Friday, April 3, 2026

65.20 Utah: Outside Salt Lake City, the autumn weather 'salts' color into the flora and literally stuns us...a color bonanza and much more.

  We begin the next phase of Hike-about, in Portugal. The photographs that follow are the last set of 'recalling the past', to be followed by those mostly from Geres, et sequens. 

 The first 2 photographs are on Aire Mountain, a taste of much to follow. Jen makes her way along narrow paths.

The mass coloring of plants affects the sight of a mountain. 
    We were heading for Idaho for an extended period, with a stopover outside Salt Lake City, Utah, for 9 days. After a few days of being immersed in such amazing colors and other sights, presented with staggering climbs and experiences, we decided to extend our stay. Apparently, this trend of extending the period caught on and the final tally included the occurrence of a number of renewals. 

  I remember a few occasions when I approached Jen to try to determine her level of comfort about staying longer. It was mostly enjoyable with the occasional feeling of trepidation should she have a need to move onwards. The result was we extended our stay from the original 9 days to slightly longer duration: 61 days. Jen asked me whether we had a visa for that length of time. You never know these days. Suffice to say: I think we enjoyed the trip. It certainly had an effect upon us: No doubts, it colored our feelings. 

A serious meeting occurring before the (Bells) Falls.
Jen makes her way on Wire Mountain via Red Butte Ridge.
On the way to the falls, we appreciate the reflections
We found particularly stunning, perhaps the height achieved with the angle of the view, upon Grandeur Peak.
Shades of mostly green of autumn...going against the grain.
Bloods Lake and Clayton Peak.
Broads Fork and friends follow.
Searching without effort for color.
Cardiff color: Nice view, dangerous position.
A week later, the dangerous Cardiff slope is easily apparent, referred to above. Where's the color?
Circle Awle.
Clayton Trail via Brighton, the long climb route.
Wire Mountain.
Jen tries to suppress a smile, but how long can it last?
Told you so. The colors are just too gorgeous to hold in one's delight, as she climbs to Jack's Peak, obviously an impressive guy.
'Try to keep your balance, old man.'
This may be termed a 'rush of color'.
A real classy sight...actually, aren't they all?
She took a chance and summoned an Uber. We probably have a long wait. Sometimes it's better to try obtain a lyft. 
Upon Grandeur Peak, probably our favorite place during the period.
Jen finds a path and takes it despite the threat of the serpent class.
This area appears to be a predominantly 'yellow' region.
We can never get over the miraculous formations created by nature, filled with amazing, rich coloring, recurring annually.
The Surgeon-General of the US suggests one should clear the build-up of color channels periodically by absorbing some white light...or something to that effect. This is our suggested solution.
Cheers, 

Jenni and Jeffrey