The engine hums through the canyon as tires filled with salt and sand roll on black asphalt. The canyon turns and winds through a carved out path through a beautiful canyon, filled with high mountains on either side and breathtaking lookouts from time to time. The drive is mostly silent, save for the occasional oncoming car, a slight whoosh as they race the other way down the canyon. Finally, the car blinker signals to get off the road, and the sanded and salted tires come to a stop in a parking lot.
Next comes the sound of rubber-soled boots hitting the pavement, grinding salt, sand and other debris on the ground. Finally, the soles hit the fresh snow, and the next footsteps become muffled. Trudging through the snow to the perfect spot, slowly taking in the beauty of ice crystals on the trees, the branches waving silently in the soft breeze. The sun’s beams shine through the trees, casting gorgeous light on the snow and creating the most beautiful of scenes.
Now, this…is picture perfect.
Utah in the wintertime is absolutely majestic. From the beautiful ski slopes to the snow covered mountains and frozen lakes, it truly is a wonderland of snow. The mountains seem to hog much of the winter in Salt Lake City, but that doesn’t bother me too much. I get reminders on my phone of old photos and videos I took a year ago and am reminded of the plentiful snow we received. We haven’t gotten nearly as much as we got last year, and much less the frequency of it, either. It seems to be a strange winter, so I try and escape to the mountains as much as I can to get my fill of winter.
This trip was short one, stopping up twice in Big Cottonwood Canyon. The Jordan Pines Campground area is a beautiful place in the winter time and perhaps one of my favorite areas in Northern Utah. There’s something so special about the area! Perhaps it’s the steam running through part of the area, or the beautiful mountains showing off in the background. The trees were coated with a light layer of snow and made for a lovely winter scene. I truly could not have made it look any better!
A short walk produced a more secluded area of the snowy campground, with kids running to sledding hills and parents trying to keep up. It was a magical little scene and made me forget about all the troublesome moments in my life! Living in the moment is so important, and I definitely do it as often as I would like.
But, this will change as I start to connect myself more and more to the outdoors this year.
~ Justin
Parting shot:
Next blog: Winter in Utah is so cozy. More to come!
Justin Fague 