2019 Christian Paul Photography Retrospective

2019 was full of adventures! From an amazing winter cycle which provided the best conditions splitboarding in a few years, to an amazing spring, summer, and fall hiking and backpacking. A lot of time on trail and behind the lens. 20 nights in a tent is never a bad thing. I could not think of a better way to cap off a decade other than the way I did this past year. Who knew that in my mid 40's I would still be going on all these amazing adventures and having the experiences I've been blessed to enjoy? At times things have been hard, many challenges to overcome. But through adversity we gain strength. From a growing family, to the red rock deserts and alpine mountains, to the many days on the skin track seeking my own winter experience. The journey not the destination has over the last 10 years been the greatest reward!

So as we close out another decade, it is good to look back and see where you have been. It is a great determiner as to where one is going. I have been making these Retrospective videos every year for the last decade. Every year I think nothing can top last year, then I put all the content together and I am always blown away at where I have been and what I have experienced. This year is no exception. This 2019 Retrospective edit is just over 13 minutes. So grab a snack, a beverage, and settle in as this video will take you in the mountains all four season here in Utah. Thanks for following along and all the well wishes! Happy New Year to all! End of a decade! What will 2020 bring? Stay tuned........

Microwave- Little Cottonwood Canyon- December 2019

It's been an active December here in the Wasatch. We have had about 50 inches of snow, more in some places. I decided to get out once more on the splitboard to keep the legs fresh and to sneak in a few turns for Sunday Funday! The walk in was nice, took a slightly different approach from the road through the trees which was a cold, but really easy skinning. Once up into the meadow I notices they had the road closed to access Catherine Pass, so I had a decision to make. Microwave was a looking really nice so I decided to do a little snow science/break trail action up this aspect to test how the new snow is reacting. Very solid with no fracturing or collapsing. I stomped a few test slopes on the way up and nothing. When I reached the top of my line I noticed some of the steep terrain above me had released the storm snow. These were large stuffs at best, not a threat, but something to be aware of always.

After switching things over I spent a minute just watching the clouds roll up the canyon with sun directly overhead. It was a pretty awesome sight! I eventually strapped in and made the drop. I did a very long traverse bouncing the snowpack to see if there was any instability. Seeing as there was a nothing happening I dropped in and reaped the reward for the hard work climbing that face. The powder in the apron in the video was 5 stars! Nice second day out for the season! Looks like more snow is in the forecast so more fun to be had! Enjoy the pics and video! More to come!

Microwave 121519 Exit from CPPhoto on Vimeo.

2020 Christian Paul Photography Calendars

Christian Paul Photography 2020 calendars are here! This year I am featuring images that I captured while backpacking and hiking here in the wild of Utah. This year’s calendar is 8x10, perfect for the fridge, cubicle, or office wall. These will make great gifts for the holidays or for yourself for the coming year.

$15.00- price includes shipping to anywhere in the continental United States. Outside the United States alternate shipping rates apply.
Payment Options: PayPal, Google Pay, Venmo, checks, and money orders. Paypal and Google Pay requests can be sent to christianpaulphotography@gmail.com
Venmo me at https://venmo.com/Christian-Paul-6

*Please include the address in your request that you would like your order shipped to. If you need a gift message, please include that in your request as well.
If you are in the Salt Lake City area I can deliver them for cash payment or the above options.

I will have these available through the new year. Orders shipped after December 17th are not guaranteed to arrive by Christmas. Thank you for supporting a local artist!

November Hiking and First Day Splitboarding 19/20- Season- Nov/Dec 2019

I had a number of days out hiking in November as we had a really warm and dry month up to the Holiday weekend. I did some Bells hikes and one up to The Living Room as the days were getting short and trails were now getting ice on them. Hiking in warm only to pull out layers at the top to bundle up. My how seasons change.

Sunday the 1st, I did my first day out on the splitboard for the season. I did a tour up Microwave in the Albion Basin and got some really nice powder turns on the way home. It was sunny and nice to be out on the skins walking in the mountains. I did quite a few switchbacks to get to my line. Not the usual first day out, but it was good to get the climbing back in shape. My video camera glitched but I got a few photos from the day out there. Good snow, and a nice run to the car. Winter is here!

Bells Canyon- Wasatch Cache National Forest- October 2019

I have spent the last month kind of trying to decompress from the stress, and anxiety, that I have been suffering since my friends accident on my last trip to the Uintas late September this year. But I did get out hiking for a few days in the Cottonwoods and Bells Canyon. Fall is a beautiful time in the Wasatch. I was not about to miss out on some fall colors and walking on trail.

I was able to capture some nice images up there this October. There have been some mild days this month, and some great light to play with while I have been out on trail. These solo hikes are really nice when you need to clear your head and get things back in focus. Nothing better than some nature to set things right again.

I am fortunate that, with all the wonderful place I adventure in, I have one such as this so close to my home. The colors this year have been outstanding! As we transition seasons, I look back at a wonderful year in the mountains. 61 days left till we close another year. Winter is upon us. This party will be changing from dirt dances to snow dances very soon!

Shadow Lake, Uinta Mountains- September 2019

What I am going to share in this post is a recount of my weekend in the Uintas. I am still trying to process these events.

After a series of storms soaked Northern Utah midweek, there was a break in the action for the weekend. Me and a friend decided with the expected temps overnight, we would make the short two mile hike into Shadow Lake for an overnight backpacking trip. We made good time into the range on Saturday, and arrived to a pretty empty Crystal Lake Trailhead. The air was chilly and we bundled up, put on the packs, and made the walk in. The hike in was cold, with pockets of sun warming us as we made our way in on the trail. The meadows are now changing in their fall splendor. It was a beautiful walk and very quiet as we moved through the woods. After about 2 miles we arrived at Shadow Lake.

We made our way to the camp I wanted and got on some dry layers seeing as the temps were in the low 40's. We set camp and got our firewood situation settled. It was going to be a cold night so having a good fire was going to be key if I was going to stay up to shoot the stars. I decided to do some fly fishing while it was still tolerable before my hands would get cold. The lake was gorgeous and the clouds were just amazing to watch. There was a cold breeze blowing occasionally, and I am glad I packed the extra layers that I did. I thought I was going to get skunked when I hooked into a nice fish, got it near shore, and it wiggled off. This had me casting for a few more minutes till I landed this one pictured. My hands were cold from stripping a wet fly line so I made my way back to camp to get a fire going and to warm up. We spent a good part of the evening just staying close to the fire and staying bundled up.

Night fell and there were intermittent clouds with breaks where the stars would pop out. We had a clear window with the sky, so I walked solo out to the north side of the lake to try to get a good shot. It was cold away from camp and the dew point was making the plants and ground very wet. I got to the north end and the clouds obscured the view of the Milky Way. Sometimes you get them, and sometimes you don't. Being freezing cold, and feeling a bit defeated I returned to camp, stopping to set up my D810 for a star trail just on the shore below our camp. It was nice to get back to the fire. It was really beginning to get chilly and there was a cold wind blowing. I huddled by the fire for a bit just to warm up before I was going to attempt to make dinner. Little did I know one of the most terrifying experiences I have ever had backpacking was about to happen.

I had gone to my tent to get some warmer gloves, when I heard my partner take a fall and was moaning in agony. I immediately rushed to his aid, and it was clear right off the bat he had a serious leg injury. He had tried to step over a log, and did not see the other one on the other side and that is how he fell. I am not going to lie, the panic set in for me. It was dark, we had no cell reception, we were miles from help, and my friend was hurt. I quickly reverted to my survival knowledge and started to make a plan. I did not want him to be alone if I hiked out in the dark, in case there was shock or hypothermia. We met one of the campers across the lake from us earlier in the day. Really nice guy, and I had a nice conversation with him. I could see they were up from the glow of their fire, so I decided to ask them for help.

My plan was to have one of them stay with my friend while I hiked out for help. There was a nice gentleman named Phil, that said I should stay with my friend, and that him and his son would hike out to call for Search and Rescue. We could not move my friend, he was in too much pain, so we got his sleeping pad under him to insulate him from the ground. We covered him in multiple sleeping bags. I had some hand and feet warmers that I gave him to radiate some heat. We also put hot rocks around him on the ground to create a heat block. I did my best to keep my friend warm by keeping the fire blazing hot as we waited for Phil's return with Search and Rescue. My friend was going in and out of consciousness, and I was getting really worried. As the hours dragged on, and the temperatures dropped, I was feeling like this was going to not turn out well.

About 1:30 AM I saw a helicopter headed towards the lake. I ran out to the shore of the lake to signal them with my emergency light on my headlamp and arm signals. I can't feel my toes at this point and my hands and freezing even with gloves on. It was 29 degrees and everything was covered in frost making it a slippery mess. The helicopter made a few circles with a spotlight and was looking for a place to land. I tried to navigate them to the meadow above our camp but not sure if the pilot saw me. He looped out and over to what looked like the area were we parked, so I returned to camp figuring Search and Rescue was coming in on foot. About 30 minutes later, I could see headlamps coming and Phil was at the head of the pack and had brought rescue! I was so grateful and I have to admit was crying because I knew my friend was going to be ok. Search and Rescue got the helicopter into the meadow I was trying earlier to point out to the pilot from the ground. They put my friend in the Life Flight and off they went. I decided not to hike out then. It was 2:30 AM, I was exhausted, cold, upset, and just too emotional to to try to navigate in the dark. I turned in to try to get some sleep.

About 7:00 AM the Coyotes woke me up and were really near camp howling in a pack as they often do. It was 31 degrees and I was not about to get out of my sleeping bag until it warmed up a bit. By 8:00 AM I could not lay there anymore as my mind was still spinning about what happened. I got up and pretty much broke camp for about an hour and a half as it warmed up, and then hiked out. An hour or so later I was at the car and on my way back home. When I spoke to my wife I guess all the emotion spilled out because I was crying. In those moments when it is a survival situation you are in the moment, and the emotion is suppressed. But once at home I lost it. I am not gonna lie about that. This was one of the most terrifying experiences in my life. Sitting there with your friend, trying to keep them from going into shock, and hoping help is coming. I felt helpless. Everyone keeps saying I did the right thing but I felt like I did nothing. I just wanted my friend to live. Phil and his group across the lake deserve my eternal thanks and gratitude for their help. Without them this could have been much worse. We did everything right, had a plan, stuck to it, and were prepared. This is a prime example of you can do everything right, and it can still all go wrong. My friend ended up with a Fib/Tib and Ankle fracture. He will need surgery, but is ok which is the most important part. This just shows how quickly a beautiful day can quickly turn into a survival situation.

In all the chaos my camera was out on the shore recording a star trail and captured the flight path of the Life Flight as it circled the shore. This shot is of that. I am not sure if I'll get another trip in the Uintas this year before winter shows up. But one thing is for sure, more adventures to come. Be safe out there everyone.

Marjorie Lake, Uinta Mountains- September 2019

September is a fine time of year to backpack the Uintas. The bugs are pretty much done, the crowds get thinner as the month goes on, and the nights are long and great for photography. It's been a few years since I have been into Marjorie Lake. I decided to solo backpack in there over the weekend and set up camp, fish, and have a nice night by the fire with the moon high in the sky. I made the drive into the range early Saturday morning. It snowed for the first time in the range earlier in the week so I did not know what to expect on trail and at the lake. I found a spot and put on my new Vasque Breeze III GTX boots. My old boots wore out on the last trip so this was the maiden voyage in these. All I can say is wow! Right out of the box comfort, great traction, waterproof, and are 1 lb lighter than my previous boots. Once I was laced up and the pack was set I put on the gear and headed in. The temps were mild, not cold, but not hot, perfect hiking weather. I made a pretty quick push to the pass in about 26 minutes I was heading into the North Fork. No snow on the trail at all, just a few muddy spots. A quick descent to the Long Lake junction, then another quick hop down to the Marjorie Lake junction, and then the best part of this hike began. I love how this trail takes you through the pines.

About a mile later I was looking at the Marjorie Lake sign which is on a tree about a 1/4 mile before you actually get to the lake. Seems odd to put that sign there. Why not at the lake? I wonder how many people just walk by that tree and not even see the sign? Another Uintas mystery. One last downhill and I was at the lake. 1 hour and 24 minutes from car to lake. There was a family group hiking out I talked to that said there was another group camped on the other side of the lake. I thanked them for the info. There were 4 people on the other side fishing, and a dad and two little boys fishing on the dam. But I did not see any other tents or campers. I wandered the east side looking at camp spots. There were some nice sheltered ones if there was weather, but would have been cold in the morning until the sun moved higher in the sky. I meandered a bit more and found a spot that I just love! I set up camp, got my water situated, and my fire ready to go for the evening. That way if I was out fishing late I could come back to camp and just light it. I sat in my chair and soaked in the view from camp and put together my fly rod.

A buddy of mine told me about a few spots in the area to check out, so I figured I would fish Marjorie for a minute, then wander off in that direction. I landed some small pan fry size brooks at Marjorie to start off the day. I then moved on for a little adventure. I'm not gonna say where I went other than it was a beautiful and I will go back there. After fishing there for a couple of hours I decided to head back to Marjorie Lake and fish there until evening set in. The lake started to boil with fish rises! The action was on almost every cast as your fly would be savagely attacked! They were Graylings and I landed 16 of them in about two hours time. This Grayling in the picture doubled over my rod and was the best fight of the day! Dusk started to set and the day hikers left. I looped around the lake fishing until the sky started to turn orange then pink. I did not see anyone else camped at Marjorie Lake! I had it all to myself!

I got my fire going as the last of the sunset faded out and the night grew dark. I made dinner and then settled in waiting for the moon rise with a nice fire. It was the usually chilly at night in the Uintas. But the skies were clear and the stars were bright. I set out my camera for a star trail with the moon light painting the foreground. I had a really nice night by the fire. Solo backpacking is very therapeutic. Having a nice fire while solo backpacking doubly so. I let my camera run for a little over 3 hours. The image turned out very nice and the time-lapse is fun too. The moon was so bright as long as you were not in the shadow it was as bright as day. I took a walk out to the lake as my camera was finishing up its shots and what a wonderful view that was. I returned to camp, wrapped up things for the night, coaled out my fire, and turned in for some good sleep.

Sunday Morning greeted me with the howls of a pack of Coyotes somewhere across the drainage. They carried on for quite a bit, and I actually fell back asleep for another hour to the sounds they were making. When I rolled over about 8 it said 39 degrees. I got up and made tea and found a spot on a back porch like ledge overlooking the North Fork of the Provo River. There is a big meadow in the bottom of the drainage that I could see two moose in. I sat and enjoyed my coffee watching the moose do their thing. After breakfast I decide to pack it up and head out. I was on the trail by 10 AM. Once again the comfort and function of my new boots on the way out made it such a wonderful hike! I got to the Jeep in about 1 1/2 hours. I packed up the bag and changed out to my sandals and headed into Kamas for Tacos at Tacos De Sombrero. The Sweet Pork Tacos with Habanero Salsa are delicious! I am hoping the weather will hold out the next few weeks so I can finish out the season. This is a tricky time of year where everything can turn on a dime in an instant. The shadows run long from the trees and the days grow shorter. It can snow at anytime in the Uintas. I'll keep my eye on the weather. Hoping to get out on a couple of more trips out there! Enjoy the images! More adventures to come!