ON ’SAutumn

Hot spots for fall color photography in Southern Utah TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES KAY

While most of us think of the northern rich golden-yellows of cottonwood trees color here is the golden-yellow of cotton- woods of Vermont and New Hampshire, deep in the red rock canyons. wood and box elder trees with lesser num- the southern forests of the Great Smoky While there’s much to be said for bers of red maple, yellow river birch and Mountains, or perhaps the aspen-covered the tremendous variety of autumn hues rusty-orange scrub oak. Due to the lower heights of the Colorado Rockies as the back east, there’s also something clean, elevations of these canyons, these trees best locations for autumn-color photog- pure and refreshingly uncluttered about usually reach their peak of color in the raphy, few of us set our sights on the red an entire mountainside covered with a last half of October into early November. rock canyons and high plateaus of south- monoculture of aspen trees with shimmer- Compared to the drier Mojave Desert ern Utah—which is curious, because this ing yellow leaves and crisp white trunks to the southwest, the deserts of south- region contains some of the most spec- beneath a deep-blue western sky filled ern Utah are a relatively wet place, with tacular displays of fall color in America. with Salvador Dali clouds. countless small streams originating on the I still recall the kaleidoscopic hues of One of the things I’ve always found 11,000-foot rims of heavily forested vol- autumn that carpeted the rolling hills most compelling about photography in canic plateaus. The vast majority of beau- around my childhood home in northern Utah’s Canyonlands region is the vivid tiful canyon systems in southern Utah— New Jersey. As one of the most eco- contrast between lush, green trees along including the canyons of the Escalante logically diverse forests on earth, the canyon bottoms and the red and orange River, Capitol Reef National Park and woodlands of the Appalachian Moun- sandstone walls rising above them. But —were carved by tains contain a wide variety of deciduous in the fall, when those same green leaves streams originating on these plateaus. tree species, with nearly every hue on the morph into their vibrant yellow hues, These same streams today continue to warm side of the color wheel represented there are few regions anywhere on the provide easy living conditions along can- as the green chlorophyll drains from planet as photographically unique as this yon bottoms for a variety of water-loving their leaves every autumn. Compared to landscape at this time of year. trees and plants in the otherwise harsh, this full-spectrum display, the predom- Autumn color in southern Utah occurs dry desert environment. inant autumn colors of southern Utah in two vastly different ecological zones, Regardless of the season, the Escalante are the brilliant yellows and oranges of the first being aspen trees between the River Canyons have always been my aspen trees high in the mountains or the elevations of 8,000 and 10,000 feet on the favorite location for photography in flanks of high-altitude plateaus with their southern Utah. It’s easy to get lost in the leaves reaching their color peak around folds of its deep, sinuous canyons with the first week of October. The second mile after mile of tributaries carved into Mountain of the Sun above the Virgin zone for autumn color is found deep in thick layers of sandstone, many of them River, , Zion National the red rock canyons, where perennial sheltering cool, small streams lined with Park, Utah. Canon EOS 5D Mark streams provide life support for thick lush vegetation. One of my first autumn- III, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM, Gitzo Mountaineer tripod, Acratech groves of trees at elevations between color photo excursions in southern Utah Ultimate Ballhead. 4,000 and 5,000 feet. The predominant was a five-day backpacking trip down

30 Outdoor Photographer outdoorphotographer.com outdoorphotographer.com October 2017 31 Aspen grove on , Dixie National Forest, Utah. Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM, Gitzo Mountaineer tripod, Acratech Ultimate Ballhead.

the upper Escalante from its confluence with Calf Creek to . Thick groves of cottonwood trees along this 30-mile stretch of canyon begin to turn yellow as the cold nights of late Octo- ber set in. With all the stream crossings, I still remember how my waterlogged boots were frozen solid every morning and how difficult it was to get back into them. If you study topographical maps of this region, you’ll notice a number of tributary canyons along this section of river, all of them lined with vibrant groves of cottonwood and box elder trees. If you’re not quite up for an adventure like this—preferring not to scrape ice off your boots every morning—I do offer an autumn workshop in this area based in the very comfortable and well-heated Boulder Mountain Lodge. If late October in the canyons doesn’t work for your schedule, you could always arrive a few weeks earlier to catch the aspen colors higher up on the plateaus. Boulder Mountain, also known as the —the largest high-al- titude plateau in North America—was formed as a shield volcano over 20 mil- lion years ago. Today, it’s the source of the and one of the best aspen-color displays in the West. The ideal elevation for aspen at this latitude is between 8,000 and 10,000 feet, and Boulder Mountain has an ample supply of real estate at precisely this altitude. You’ll mid-October. The road connecting the expanses of aspen-covered slopes. On the largest aspen clone yet discovered in the are considered one living organism. This is considered the largest and perhaps the find thousands of acres of aspen trees with towns of Boulder and Torrey provides Markagunt, the most prolific groves on world. In dry climates, aspen don’t reseed large clone was given the name of Pando oldest living organism on earth. (And I their shimmering leaves and tremendous easy access to many of these groves. Cedar Mountain can be accessed along very well and instead propagate through (Latin for “I spread”), with its root system thought that title belonged to that seeth- views overlooking the canyons of both the In addition to the Aquarius Plateau, the graded-gravel road between Kolob vast underground root networks. These estimated to be at least 8,000 years old. It ing mass of green mold growing in the Escalante River and Capitol Reef National the Markagunt Plateau north of Zion Reservoir and Cedar City. Further to the root systems can be thousands of years covers an area of more than 100 acres and bottom corner of my refrigerator’s vege- Park. The colors begin to change up here National Park and Fish Lake Plateau northeast, Fish Lake Plateau is the site of old, with trees continually sprouting from weighs more than 6,000 tons. Sorry, blue table drawer.) Anyway, these individual in late September and are usually gone by northwest of Capitol Reef also have vast Utah’s largest glacier-carved lake and the them. The entire root network and the trees whales and General Sherman tree—Pando aspen clones explain why we see large

32 Outdoor Photographer outdoorphotographer.com outdoorphotographer.com October 2017 33 First snow dusts the in Zion National Park. Pentax 67, Pentax 45mm, Gitzo Mountaineer tripod, Acratech Ultimate Ballhead, Fujichrome Velvia.

clusters of aspen trees of one specific hue, say deep red-orange, with another solid cluster tinted bright yellow right beside it, with another cluster next door that has already shed all its leaves. Continuing with our theme of cotton- wood-lined streams originating on high plateaus, the Fremont River in Capitol Reef National Park is another of south- ern Utah’s hot spots for autumn colors. With its headwaters near the Pando Clone on Fish Lake Mountain, the Fre- mont River provides life-sustaining water for a 30-mile-long ribbon of cot- tonwood trees beginning at the pioneer village of Fruita, in the heart of Capitol Reef, and extending all the way to the town of Hanksville beneath the convo- luted slopes of the Caineville Mesas. Along the way, the tributary streams of Pleasant Creek and Sandy Creek nurture their own cottonwood groves. Highway 24 through Capitol Reef parallels the Fremont River and its cottonwoods all the way to Hanksville. It’s not possible to consider autumn- color photography in southern Utah without including the spectacular can- yons of Zion National Park. Located at the deeply eroded southern edge of the Markagunt Plateau, the trees of Zion owe their lives to the thick winter snowpack that accumulates on top of this vast plateau every winter, with its melt water feeding small streams and springs throughout the canyons. With its Yosemite-like cliffs rising thousands of feet above the cottonwood-lined , Zion is a very popular destination, so you’ll need to plan far in advance if

34 Outdoor Photographer outdoorphotographer.com outdoorphotographer.com October 2017 35 DISCOVER THE NEXT GENERATION ULTRA- TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENS

Calf Creek Falls, Escalante Canyons, of the main road at the Temple of Sine- Carmel tunnel. While not nearly as -Escalante National wava. Jump off the shuttle bus here and spectacular as The Subway, you’ll find Monument, Utah. Canon EOS 5D Mark spend the morning photographing the good water reflections, autumn colors III, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM, trees along this flat, mile-long trail par- and pleasant narrows, and you’ll have Gitzo Mountaineer tripod, Acratech Ultimate Ballhead. alleling the Virgin River, with 1,000- them all to yourself. foot cliffs on both sides. This deep, As you assemble your gear, don’t cool canyon supports a rich diversity forget your polarizing filter. It’s prob- of plant life, most of which morphs into ably the single most important tool for you want a room or a campsite. Due to its a tapestry of color during the first week photographing foliage as it will vastly southerly location and lower elevation of of November. reduce reflections on the surfaces of 4,000 feet, the trees in the main canyon The other main location for colors leaves, thus accentuating their brilliant SP150-600mm usually reach their color peak in the first in Zion would be along the Left Fork colors. This is effective both in direct Deep in the Escalante Canyons, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah. Di VC USD G2 two weeks of November, a couple weeks of North Creek on the west side of the sunlight and in open shade or flat light Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye, Gitzo Mountaineer tripod, after those in the Escalante Canyons. park, otherwise known as Great West from overcast skies. Backlighting is also Acratech Ultimate Ballhead. Enhanced autofocus, If you’re staying outside the park in Canyon/The Subway. The small stream a good technique to employ if you want image stabilization Springdale, you’ll need to ride the shut- here is surrounded by soaring walls of to enhance the brightness and color of and handling tle bus to access locations along Zion sandstone and lush vegetation, with river the leaves. short notice to catch the exact color and Fish Lake Mountains and ending Canyon, but if you’re staying in Zion birch and cottonwood trees providing If you’ve been paying attention over peak, check online for color updates up in Zion Canyon five weeks later. OP • 3 modes of image stabilization Lodge, you could walk directly from most of the color. As this has become the years, you already know that the or call someone in the region—at the • New Flex Zoom Lock your room. Try a loop hike from the one of Zion’s most popular routes, you’ll timing of the color peak is never exactly park headquarters or your lodge—to • Enhanced Autofocus System lodge to Emerald Pools and from there need to arrange for your permit well in the same from year to year and depends see how things are progressing before James Kay offers two workshops to • Fluorine Coating to the Grotto shuttle stop and then back advance before setting off. It’s a steep on the climatic conditions of the previ- you depart. Or, of course, if you have capture autumn colors in the canyons, • Moisture-Resistant Construction to the lodge. This is one of the best areas 600-foot descent into the canyon but ous summer. Variations in the temperate one of those annoying things called a one based in Zion National Park and • Tap-In Console compatibility in the canyon to capture the colors. relatively easy walking once you arrive and amount of precipitation can cause job, you could always quit, pack up the one in Grand Staircase Escalante One of the other main spots you’ll on the canyon floor. If you’d prefer a brilliant displays one year and dismal car, and spend more than a month pho- National Monument in Boulder, Utah. want to explore is the Gateway-to-the- less-crowded, easier-to-access canyon, displays the next. If you live close to tographing the entire region, starting Visit his website at jameskay.com to www.tamron-usa.com Narrows trail, which starts at the end try Pine Creek above the Zion-Mount the region and are able to depart on high on the volcanic slopes of Boulder learn more.

36 Outdoor Photographer outdoorphotographer.com outdoorphotographer.com October 2017 37