Tushar Mountain trip

I have wanted to try out a new one-man tent that I purchased for the solo hikes I have planned. These hikes are to vantage points in different areas that I’m exploring as I gather photos for additional books. Since they are generally not to a lake, mountain summit, or other destination and not having others show any interest in coming along I decided to purchase a very lightweight tent for these trips. 

My first such trip was to a mountain ridge overlooking a beautiful mountain valley in the Tushar mountain range in south central Utah east of the town of Beaver. Since this mountain range was explored extensively for the minerals it contained, there is easy road access to about 11,000 feet. My destination for this trip was a mere one mile from the road out along a high ridge with a wonderful view of the highest summit in the range, Delano Peak.

The weather was unsettled with the chance of thunderstorms. I set up camp in a small grove of trees at 11,300 feet, half of which were burned out by a lightning strike a year or two before. Taking stock in the old wives tale that lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice.  The evening was wonderful with great alpen glow on the slopes and minor peaks around me. Hiking up to one of these minor peaks along the ridge that I was on, it was amazing the views and the chance for introspection of my life and where I was at this very moment. As the shadows stretched across the lower canyons and valleys I could see herds of elk grazing in the small meadows below me. Across the main canyon high on the open meadows below the summit a group of 30 or so mountain goats with their white coats grazed in the last full rays of the sun.

Even though the wind was blowing at a constant stiff pace it was calm. I realized that I have never been up above the timberline watching the ending of the day quite like this. A storm to the West was blocking the direct line to the sun but, the sky on both sides of the storm was turning a pinkish-red as it slipped beyond the horizon and night was officially upon me. Only a short fifteen minutes and I was climbing into the tent and sleeping bag. Shortly after getting all settled the storm that was in the west had reached the mountains and the light and thunder show began. It did rain a bit, but the hardest of the storm passed by on the south sparing me of the drenching rain that I learned about from a couple of hunters scouting the area I was in the next morning. The tent worked great, it was not phased by the wind and I kept dry.

The goal of shooting the evening and morning light on the summit of Delano was only partially fulfilled due to the low clouds and misty sky that pervaded the morning. However, the accessibility and the wonderful views of this high mountain landscape was so awesome how could I be disappointed, and even if I need to make a second trip what is the harm in that!