Postcard from Utah – Aspens Everywhere

After my trip into Long Canyon and the Burr Trail, I headed back to Highway 12. At this point, the highway is heading more north than east. After leaving the township of Boulder, the highway starts climbing into the mountains.

Up and up the road goes, eventually reaching 9,500 feet. The views are wonderful all along the way. At this point, it is no longer red rock country…it is pure mountain scenery.

As the road headed higher, I began seeing seeing large groves of Aspens. The higher I went, the more Aspens I saw…soon it was almost all Aspens. This was a nice surprise. In my travels, I am used to seeing small groves of Aspens here and there…but, up here I was seeing miles and miles of these beautiful trees. And, the higher I went, the bigger the trees became. These are very old groves.

Even though it was mid-September, at these elevations the Aspen leaves were just beginning to turn into their autumn colors…not everywhere, but it was starting. I spent about an hour wandering through these groves, enjoying the view and the clean cool air.

After reaching the summit, the road starts descending down the mountain. Still more beautiful views. At the small town of Torrey (elevation 6,800 feet), Highway 12 comes to an end, and I was back in red rock country.

For me Highway 12 was a joy to travel from beginning to end. It indeed lived up to its reputation as the most beautiful highway in all of Utah. Definitely recommended if you want to see some beautiful and diverse country. Bring your cameras.

After arriving in Torrey, I headed east again. Driving only a mere 10 miles, I arrived at the boundary of Capital Reef National Park. Stay tuned.

Note: I am heading out for a few days on a photo expedition with a pro photographer friend from the Northwest. Will write more when I get back. - JRC