Impression Evergreen

Lower Bells Canyon Reservoir Summer mornings in the Wasatch are quiet, dark and warm. The rugged range of stingy, green peaks withholds early light from the Salt Lake Valley. While hiking up to the lower reservoir, Bells Canyon appears particularly blue. Spotted Towhees’ endless chatter fills the air and rock squirrels forage before it gets too hot. The oval-shaped lake is smooth as glass and its contour defined by an indigo outline. As day develops, the first rays of sunlight fill the deep cirque with a golden warmth. Now yellow in the afternoon, the place really starts to heat up. Under a cloudless sky, purple-headed ducks seem content to float across the placid pond. Evening brings fishermen to the water’s edge where butterflies hover in a slight wind. At twilight the mountains are bleached by a brilliant, orange radiance. Back down the trail, darkness descends as slowly as our pace. Evergreen, Colorado is our home but I must admit that magical Utah is a unique treasu

"Trout Lake" Colored Pencil On a dreary Sunday below Lizard Head Pass, Mother Nature delivered an unforgettable sermon from the mount. It was springtime in the San Juans where steady showers epitomize the wet monsoon. A turbulent squall washed the landscape clean, unveiling a patina of saturated colors. Frugal guardians of precious metal, the sullen peaks were disheveled in appearance. The fluid coloring was a reflection of the vibrant fish submerged in the dark lake below. Rainbow, brown and cutthroat suddenly emerged to celebrate the rainy season in an exuberant, aerial display. This place was gouged by the railroad ages ago, linking local mines with material wealth. Today, the ground is more spiritual as the tranquil landscape stretches toward more heavenly treasures. Now quiet and still, the storm has passed so why are you still afraid? Do you still have no faith?