Moose of the Wasatch

It’s 4 am and once again I find myself standing on my front step searching the sky across the Heber Valley toward the east side of the Wasatch Range. Next it’s off to the back porch to see what might be in store for the sunrise. Will it rain, be cloudy or a clear start to the day? It was only five hours earlier that I had returned from my late afternoon visit to the "Basin", a routine I carried on for two weeks. I’m not sure why I bother with the appraisal as I know regardless of my “weather report” I’ll soon be heading out on the hour and a half drive to the Albion Basin and hopefully another great morning of photographing the moose which seem to be in great abundance this year.

This was not something I had planned for this summer. It started out with my annual pilgrimage one afternoon to see how the wildflowers on the western side of the Wasatch Mountain were coming along. Anyone familiar with the area knows that come July the high alpine meadows can become covered in a carpet of wildflowers, but this was not going to be one of those great years as I soon would discover.

However, on this first days visit while driving slowly up the dirt road, I noticed a female moose standing on the edge of one of the few areas which had a covering of bright yellow flowers and along side her there slowly appeared two calves. So, as not to startle them, I pulled ahead a short distance and slowly got out of the truck with my gear in hand then proceeded to compose a shot which I hoped the moose would cooperate in completing. After some time passed they cautiously moved away from the thick willows and out into the open flower filled meadow, continuing right in front of me and my awaiting lens. That’s what started this two week long, very early morning and late afternoon, self imposed photo assignment.

This would not be the first time I’ve locked myself into many days of working a subject, trying to improve on the previous day’s efforts. When Mother Nature has control of the events, as is always the case, you can only head out hoping this is the day everything comes together, and this unpredictability is even more the case when working with wildlife. There's always that temptation to just sleep in but deep down I know how disappointed I’d be with myself if that spectacular sunrise or other event happened while I was sitting at my kitchen table.

Albion Basin is situated at the end of Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. From downtown Salt Lake City it’s about a 45 minute drive, depending on time of day and traffic. A narrow winding paved road takes you to the Alta Ski Area before it becomes a dirt road which terminates another four miles ahead in a parking lot at the entrance to a campground. Several trails branch out from this point with some heading to ridge lines, both near and far, while others meander down to the lower meadows where a few small streams cut their way through the sometimes dense vegetation.

Beginning in early July, depending on that years snow pack and rainfall, the meadows and mountainsides come alive with color. Brilliant yellow mule’s ears, the reds and pinks of the Indian paint brush, purples from the lupine and asters, pick a color and you’re sure to find it afoot. Speaking of “feet” please watch where you step so as not to stomp the delicate vegetation which has a tough go of it without having a hiking boot planted carelessly upon it.

It was in the lower meadows that I spent most of my time, both in the morning and late in the afternoon, watching and photographing the moose. They seemed to appear out of nowhere at times, which is not a good thing, especially when females with calves are present. In the evening, before heading back to the truck, I would try to spot where the animals might bed down for the night so I could locate them more easily in the dim light of the following morning.

I cannot stress enough the caution one should take when around these unpredictable wild animals, and I emphasis wild. Because of the number of hikers and photographers in the area year-round the moose seem to be more approachable then in other more remote locations, which can be great for photo opportunities but it will also lead to a false sense of security. I've heard it said that more people are killed or injured by moose every year than by bear.

It was during the early morning hikes that I most enjoyed the Basin, feeling as if I had the place to myself, as far as humans were concerned. I was usually heading back down the dirt road just as the first of the soon to be many visitors of the day began to arrive.

One of the great things about photographing in this area, besides the great mountain peaks, plethora of flowers and at least for this year the number of moose, is that both morning and late afternoon images of the peaks can be made. A short hike to Secret Lake will allow some wonderful compositions with Devils Castle in the background along with wonderful views back towards the Salt Lake valley and Superior Peak.

For flower images, especially detail shots, overcast days are preferred and an added bonus may come with one of the afternoon thunder showers which are very common. This is when I’ve captured some of my favorite images of the Basin, when streaks of light stream through the clouds and a dramatic sunset cast a golden glow on the flowers which are even more spectacular due to the rain. The downside to landscape photographs in the Basin has to be the number of ski lifts that cut across the mountains as well as a few ill placed cabins. With a bit of composing these can be eliminated.

Essential gear? A tripod goes without mention and for hauling things around a nice pack to store your gear and clothing will come in handy. I typically carry a wide angle lens, 24-28mm, a macro lens and a telephoto zoom for the wildlife. Graduated split neutral density filters of various strengths will be most useful as will a polarizing filter and I usually carry a small spray bottle of water to freshen up flowers when taking close up shots. You will be at a rather high attitude, 9,000 feet, so be prepared. Sturdy hiking boots, water and a trekking pole along with a light weight rain parka will also come in handy.

Alta has several well placed web cams which can give you an idea of what the weather conditions might be and it can be much different at the higher altitudes than in the valley. The one web cam pointing west down the canyon came in handy when I wanted to see what was possibly in store before making the long drive around the mountain from my home in the afternoon. www.altacam.com .

The gear used:

2 Nikon D2X bodies
Nikon 200-400mm VR-AF
Nikon 80-200mm, f2.8
Nikon 24-85, f2.8 DX ED IF
Nikon 12-24mm, f4
Nikon 105mm macro
Really Right Stuff Ballhead BH-55
Acratech GV2 Ballhead
Gitzo Carbon Fiber tripod: (never used it)
Monfrotto Monopod 680B
Canon HG-10 high def video camera
Lowe Pro trekker AW II Backpack