In The Country

The End Of A Season

Colorado, Flowers, In The Country, National Parks, Rocky Mountains, Seasons, Weather

My season as a Park Ranger at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has ended and here are some images from the area that I captured.

Black Canyon

The nearby Crystal Dam that provides electricty to the area.

And there were plent of wildflowers

Needle Rock stands out amongst the mountains at Crawford, Colorado

Snow still covers the San Juan Mountains in spring in Southern Colorado

They grow grapes for wine here

Menacing storm clouds appeat in the Colorado landscape at Curecanti National Recreation Area.

A thick grove of Aspens along Kenler Pass Road in Colorado near Crested Butte in the Gunnison National Forest

This rainbow appeared on my first day of work, a good omen.

The very dangerous Million Dollar Highway weaves it’s way on the road south of Ouray, Colorado

Quite a reflection………

Sunrise at Curecanti NRA

Fireweed is in full bloom in a meadow at Gunnison National Forest near Crested Butte, Colorado

Spring Aspens

A Mule Deer Buck graizes in the brush at Gunnison National Forest near Crested Butte, Colorado

Thunderstorms emerge in the Curecanti National Recreation Area in Colorado

Rainbow Over Curecanti.

The deep Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

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Cimmaron Mountain Range

Fall colors and the Moon have arrived in the Scrub Oak in the Colorado highlands of Gunnison National Forest.

The Milky Way appears shortly after sunset at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

Nothing like a campfire in Colorado.

A Rainy And Foggy Day During Colorado’s Autumn

Colorado, In The Country, Seasons

I almost stayed home because of the rain but remembered that rain and fog can produce some promising images. I ran into rain, snow and fog at Grand Mesa National Forest. Grand Mesa is the largest flat-top mountain in the world near Grand Junction.

Fog has enveloped a Aspen Tree forest during autumn in Colorado

Fall Colors Are Now Showing In Colorado

Colorado, In The Country, Seasons

Here’s a small sampling so far. More to follow.

Fall colors have arrived in the Colorado countryside near Grand Mesa National Forest.

New snow and fall colors mix at the San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Fall colors have arrived with the Aspen Trees , yoiung and old, in the Colorado highlands of Gunnison National Forest.

Fall colors have arrived in the Scrub Oak in the Colorado highlands of Gunnison National Forest.

Colorado Has Wineries? Who Knew…..

Active Outdoors, Colorado, Flowers, In The Country

We visited 3 wineries in Paonia where the wines were awesome as were the views. All of these photos were shot with my iPhone.

Stone Cottage Cellars in Paonia. The netting is to keep bees, birds and other pests from eating the grapes. It’s almost harvest time and the grapes are very sweet.

Azura Winery reminds one of a villa in Italy but it’s in Colorado.

I may just move to this valley. Paonia also has a brewery, a creamery, a dispensary and lots of produce stands that offer fruit from the many orchards in the valley.

ZenZen Gardens is home to Alfred Eames Cellars and a lot of flowers in Paonia.

Of course I had to buy some bottles.

Some More Reflections

Colorado, In The Country, Rocky Mountains

Early Morning At Gould Reservoir. Snow Melts In Colorado Are Filling Up All The Lakes And Reservoirs In Colorado.

Colorado’s Snow-Covered Mount Wilson

Colorado, In The Country, Rocky Mountains, Seasons

Just west of Telluride and located in the San Miguel Mountains, Wilson is one of Colorado’s 53 mountains over 14,000 feet.

Fall colors and fresh snow made a joint appearance at Mount Wilson, Colorado

Colorado’s Amazing Lizard Head Pass

Colorado, In The Country, Photography, Rocky Mountains, Seasons

It’s just south of the ski resort town of Telluride but in October it was full of snow and autumn colors.

This spot at Trout Lake calls out for a panorama shot. This was 3 images stitched together.

Fall colors surround the former mining town of Rico, just south of Lizard Head Pass.

The Incomparable Dallas Divide In SW Colorado

Colorado, In The Country, Rocky Mountains, Seasons

It’s between the neat little town of Ridgway and ski town Telluride. You take Last Dollar Road which travels through some amazing cattle ranches and provides unobstructed views of the San Juan Mountain Range. Fresh snow added to the experience.

Fall colors and fresh powder have arrived at the San Juan Mountains in Southwest Colorado

Look like a scene out of “The Sound Of Music”

This wide panorama was produced by stitching 3 separate images in Photoshop. It ended up being 52 inches wide at 300 DPI. The file size was just over 1 Gigabyte. A framed print will probably take up a whole wall!

This is the spot I would like to build a house!

Even the foothills and pastures produced a wide spectrum of color.

Fall colors and fresh snow have arrived at the San Juan Mountains, Colorado. I believe the 14,000 foot plus Mt Sneffels is upper left.

More Autumn Colors From Colorado

Colorado, In The Country, Seasons

Ohio Pass is between Gunnison and Crested Butte. It was a popular spot for reasons you will see below. Stay tuned for more images from the spectacular San Juan Mountains.

Fall colors have arrived at Ohio Pass in the Gunnison National Forest, Colorado

The Castles in the Gunnison National Forest, Colorado

The cattle on this farm must be spoiled!

Colorado’s Amazing Kebler Pass

Colorado, In The Country, Seasons

Kebler Pass, located just west of Crested Butte, is home to one of the largest aspen tree groves in the United States. This forest has been tested and found to be a clonal colony. It grows from a single root system and is a single living organism. Wow! It is the largest living entity in the state of Colorado and one of the largest in the world.

Following are the colorful autumn images to prove it which I captured just over a week ago.