November is sort of a limbo season for outdoor pursuits. The mountains are snowy but oftentimes not enough for skiing/snowboarding, and the days are too short and nights too cold for [sensible] backpacking. But by mid-November I was feeling antsy for an adventure anyways, so despite a 20º weather forecast I drove out towards Moab to do an exploratory backpack trip I've had on my mind for a few years. My plan was to head up an obscure canyon all the way to a high rim overlooking the Fisher Towers, camping two nights along the way. Between the frigid temperature, fresh snow, rugged terrain, and torturous bushwhacking, the trek ended up being one of the more physically and mentally challenging backpack trips I've done.
Desert Freeze Fest
November 2022 | Southeast Utah
On this frosty and frigid November night in the high desert of Utah, the warmth of a small campfire made all the difference to warm me up and lift my spirits.
Moonrise light illuminates the canyon rims in a remote high desert basin in eastern Utah. The camera's high sensitivity and long exposure recorded moonlight color that was barely observable with the naked eye (along with a little bit of light painting with my headlamp on the nearby boulders).
Setting sunlight on the Fisher Towers, as seen from above.
La Sal Mountains at dusk on a frigid November evening.
Dusk skies at camp on a frozen slickrock summit - November.
Sunrise light illuminates The Titan, one of the Fisher Towers.
A frozen puddle with iridescent oils from decayed plant matter in a frigid Utah canyon in November. This close-up image depicts an area only about 1-2 inches wide!
I had wanted an adventure and that's certainly what I got on this trip... maybe too much adventure! Was it worth it? Well, I suppose any adventure is worth it when it's done. Would I do this one again? Absolutely not!!!
Related Posts
