S. Forest Service tried to gain funding for engineering and reconstruction of the road, the FAA apparently discovered it was more cost-effective to use automation and the occasional helicopter trip to the peak. As a result, the Forest Service and Farmington City altered their winter management plans.
Farmington City now gates the canyon road, leaving access only for snowmobile, pedestrian and equestrian travel.
Around 10 p.m. I parked in the iced-over lot at Farmington Pond and donned my cold weather gear. This included the new Ice Trekkers I'd received from my brother for Christmas days earlier. I strapped the snowshoes to my pack since for at least the first while I'd be on paths flattened out by snowmobiles.
A cold wind blew down the canyon and I had to stay moving to avoid being chilled. This included frequently turning and walking backward to keep the bite out of my eyes and off my cheeks. The lower bit of the canyon is pretty unspectacular under sunlight, but the moonlight painted it in more flattering tones.
Anyone who has never been out in fresh powder under clear, full moonlight cannot understand just how brilliant it is to watch the shimmer move across snow. Moonlight softens everything and casts dramatic shadows. Tiny crystals sparkle light countless stars.
Lunar Shadow by ashergrey, on Flickr
Stopping to shoot photos felt excruciating because of the cold. Temperatures were in the low teens but wind chill made them feel lower. I walked in circles to keep blood flowing to my extremities while running long exposure shots. Having my hands out of their gloves to manipulate camera controls meant constantly fending with numb fingers.
Dead Oak by ashergrey, on Flickr
As I continued up the road the powder became deeper. I contemplated pulling off the Ice Trekkers in favor of full snowshoes, but decided it wasn't worth the strain on my frigid digits. I constantly sipped at my water to keep it flowing through the Camelback hose, but around this point it froze solid. The hose actually stood straight out from my shoulder instead of sitting limp against my torso.
Circle of the Moon by ashergrey, on Flickr
The above photo required the use of off-camera flash. Set-up for the picture included several test shots to correct composition, exposure, light position and intensity. During all of this, I was standing in about two feet of powder. My boots, which are not insulated, stiffened. Inside them my toes, followed by my entire feet, lost feeling.
At once worried about frostbite, I packed up the photo gear and took off jogging along the snowmobile tracks. It required about 20 minutes of constant physical exertion to return sensation. Even then, it came as pins and needles. This was a bit unnerving.
My original hope had been to leave the road and hike up along Farmington Creek to the Sunset Campground, then return down the road. Time spent taking photos meant that I didn't even make it to the trailhead (where the pavement ends and the switchbacks being) until after midnight. Judging the distance and the conditions -- not to mention the fact even the warm drink I'd brought as a backup to the bladder was now slush -- I scrapped that idea and instead walked up the road to the site of the landslide.
Near the same spot in springtime:
Rockslide 3 by ashergrey, on Flickr
I spent a good long while shooting photos from this vantage point.
Once finished, I packed up the gear and trundled on down the canyon. Upon arriving at the parking lot shortly after 3 a.m. I found a Davis County Sheriff's Deputy idling there. He sat and watched from the warmth of his car, somewhat incredulous I'm sure, as I came stomping across the icy pavement. We exchanged pleasantries, then he drove off... then so did I.
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Featured image for home page:
The 13th full moon occurred on December 28th. It followed a significant winter snow storm in northern Utah. The front moved past just in time to reveal a somewhat hazy view of the bright disc hanging in the frigid sky.
I'd hoped to drum up interest in friends or family to accompany me for a snowshoe outing under the full moon but severe low temperatures tempered their willingness to brave the elements. So late the night of the 28th (a Friday, with no work to worry about the following day) I set out to see what the moonlight would reveal.
Wasatch National Forest by ashergrey, on Flickr
Most of my snowshoe outings have been into the canyons of the central Wasatch east of Salt Lake City, since it's a safe bet to find deep snow there. This time around, I decided to try something at a lower elevation.
Farmington Canyon is the northern access to the Skyline Drive backway linking Farmington and Bountiful, Utah by way of the Wasatch crest. It used to be that the FAA did winter maintenance on the treacherous Farmington Canyon road during the winter, as the agency's crews needed to access the Francis Peak radar towers.
A landslide in the spring of 2011 on a section of the road changed that.
Rockslide 2 by ashergrey, on Flickr
As the U.S. Forest Service tried to gain funding for engineering and reconstruction of the road, the FAA apparently discovered it was more cost-effective to use automation and the occasional helicopter trip to the peak. As a result, the Forest Service and Farmington City altered their winter management plans.
Farmington City now gates the canyon road, leaving access only for snowmobile, pedestrian and equestrian travel.
Around 10 p.m. I parked in the iced-over lot at Farmington Pond and donned my cold weather gear. This included the new Ice Trekkers I'd received from my brother for Christmas days earlier. I strapped the snowshoes to my pack since for at least the first while I'd be on paths flattened out by snowmobiles.
A cold wind blew down the canyon and I had to stay moving to avoid being chilled. This included frequently turning and walking backward to keep the bite out of my eyes and off my cheeks. The lower bit of the canyon is pretty unspectacular under sunlight, but the moonlight painted it in more flattering tones.
Anyone who has never been out in fresh powder under clear, full moonlight cannot understand just how brilliant it is to watch the shimmer move across snow. Moonlight softens everything and casts dramatic shadows. Tiny crystals sparkle light countless stars.
Lunar Shadow by ashergrey, on Flickr
Stopping to shoot photos felt excruciating because of the cold. Temperatures were in the low teens but wind chill made them feel lower. I walked in circles to keep blood flowing to my extremities while running long exposure shots. Having my hands out of their gloves to manipulate camera controls meant constantly fending with numb fingers.
Dead Oak by ashergrey, on Flickr
As I continued up the road the powder became deeper. I contemplated pulling off the Ice Trekkers in favor of full snowshoes, but decided it wasn't worth the strain on my frigid digits. I constantly sipped at my water to keep it flowing through the Camelback hose, but around this point it froze solid. The hose actually stood straight out from my shoulder instead of sitting limp against my torso.
Circle of the Moon by ashergrey, on Flickr
The above photo required the use of off-camera flash. Set-up for the picture included several test shots to correct composition, exposure, light position and intensity. During all of this, I was standing in about two feet of powder. My boots, which are not insulated, stiffened. Inside them my toes, followed by my entire feet, lost feeling.
At once worried about frostbite, I packed up the photo gear and took off jogging along the snowmobile tracks. It required about 20 minutes of constant physical exertion to return sensation. Even then, it came as pins and needles. This was a bit unnerving.
My original hope had been to leave the road and hike up along Farmington Creek to the Sunset Campground, then return down the road. Time spent taking photos meant that I didn't even make it to the trailhead (where the pavement ends and the switchbacks being) until after midnight. Judging the distance and the conditions -- not to mention the fact even the warm drink I'd brought as a backup to the bladder was now slush -- I scrapped that idea and instead walked up the road to the site of the landslide.
Near the same spot in springtime:
Rockslide 3 by ashergrey, on Flickr
I spent a good long while shooting photos from this vantage point.
Once finished, I packed up the gear and trundled on down the canyon. Upon arriving at the parking lot shortly after 3 a.m. I found a Davis County Sheriff's Deputy idling there. He sat and watched from the warmth of his car, somewhat incredulous I'm sure, as I came stomping across the icy pavement. We exchanged pleasantries, then he drove off... then so did I.
[PARSEHTML]<iframe src="http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3847512/GPS/FarmingtonCanyon.kml&t=t4" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="800" height="800"></iframe><br><br>[/PARSEHTML]
Featured image for home page:
