Fish Lake Scenic Drive, Utah

 We drove from Richfield to Fish Lake route's 119 and 24, shortly after leaving Richfield we started or climb up to 8,700 feet Fish Lake. We made several stops along the way for photo ops. Hope you enjoy.

 We try and stop at the signs along the way, it helps us understand where we are, and gives us clues what to look for along the way.

 The mountains always give us many changes of rocks, trees, and grasses.

 In the background is a pack train moving along the Old Spanish trail. The trail was used to carry blankets to southern California and push livestock to New Mexico. Your history lession for today!

 Our Jo during her photo thing, this photo gives you an idea of the open spaces.

 At the lodge they have cabins for rent, they are very proud of their cabins, nightly rent ranges from $110 for one bedroom to $700 for a five bedroom. There are several campgrounds around the lake, rates $28 a night.

 Fish Lake is Central Utah's summer playground. It is a liquid jewel in the fingertips of the Wasatch Mountains which surround it at 11,000-foot elevation.

 This beautifully situated lake, which is 5 1/2 miles long, contains six species of trout, and is one of the West's most famous fishing and recreation resorts.

 Not all of the users of the Trail where honest folks, the Chief is proof of that.

 As you can see Clear Creek kind of snakes it's way down the mountain. The road was almost as windy as it snaked its way down the mountain.

 This signage told us about the Old Spanish Trail, what impressed me was there was NO grafatti (sp ?) only some cow pods.

 This cowpoke was a bit faster than us as he beat us here, last we saw him he was at the lake.

 You know I (Bill) had to take a flower picture, this one caught my eye, there were a few of them along the way.

Jo and the Jeep out in the open spaces of Central Utah.

Home to Utah State Line 3

Crossed into Utah and the view is the Great Salt Lake & surrounding Desert

As you can see there is some standing water on the edge of the desert but here too they are having water issues

Truly a site to see (no matter how many times we see it)

Salt Lake

The standing water is between the Interstate and along the side of the roadway--they had been having quite a bit of rain prior to our getting here

Still an awesome site

Don't pull too far off the road in this section 

A bit deeper in this section

My view as we go down the highway

Some reflection in the water

I believe this place is called Saltair (they used to hold dances, music events, etc here in the past but I don't think they use it any more)

 

Home to Utah State Line-2

Further east on Hwy 80

Out in the middle of NOWHERE on I-80

Stopped for a break at a roadside parking area

Love those beautiful landscape photos

I goofed (not sure but I think this is Winnemucca in the background) 

Stopover for 2 nights here in West Wendover, NV

 

Home to Utah State Line-1

North on Hwy 20 (see how low the river was on 6-5-15)

Donner Summit Snow Park

Glimpse of snow on mountain top

Truckee River 

Little Snow

Reno Skyline

Hwy 80 East (Must has been some sort of racing event, we saw more riders down the highway)

Out here in the middle of NOWHERE

Storm clouds were building the further east we went

White puffy clouds

Town called Paradise Valley, NV

Building being restored

Not much going on in town as you can see

 

Pretty Little Church as you enter the town

 

Snowmass Chair Lift

 Snowmass is located near Aspen & Vail, CO. It is a ski resort in winter and a breath taking place in the summer. Jo and I spent an afternoon there, we both took a gondola ride up to the 11,300 plus foot level. From there I took a chair lift up to 12, 500 feet, this blog is the pictures I took on my way down on the chair lift. The view was hard to capture on film I tried my best, hope you enjoy.

 It seemed to me that each direction I looked the landscape had it's own degree of foliage!

 Here you can kind of get a look at how far one could see from this altitude, we/I were lucky because while we were up on the mountain the weather was great, as you can see it was a nice day.

 One of the things we always marvel at while driving through mountains is the different colors that are on display by the mountains, here you get an idea what we see.

 Yes there was a little snow on some of the peaks.

 Looking down from the loading dock at the very top.

 I felt so free swinging in the chair and just trying to take in the beautiful view I had.

 It will be hard for me to see a better view of mountains after this chair ride.

 While on the gondola ride I thought of my sister Marie as she truly enjoys a ride on a gondola, I was just wondering if she would have taken the chair lift with me?

Jo was happy that I made it back down safe!