Lady Finger Point is a spit on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake.

Carol and I picnicked there on August 14, 2024.

The day was hot and the Sun was bright.

Smoke from wildfires around the western United States varied depending on the direction one looked.

Here are some scenes from our outing:

Bridger Bay from Lady Finger Point

I have photographed this scene repeatedly over the past decades.

It is never the same, but it always inspires.

Tintic Quartzite Outcrop

The contrast of this outcrop against the sky intrigued me.

Desertscape from Lady Finger Point

One of my favorite books is Richard Wollheim’s Painting as an Art.

In it he writes about witnesses in landscape paintings, i.e., depicted people in the foreground, off to the side, and viewing the scene. Although these figures are not the subjects, they invite us to connect.

Witnesses are not necessarily human; here the bird is our witness.

Birds on the Great Salt Lake

 Here the birds are subjects, not witnesses.

The birds extend all the way to the edge of the water (five miles [eight kilometers]) away.

Above is how the scene appeared to the unaided eye.

Birds on the Great Salt Lake

Dehazing in postprocessing has made the the multitude of birds more obvious.

Disclosure: This is not how the scene appeared to the unaided eye.

Carol later told me she had distinguished five different species of birds as she walked along the water’s edge.

Promontory Mountains and Fremont Island

Fremont Island is the low lying brown mass in front of the Promontory Mountains.

You can learn more about Fremont Island here.

The original transcontinental railroad met in the Promontory Mountains on May 10, 1869. I will have a post about that later this year.

Tintic Quartzite Outcrop

Another arresting outcrop and sky combination.

Frary Peak and the Spine of Antelope Island

Frary Peak is 6596 feet (2010 meters) above sea level and has a prominence of 2200 feet (671 meters) above the plain of the island.

Endnotes

• Click here for more information on the geology of Antelope Island.
• I once used a bison as a witness to an Antelope Island desertscape. Another time in Bermuda a lizard witnessed my photo of the Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse. Now that I think about it, the lizard was witnessing me.
• If you ever visit Antelope Island, allow two to four hours. An hour is required to accustom yourself to the harshness of the desert.

Thank you very much for visiting my blog. I am excited for your next visit.

Your host,

Michael DeCaria

Correction: After reading the original version of this post, Carol told me that I had grossly minimized both the effects of the shrinking Great Salt Lake and the probability of its eventual demise. You can find out more from The Nature Conservancy. I deeply regret my error. August 29, 2024