Dragons in the Mountains

 

On My Way to the Ridge.

On a nice late summer day last week, there was nothing better I could think of doing than go exploring places in the mountains I haven't been yet. So that's what I did. After driving a ways up a jeep trail, I parked my 4Runner and continued walking through the woods on a trail to a large meadow. There I found another trail that led up onto a ridge. On that trail I came across this little red dragon, a horned toad which might have looked ferocious if it hadn't been but an inch long. After spending a few minutes watching and photographing the little lizard, I moved on up the trail. 

Little Horned Toad

Only a few steps later I found another, bigger dragon:

Bigger Horned Toad

Horned toads always seem to me a little like miniature dinosaurs, maybe something like a mini ankylosaurus. This horned toad, at four inches or so long, is the biggest one I've ever seen. Perhaps not quite dragon material to humans, but I imagine that's the way ants might see them. Horned toads eat ants.

Overlooking Diamond Fork

Continuing up the trail I reached the top of the ridge. From there I could see Strawberry Ridge to the east. To the west were the Wasatch Mountains, rising up nearly 12,000 feet above sea level. The view southward overlooked Diamond Fork Canyon and the Sheep Creek area.

Southern Wasatch Mountains; Mt. Nebo in the Far Distance.

There on the ridge I sat and enjoyed the evening. The weather was pleasant and the view spectacular!  As the evening grew late I watched a full moon rise in the east...

...and was also treated to a wonderful sunset in the west.

After dark, I hiked down off the ridge and headed back through the woods the way I had come. Broken beams of moonlight shone down through a forest of aspens and tall evergreens. Pale aspen tree trunks glowed in the bright moonlight. A small snake quickly crawled out of my path and into the brush by the trail. It was too dark by then to clearly see markings on the snake, but I'm guessing it was a racer or garter snake, judging from it's general size and shape. A rhythmic chorus of crickets and other night sounds accompanied my walk back to the car.

I ought to do this sort of thing more often.

Thanks for reading!

Utah County Plein Air Show

In a year marked by such unpleasantries as a pandemic, recession, earthquake, riots, upcoming elections, and so forth, so many of the plein air competitions, like so many things, have been canceled. But not the Utah County Plein Air Show!

Two years ago was the first year for the Utah County Plein Air Show, and I was part of that, but last year I didn't participate. This year, however, even though I was one of the last to get my panels stamped for the competition, I really did jump at the chance to enter into the event.

There was some confusion when I went to turn in my three finished entries for the show. A Utah County Art Board email said turn in for paintings was June 27 by 11:00 AM. I hadn't checked on the email but was going by what was printed on a form the art board handed out when I registered for the competition, which stated turn in time was 12 NOON. I arrived at the venue on the 27th at around 11:30 thinking I still had time. I was met in the parking lot by a board member who was leaving. She informed me the deadline was 11 AM and that everyone had already left! Luckily I had the form with me and, perhaps with a little excitement, showed her the form and pointed out the 12 Noon deadline stated on the form. The board member agreed and called someone to come open the venue again so I could enter my paintings. The paintings were finally entered into the show.

Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph my paintings before turning them in, so I had to go back later and get these three poorly done photos after the show opened. Hopefully they'll still give you a good enough idea of how the paintings look. The first painting (shown above) was made in the Spanish Fork River Bottoms along a bike trail there. The next painting was made near the pass between Hobble Creek Canyon and Diamond Fork Canyon. Upon reaching the pass, I turned onto a dirt track that ran along a ridge top. I followed the track for a couple miles before picking this spot to paint.

A day or two later I returned to the pass and set up by a large meadow that contained some corrals. There I made the last painting, shown here with a little extra blue added on one side by the show's judge:

Come see the exhibit! The show will be up until August 29th. There's plenty of paintings by several  painters to see. It's located at the Health and Justice Building at 151 S. University Ave, Provo, Utah. Check ahead for hours.

Mt. Olympus on a Hot Summer's Day

9" x 12" Oil on Panel

This is a plein air painting of Mt. Olympus as seen from Olympus Hills Park in Holliday. This section of the park is a nice wild little area near the eastern edge of the city. Walking paths meander through tall grasses and scrub oak, providing a little bit of nature in a broad valley otherwise filled mostly with city.

The day I painted this was very hot, probably over 100° F (38° C). Of course, the view I wanted required that I set up in direct sun for a few hours. I didn't think I could withstand the summer heat long enough to do a large painting, so I kept it fairly small. Judging by how I felt when the painting was finished, I was probably right.

Climbing Provo Peak 2019

Provo Peak (Oil on Panel)

This is a painting I made a few years ago Of Provo Peak, as seen from the valley near the boat harbor. Last Week, a friend of mine and I decided to hike Provo Peak, which rises 11,068 feet (about 3,374 meters) above sea level.

Provo Peak, Photographed from the Side of Lionshead Peak.

We started out in the afternoon, driving up Provo Canyon to Squaw Peak Road. There the driving became progressively worse the farther up the road we went. It seems that once past Rock Canyon Campground, the high mountain dirt road gets no maintenance. The road was full of rocks and deep ruts. A few places had holes as big as our car. It wasn't anything my 4Runner couldn't handle, we just had to drive slowly - often as slow as two miles an hour. It took us a couple hours to get from the beginning of the road to the trailhead.

Cascade Mountain, viewed from the Provo Peak trailhead.

Not long after beginning our climb, we found an unattended campfire. This is the second time in a week I've found campfires abandoned yet still burning in the mountains! And it's fire season. We didn't have enough water to put the fire out, so we dug up a lot of dirt and threw that on the fire until it stopped smoking.

Cascade Mountain, as seen from farther up the ridge.

The trail to the peak is not very good in some places. It's steep and full of loose rocks. Three times I left the trail and found my own way up the mountain for a while because the trail was so difficult and unsafe.

The higher we climbed, the hazier the weather became. I wonder if the haze was possibly from wildfires burning in other parts of the West. By the time we reached the 11,068 ft. high peak, the haze largely obscured the distant views we had hoped to see. The climb was still well worth it though! 

This was the fourth time I've climbed Provo Peak, and it's been a long time since the time before. I took a few photos from the top before we began our hike back down. The sun set before we were halfway down the mountainside. We made it to the trailhead, and the 4Runner, with the help of my flashlight. 

Hazy view of Cascade Mountain from the top of Provo Peak.

The view toward East Peak.

Looking southward from the peak along the main ridge.

The view ESE.

Looking down Slate Canyon to Utah Lake. 

The view from the top, toward Mt. Nebo.

Wasatch Plein Air Paradise 2019

12" x 16" Oil on Panel

The Midway Art Association is holding it's annual plein air competition right now. Painting for the main competition began last Saturday. Paintings for the main competition had to be turned in yesterday, but smaller "paint outs" and "quick draws" continue through July 4th.

12" x 16" Oil on Panel

I've entered three paintings (all painted this week) into the main competition, but unfortunately won't be in any of the "paint outs" this year due to other commitments. The show runs through July the fourth (except Sunday) and is free to the public. All paintings are for sale. For more information about the event, contact Midway Art Association.

14" x 11" Oil on Panel

Summer Solstice 2019

8" x 10" Oil on Panel

Happy Summer Solstice! Here's a couple recent plein air paintings that I think have an appropriately summery feel to them.

9" x 12" Oil on Panel

This year so far has seen more rain than usual. Nature's also put on daily displays of cloudscapes of all kinds. Clouds can be difficult to paint en plein aire because of their fleet and transient nature. I think this year will provide ample opportunities to take on the challenge of cloudscapes in oil paint. I hope I'm up to it!

Barns, Sheds and Shacks

9" x 12" Oil on Panel

This jumbled collection of ranch buildings beneath a big cottonwood tree has attracted my attention for quite some time. I finally was able to set up my pochade box on a neighboring ranch, from where I was able to paint the scene shown above. The day I visited the ranch no one else was there, but I had the companionship of several head of cattle, a couple horses, a mule, and a bunch of chickens.

It's been difficult to paint en plein aire lately. There's huge wildfires in the mountains not far from here. Often smoke from the fires obscure the mountains, and sometimes makes it hard to see here in the valley. The smoke is unpleasant to eyes and lungs. On this day a change in the wind cleared the air in most of the valley making painting on location possible. 

To date the fires have burned one hundred and thirteen thousand acres. Roads in the area of the fires have been closed and communities near the fires have been evacuated. So far no homes have been lost and hopefully none will. 

A week or two ago I was planning to go up Payson Canyon to the Nebo Loop Road to paint, but most of that is charred now, parts of it still burning. Those plans have also gone up in smoke. For the foreseeable future, I'll be looking elsewhere to paint.

Late Summer Ranch Road

18" x 24" Oil on Panel

The weather's still rather warm, but nights are becoming a little cooler and autumn color is beginning to sneak into the summer greenery. The rancher who owns this property is letting me have access to his ranch for plein air painting. It opens up new places to paint in the valley not far from where I live. On an earlier trip to the ranch I saw this scene and was struck by it, but only had a 9" x 12" pochade box with me. I thought it should be painted larger than that, so I returned earlier this week with a much bigger panel and made the painting shown above. Ranches are great places to paint! I'm looking forward to returning there for more paintings.

Hay Rows on a Ranch West of Town

9" x 12" Oil on Panel

The owner of this ranch has allowed me access to it for plein air painting. That opens a lot of new opportunities for new paintings. Earlier this week I went there with a 9" x 12" pochade box and made the painting shown above. Some of the views on the ranch would work well painted larger than 9" x 12", so I'm planning to go back with bigger panels. Stay tuned!

Hiking and Painting

7" x 5" oil on Panel

All throughout my life I've enjoyed going for hikes into wild country, whether it's forest, desert or mountains. I'm so glad that I live in a place, and my health is good enough, that I can continue to hit the trail for all day excursions. Likewise I've enjoyed drawing for probably my whole life, and am so happy I've been able to develop that into painting. It's wonderful that people enjoy my work and are willing to purchase my paintings from galleries and shows.

For a long time I've wanted to combine those two interests, hiking and painting, but usually find myself doing one or the other, not both at the same time. Much of the plein air painting equipment I've built for myself is sturdy but light, and easily carried. However, the vast majority of my plein air paintings are done either close to my car, or only a quarter mile to a mile away from the car.

Last Saturday I finally put the two things, hiking and painting, together when I took my little 5" x 7" pochade box on a hike up a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains.The hike started in the early afternoon at the mouth of the canyon. A few miles and a few thousand feet in gained elevation later, I finally decided on a spot to set up and paint. Though the day had begun with clear blue skies, by the time I'd reached the upper part of the canyon a general overcast had moved in. Grey skies dulled the mountain vistas I had hoped to paint, so instead I chose a small stand of aspen trees near the edge of a meadow. The little oil study didn't take very long, and was finished around sunset. My hike back down the canyon to the trail head was made after dark. The little oil study from that day can be seen at the beginning of this post.

Utah County Plein Air Art Show

16" x 20" Oil on Panel

This Friday, August 3rd, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM, is the opening for the Utah County Plein Air Art Show, sponsored by the Utah County Arts Board. The exhibit will be at the Utah County Health and Justice Building, 151 South University Ave, Provo, Utah. The show is free and will be up until the 25th of August.

11" x 14" Oil on Panel

Shown here are the two paintings I did for the show, One painted west of Springville, and the other west of Provo. All paintings in the show are for sale. This is the first plein air event for the UCAB. It's a relatively small show, but I believe it's well worth supporting. The Utah Valley area really ought to have it's own plein air event. Besides, as the event becomes larger and more successful, I'll be able to say, "I was at the first one!" 

Come out and see the exhibit, and if you see any paintings you really like and want, you can buy them! For more information about the Utah County Art Board, click here.

If you have the opportunity, you can see more of my paintings in person at these galleries::
In Salt Lake City: http://www.evergreengallery.com/
In Logan, Utah: http://loganfineartgallery.com/
In Ivins, Utah: https://www.facebook.com/juniperskyfineartgallery/

Today's Painting, and a New Plein Air Event!

9" x 12" Oil on Panel

Went back to the Spanish Fork River Trail, and out into the mid summer heat, for this painting. Colors used were cadmium yellow lemon, cadmium yellow, yellow ochre, cadmium red, thio violet, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, and thalo green, plus titanium white.

I learned recently that the Utah County Art Board is putting on a plein air event. I understand this is the first time the UCAB has held a plein air event. I don't know how well attended it'll be, but it's high time someone held such an event, and it ought to be well attended! I think I'll give it a go!

Painting for the event begins this Saturday, with finished works being turned in the following Saturday morning. The show opens to the public the first Friday evening of August and runs through most of the month. The show will be at 151 South University Ave, Provo, Utah. For more information, visit their website at http://www.utahcountyart.com/

First Hike of Summer 2018

Beginning the Hike

My hike started in the mouth of a canyon where the Rocky Mountains meet Basin and Range. The altitude of the trailhead is around 4700 feet above sea level. It was early afternoon, and the day was warm with mild breezes, and only a few small scattered clouds. Good hikes can be had in a many kinds of weather, but this was particularly good weather for a hike.

A Little Ways up the Trail

This is one of my favorite trails. It's the first mountain canyon I ever hiked in back in 1982 when I first visited this area. The canyon continues to provide good hiking experiences in all seasons. For more pictures of this canyon, you can visit this post from two years ago.

Roots

The lower end of the canyon is more desert-like than other parts of the trail. Every once in a while a small lizard or skink would dart across the trail ahead of me.

Looking Back

The character of the canyon changes as the trail gains altitude. Drier below, it becomes greener higher up. There's a noticeable temperature difference between the lower and upper parts of the trail.

Dense Greenery

Around halfway up the canyon rocky mountain maple and box elder trees crowd the trail. The close foliage can give the impression of being in a forest, but the deciduous thickets only line the narrow bottom of the canyon. Occasional views up through the canopy reveal mostly juniper, cliff rose, and towering evergreen trees standing singly or in scattered stands. Huge cliffs and outcrops dominate the canyon sides.

Looking South Toward Corral Mountain

I reach the top of the canyon trail and take the left fork, heading north. The trail winds through stands of maple trees, then aspen groves. The trail also passes through meadows, providing great views of the surrounding mountains. Summer breezes cause the aspen leaves to whisper and shimmer in the sunlight.

Provo Peak

This section of trail rises a thousand feet, from about 7200 feet to 8200 feet above sea level. I see a few deer scattered throughout this area, their red coats standing out against the forest greenery.

Yet Another Rubber Boa

Just below the 8200' pass I come across what looks like a huge earthworm on the dirt trail. It's a kind of snake called a rubber boa. I've yet to find anyone who knows what I'm talking about when I mention to them about rubber boas. Even avid outdoor hikers I know have never seen nor heard of them, yet I come across rubber boas almost regularly on my summer hikes, and in several of the local canyons. I've posted about them before on this blog. On this hike I gently pick up the rubber boa and move it off the trail lest some unobservant hiker come along and carelessly tread on the snake.

Cascade Mountain

At the pass I turn right onto another trail, heading east. Parts of the trail run through open country, providing great views of towering mountains. If majestic is a term that applies to mountains, how can it ever be applied to mortal kings and queens? I don't care how lavish their palaces, how fancy their carriages, or how dazzling their crowns, mere royalty doesn't measure up to the majesty of these mountains! Silly though it might seem, the grand scenery surrounding the trail occasionally caused me to whisper in awe, simply, "Oh, wow!"

Columbines

This segment of trail travels around the north side of a mountain and passes through large stands of tall evergreen trees. The trees provide cool shade to the forest floor. The understory is only about knee high or so, with abundant white columbine flowers scattered throughout. Red squirrels and woodpeckers are common in these woods.

Provo Peak

The trail crosses a stony ridge at about 8700 feet, and here I stop to eat and rest before heading back. Directly east of this overlook is a mountain which towers to over 11,000 feet in altitude. A gibbous moon rises above the ridge line. The air where I rest is mild, almost cool, and the sunlight feels pleasantly warm on my back.

A Snack Before the Hike Back

Next time I'll bring more food. The packaging on the fig bars I ate tout two servings per package, yet I was still hungry after eating all I had brought. The water bottle was filled with cold water from a spring a mile or so back down the trail, and was so refreshing. After a while it was time to return. A desire to stay tugged at me as I headed back. As I descended the trail, the air grew warmer even as the evening sky became darker. It was almost ten o'clock by the time I reached the trailhead.

Here's another post with pictures from this and another nearby canyon.