I was invited to go up into the High Uintas last Saturday night to photograph the Milky Way. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to go, but I had the feeling that it was the right thing to do, so I gathered my gear and made the two hour trip to Pass Lake.
I was up there with about a dozen other photographers. We all lined up along the shore of the lake to face the rising Milky Way. I setup my tripod stool and my camera tripod on the shores of the lake, adjusted my red headlight flashlight and got comfortable to wait for the Milky Way to rise; it was due to be in view at about 1:00am Sunday morning.
The highway that goes along the lake was right between us and the Milky Way, so any cars that drove along that road injected their headlights or tail lights into the pictures. It’s amazing how many people drive along that road at 1:00 in the morning. So yes, we had to take many different shots in order to get some without the lights from the cars; but that’s part of the fun.
I had a great time sitting next to Pass Lake, chatting with the other photographers and listening to the water lap against the shore. It was very calming and relaxing. And after getting enough photos to be reasonably sure I had some good ones, I packed up my gear and I started to drive down the mountain; but I was getting sleepy, so I pulled over to the side of the road and slept for a few hours in my truck before attempting to drive the rest of the way home. That, too, is all part of the fun!
I’m glad I went.
