One of my favorite places......

Fish Lake, UT

One of my most favorite places in the world is Fishlake, especially this time of year. The fall colors are absolutely amazing! Anyone who grew up down in those neck of the woods most definately have very fond memories of this magnificent place. The sad thing is, once you move away, its then that you gain perspective of what a wonderful place it actually is.

One of my favorite things is the Aspen Heart. I haven't gotten down there in time for the last few years to see it, but it is beautiful. I couldn't find a very good picture of it, so this one will have to do. I love the story that is told about the heart shaped grove of trees.

The Aspen Heart is a grove of aspen trees located above the old lodge at Fish Lake. It is naturally shaped like a heart and is the largest grove of trees on the hill to turn bright in the fall. This is most unusual since Aspen leaves turn yellow, not red. It is also the first grove of trees to start to change in color and the first to lose its leaves.

The legend of the Aspen Heart dates back to when the Paiute Indians roamed the Fish Lake area. As the story goes, a Paiute brave fell in love with the chief's daughter which was fortunate for the Paiute princess for she was in love with him also. However, the chief had plans of his own for the daughter and they did not include the brave his daughter loved.

The two lovers disobeyed the chief and would sneak away at night and meet at a place high on the hillside above the lake. There, under the bright full moon, they made plans to run away with each other and live happily together, far from the chief and the people of the tribe.

Before the young couple could put their plans into action, the tribe went to war with a neighboring tribe and the young brave was called to fight.Long after the battle was over, the brave did not return to the Paiute princess. Heartbroken, and sure that the brave was dead, the princess climbed the hillside to their special place and waited for her brave to come to her - either in life or in death. She refused food, shelter and comfort and there she died from her broken heart. The chief and his people buried her there at the lovers meeting place.

A short time passed and the Paiute brave did return to claim his princess. He had been delayed in returning because of wounds he had suffered in battle. But the wounds from battle were nothing compared to the pain he suffered when he heard what had happened to his princess. He went to her grave and there he also died.

Whether he died of his battle wounds, or a broken heart, who is to say. The chief and his people buried the brave beside his beloved princess.

It is said that the Aspen Heart grove grows upon the spot where the two lovers were buried and that every fall the leaves remind us of their love and devotion to one another.