ACGPSY Blog

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Montrose, Colorado

July 30, 2015

To me, all of our national parks hold something unique and beautiful.  The steep walls of the Black Canyon range in depth from 2,700 feet north of Warner Point to 1,750 feet at the Narrows.  The Gunnison has a very steep gradient as it flows through the canyon with an average fall of 95 feet per mile.  This gives the river the energy needed to cut downward faster than other kinds of erosion.

Our first stop is Tomichi Point looking southeasterly.  The canyon seems to go on forever.

A view into the Chasm can make one a little uneasy.  Standing here it is hard to image anyone trying to cross the canyon or navigate it’s waters.

My favorite is the Painted Wall with it’s amazing fissures.  This is just the top.  It goes down to the bottom of the canyon.

An early surveyor, H.C. Wright was a member of the 1882 Byron Bryant railroad survey.  He said “Hereto was unfolded view after view of the most wonderful, the most thrilling of rock exposures, one vanishing from view only to be replaced by another still more imposing.  A view which could easily be made into a Scottish Feudal Castle would be followed by another suggesting the wildest parts of imposing height and majestic proportions…”

Ouray, Colorado

July 28, 2015

We set out for a day of jeeping with a group of old and new friends.  Heading up Yankee Boy Basin, we turned off near Camp Bird Mine.  Exploring a new area high into Richmond Basin, we found the landscapes just jaw-dropping.  As we traveled higher into the basin on a narrow shelf road that was really just a talus slope, snow drifts remained on the trail.  Steve (in the leader jeep) powered through the drift, but the second jeep (Brad and I) got tangled up in the deep drift and the rear end skidded out to the edge of the trail.  Brad remained cool and calm as Steve offered to attach a rescue strap and drag us over the snow bank.  I shoveled snow from around the tires as Steve attached the strap. It was an easy pull for him to drag us over the snow bank.  Thanks for the rescue, Steve.  Can’t wait to get the bill!

Photo credit to Steve.

Only 4 jeep traveled the next leg to 11,300 ft.  We stopped for this image of King’s Crown in the foreground and the Richmond Basin view looking back from where we came.  You may spot a few jeeps waiting below that did not pass the snow drift.

We saw many waterfalls, cascades, high mountain ponds and fields of wildflowers on this amazing ride.  So much to see and explore in Ouray county and the Uncompahgre National Forest.

Crested Butte, Colorado

July 23, 2015

We have enjoyed the many delights of Crested Butte this month.  The high mountain landscapes carpeted in a wild variety of wildflowers is nectar for the soul.  I will leave you with a few images that stick in my heart.

An old abandoned ranch along Ohio Creek Road.  A nice fixer-upper with mountain views…

This lovely field of aspen sunflowers was gorgeous under that amazing sky.  The aspen’s always face the sun.  A scene along Washington Gulch with Mount Crested Butte in the background.  A lovely spot for a picnic.

A rare treasure, deep blue columbine, found along the Wildflower Loop.

Along a fence line in Washington Gulch with Gothic Mountain in the background.

Early morning light near Gothic Mountain with wildflowers as far as one can see.

The last one on an old railroad tie in Washington Gulch.

July 20, 2015

Crested Butte, Colorado

On a perfect Colorado day, we headed up Gothic Road to see the changing wildflower show. The delphinium and cow parsnip are just starting to drop their leaves but I found a few good ones.

Paradise Divide, at 11,500 feet has an amazing assortment of alpine wildflowers.

I love the Elephant’s Head…..  They are belly washers to capture.

The silvery lupines are sparse this year, so I was thrilled to find this clump with some beautiful marble the area is famous for.  Marble, Colorado is just over the other side of the Divide.

The view at the top of the Paradise Divide ( 11,550 ft elevation) is amazing with a few Elephant’s Head for you to enjoy.

Gothic, Colorado

July 18, 2015

Our photography group met at 5am for the “Sunrise Photography Workshop” presented by the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival.  It was a great group of serious photographers.  We set up along the East River in Gothic and waited for the sky to light up with color.  This is what I call the blue hour before the sun comes up.

As the light painted the sky…… we all clicked away.

This is a view of Mount Crested Butte in the distance along the East River lined with skunk cabbage in bloom.

A field of aspen sunflowers north of Gothic in the morning light.

Crested Butte, Colorado

July 17, 2015

The 2015 Crested Butte Wildflower Festival has been simply amazing.  I have been taking photography classes all week and seeing many new areas of wildflowers.  I am not done yet as I have a 5am Sunrise shoot tomorrow.  Thought I would post a few of the images I have had time to process.

My first class was “Wildflower Landscapes” with Dusty Demerson, a local pro photographer.  The weather was awful but we made the best of it.  This is taken from near Gothic Mountain as the East River carves it way thru this beautiful high country valley.

Later that day, I took another 4 hour course entitled “An Evening of Wildflowers” with Jan Runge.  I found this scene high in Washington Gulch.

These prairie smoke wildflower where captured along Washington Gulch during my “Colorado Close-up” class.  They are just so unusual to see in the wetlands.

Jan Runge spotted this monument plant and red paintbrushes along Washington Gulch.

In my “Your Finest Wildflowers” class I snapped this lovely Creamy Buckwheat hiding in the shadows along Cement Creek.

Last evening Rebecca Ofstedahl (3rd eye photography) took a group out to Irwin Lake for “Water and Wildflowers.”  This is one of the beautiful waterfall created from the lake outflow.  It was truly a peaceful spot to contemplate this very full week of photography.  I promise to have a few more in the next few days.