2014 Retrospective- Christian Paul Photography

What an amazing year of adventure! I feel lucky to have spent so much time in the mountains of Utah. From snowboarding, splitboarding, and hiking the amazing Wasatch, to backpacking and hiking the Dixie National Forest and the High Uintas Wilderness. There was never a shortage of good times to be had in the high terrain here. Along with the classic places I always visit, we explored some new areas which are now on the favorites list that I am sure to return to. My photography was featured by several companies, and I am honored that a few wonderful people found a place for my images in their homes. The final tally for me out there this year was 71 days snowboarding, 60 days hiking and backpacking, 26 nights camping in the backcountry. I did 190 miles by foot this past year, which I loved every step which I took in our wilderness. This video represents a complete view of my year in the mountains for 2014. I would not change a thing, and the memories of the adventures I had will last a lifetime. Enjoy this video I have put together. Happy New Year to you all! What will 2015 bring? Stay tuned......

2014 Retrospective from Christian Paul on Vimeo.

Greens Basin- 12.27.2014

We finally got enough snow to bury those trees and stumps and rocks out there. The original plan was to tour up Mill D, but because of the high volume of traffic heading up that trail, we decided to go to Greens Basin instead. The climb up was a frosty one, and we made our way up the shoulder of the unnamed peak up there that overlooks the basin in just a couple of hours. We found a great spot once we made it to the top and broke everything out from touring to riding mode. A little bit of a break on the top, then we strapped up and dropped in. The snow was so good, and the riding was stable and a lot of fun. We made it to the meadow, and decided to put our boards in touring mode and skate ski to the summer trail for a luge ride home. It was a great first day out touring, I hope to have many more to come. Enjoy the short video I made from today and pray for snow!

Greens Basin Tour 12.27.2014 from Christian Paul on Vimeo.

Takin' A Tram Lap- Snowbird- 11.26.2014

The Tram finally opened, and what a treat it was. Cold chalky snow that was super to carve in. It was nice to be dropping in from the peak. The holiday traffic is out, but it did not seem to be that terrible since the flow was going and the stoke level was high for sunshine and great conditions. Enjoy the edit below and Pray 4 Snow!

Takin' A Tram Lap 11.26.2014 from Christian Paul on Vimeo.

First Day @ The Bird 14/15- Snowbird, Utah 11.24.2014

I finally got out on my home mountain for the season. We had a once in every two to five year storm come in and blanket the Wasatch with 30-40 inches of snow. It snowed so hard Alta could not even open on Sunday. I figured Monday should be pretty dead. Nope, full line at Gadzoom when they sent the first chair up the hill. No matter, there was good snow to be had, and pretty much most of the traffic was staying on trail. I am still just blown away that I had my powder board out this early in the season. Lower Harpers Ferry was giving up knee deep thick creamy turns. And the on trail was fast and chargeable. It was a fun day up there, and nice to be back in Little Cottonwood Canyon. I made a little edit, and now I got my aspect corrected on my videos. More adventures from the LCC to come!

First Day At The Bird For The 14/15 Season 11.24.2014 from Christian Paul on Vimeo.

Opening Day @ Solitude Mountain Resort- 11.21.2014

Well it is finally here! I hit opening day at Solitude for the 14/15 season. It was light traffic, and a great mix of natural and man made snow. They had three lifts running, Apex, Moonbeam, and the beginner terrain on Link. The terrain open was really fun to ride. I spent most of the day up there slashing turns and just getting all the muscle memory back for snowboarding. Bluebird skies, mild temps, and and fun all around. It was a great day up there, and it was so nice to be snowboarding again. Enjoy the quick edit below, and Pray 4 Snow! This party has begun! Get your snowdances on!

Opening Day- 14/15 Solitude 11.21.2014 from Christian Paul on Vimeo.

Jewel/Cutthroat Lakes, Uinta Mountains- October 2014

I got one more trip into the high terrain this year. Myself and my friend Chris went in on a brisk Friday, hiking a deserted trail into Ruth Lake. The meadows are in full fall phase, and the wind was chilly. We made a quick hike into Ruth Lake, then moved up the ridge over to Hayden Lake. We then followed the outlet down past a very nice pond, and descended to Jewel Lake. We decided to camp here, as we knew weather was in the forecast for Sunday. We set up shop, and then just decided to take it all in. This is the latest I have ever backpacked in the Uintas. Evening came, and dinner and some extra layers were in order. We got a fire going, and made dinner, and enjoyed the crystal clear skies. I got the camera out and got some really nice shots that night of the peak and the lake. Soon, we felt the cold that the Uintas this time of year are known for. So off to the sleeping bags and warmth we went. Morning came and both of us slept in.

After making breakfast and having some coffee, we packed it up to head out fishing at Jewel and Cutthroat lakes. We fished Jewel for a bit, and I have a few bites. After a while we wanted to hike up to Cutthroat Lake. We made the meadow crossing and climbed up to the lake. It was deserted, something I have rarely witnessed. We fished for quite a while up there, me landing a very nice Tiger. Chris had luck too. Eventually, we decided that getting a warm fire set was important as we were unsure of the weather we would get. Back at camp, with everything in order for the evening, we just set in to watching the sunset out the back of the meadow behind our camp. Evening came, and so did a crazy set of clouds that just seemed to keep building. We headed for bed around midnight, and I fell right to sleep. But not for long, about 3:30 AM, I was awoke by the sound of snow falling on my tent, and thunder and lighting going off all around us. Thundersnow!

It was kind of awesome to experience, and my hiking watch said it was 39 degrees. I figured at that temperature it was not going to accumulate that much, so I rolled over and fell back to sleep. I woke again around 7:30 AM, and it was much colder this time. The temp read 30 degrees. I peeked out of my tent and everything had a new paint job. Eventually we decided that packing it up and making our way out was the best thing to do. I had anticipated that if we did get snow, it would be wet, so I packed layers, including rain pants, and a Goretex jacket. I also packed in a neck gaiter, and some winter gloves. After getting locked and loaded, we made our way out of Jewel Lake. There is a small boulder field that you have to ascend, and it is not something to be taken lightly with wet boots, and a heavy pack on. The dogs led us up the best path out of there, and soon we were on trail again. We were walking in 3-4" of snow all the way up to Hayden Lake. Then over the ridge and down to Ruth Lake. We took some photos at Ruth, and just enjoyed the instant winter wonder land we were walking in.

Some of the flat sections were like breaking trail, so I admit I slashed a few turns in the hiking boots because the snow was powder. We made our way out to Highway 150, and found the road and lot snow packed. This was my last trip into the high terrain of the Uinta Mountains this year. It has been an awesome summer in this wilderness. One I will not soon forget. Some fall hiking and then this party is going to switch to snow dances.

Cuberant Basin Part II, Uinta Mountains- September 2014

We had a late season heat wave which was to warm things up, so I decided I wanted to get back out in the mountains. Time is numbered as winter will be knocking on the door soon. I got in touch with my friend Mike, and we set out for Cuberant Basin, as Mike had never been back in there. We made an afternoon hike in, and got to camp in the early evening. We got everything situated, and then we settled in for the evening. It was chilly, but not too cold, and the fire kept things warm enough to rattle off a very nice star trail. Eventually, both of us were tired and we hit the tents for some shut eye. Morning was cool, but not too bad. Coffee was extra tasty when the temps are a bit cool. We eventually were warmed by the sun, and we decided to hike up to #1 and #4 lakes in the basin. We stopped at #2, and I landed a nice Cutthroat to start the day off. We ate lunch at #1, then moved up to #4.

I had a nice one hit my fly at #4, only to loose it on the way in on the retrieval. The weather was perfect, with a bit of a breeze as was forecasted. We spent quite a bit of time up at #4, then we decided to hike back to camp for some evening fishing at #3, and to get dinner ready. Evening set in with a repeat performance from the previous night, stars bright with temperatures a few degrees warmer. We had a great night hanging out in the symphony of silence. I turned in for one great nights sleep. Dawn brought a few more clouds which were the lead to the soaking storm we have had here over the weekend. The hike out was beautiful, and hits of fall color were everywhere. This may be one of the last backpacking trips of the season as the winter weather is supposed to return to the area over the weekend. I may get one more, we shall see. Regardless, it has been a great summer. Some fall hiking, and then we will be sliding on the snow once again. Enjoy the pics below. More adventures to come!