May 28, 2009

Stormy Afternoon


At 11 o'clock, only a few clouds loomed over the Uinta Mountains. We hoped to steal enough time from the week's rainy weather to ride part of the way up Big Ridge, a trail in the Lake Fork drainage. We began our ride at 7000 feet. The ridge itself is about 11,000 feet, so we expected to reach snow well before the top.
The aspens were dressed in new green.

Serviceberry bushes (which produce an edible berry that Native Americans used to make pemmican) bloomed along Lake Fork Creek,
and wild blue flax adorned the banks.
The hills were alive with yellow balsamroot,
and Indian paintbrush.
By 1 PM, after we'd ridden 5 miles and 1600 feet up the mountain, dark clouds took the place of white, puffy ones.
We made our way down the mountain as a storm brewed over the High Uintas, looming over the Lake Fork wetlands.
As we crossed the creek on the drive home, raindrops dimpled the pools stilled by a series of beaver dams.
To view an abundance of lovely skies from around the world, click here.

34 comments:

  1. Your photos are always a delight for my eyes. There like eye candy :D

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  2. Looks like a beautiful place.

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  3. Those colors are beautiful. The flax is gorgeous.

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  4. Wonderful wildflowers! and your pictures are like a story!

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  5. Excellent shots as always, the first one is my favourite.

    Have a great weekend
    Guy
    Regina In Pictures

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  6. Great photos...the first one is so beautiful...I love all your mountain scenery...what a gorgeous place to live...

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  7. You just missed getting a shower, Janie! I can't believe how many wildflowers are already blooming. Lovely ride - thanks for taking me along.

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  8. Isn't the planet a beautiful, mysterious blessing?

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  9. As always, thanks for sharing your ride with us.

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  10. Nice photos. It looks like a great place for a ride.

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  11. Storm clouds are interesting to watch from a distance. I have a serviceberry bush and blue flax in my garden. The birds eat the berries before I get them picked.

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  12. Another wonderful ride. Glad you didn't get wet. Our Aspen are leafing and starting to glow like a neon light. Love the wildflowers.

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  13. I'm alwasy ready to join you on a ride.

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  14. Wow, all is so beautiful. I especially like #8...very dramatic!

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  15. Beautiful everything once again.
    :-)

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  16. Great photos Janie and thanks for taking us along for the ride.
    Smiles

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  17. the blue of the wild flax looks like the blue in the sky.

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  18. Stunningly beautiful scenery! =)

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  19. I love Indian Paintbrush they are my favorite wildflower...saw some last weekend but never got a photo.. your photos are always so beautiful...

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  20. gorgeous series of shots...enjoyed the beautiful wild flower captures. the service berry peaked my interest so i am off to read a little more about it.
    have a lovely weekend.

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  21. Fantastic snaps of the very colorful flowers and the scenary

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  22. So pretty ... all of them

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  23. I love the area with the pools and the beaver dams. Nice place to sit awhile.

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  24. Found you through Joyful Chaos. You are great photographer and make me want to be where YOU are! Oh, really, what beautiful scenery. AHHHHHHH!

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  25. That creek is really beautiful along with all those wildflowers.

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  26. Wow!! So beautiful. I really like all of the wildflowers you found.

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  27. That is so beautiful! I love it all!

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  28. A beautiful day in the high country, rain and all.

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  29. Beautiful skies there... I love the wild blue flax and the Indian paintbrush. What a shame your ride was cut short by a brewing storm. :-(

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  30. This was fun. Thank you for so many wild flowers.
    I love flax!
    Sherry

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  31. Such incredible beauty! The whole landscape clad in festive raiment. It must look spectacular from horseback.

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  32. Fantastic scenery, fantastic skies and fantastic flowers :)

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  33. What a beautiful sequence of photos. I always enjoy going along on your rides, and this one was a delight.

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