Happy New Year!
I hope this find everyone well and happy! I'm taking advantage of the holiday and uploading some long-forgotten images.
Here are a few random images from a hike up The Sangre de Cristo mountains in southern Colorado. I didn't realize it at the time but this is one of the longest mountain chains on Earth. It stretches from Poncha Pass, Colorado, in the north to Glorieta Pass, New Mexico, in the south. There are ten peaks over 14,000' high in the range, more than two dozen over 13,000'.
I was excited to see some snow remaining above the timberline, even in the first days of August. I can only imagine how deep it was during the winter.
One of those icy cold mountain streams they talk about in beer commercials. We filtered some of it to refill our water packs. Very refreshing!
An afternoon storm. This thing rolled in quickly! We were pelted with sleet but the most disturbing thing was the lightning. That's really nerve-racking when you're so high up and there's not much else for it to hit but you!
Just before sunset. Once the sun drops below the mountain tops, things get dark quickly. You can see a little smoke from our campfire at the lower left.
Sunrise the next morning. "Run to light from shadow / Sun gives me no rest / A promise offered in the east / Broken in the west" —Peart
Randal, Dad, and me heading out for the summit. Temperatures were still in the 40s but we knew the climb ahead was going to heat us up. We still had about 800 ft. left to go before we crossed the pass.
I was in awe of the vast landscape. Dad forged ahead...
This is what passed for a "trail" close to the pass. Breathing was difficult as we approached 13,500 ft. I can't imagine climbing Everest!
Finally, the summit. Well, the summit for us, anyway. We crossed the pass and headed down the other side. The wind up there was ferocious!
Looking back on where we'd been. It was amazing to see two lakes (one above the other) this high up a mountain.
A similar photo as one above, only this time we're heading down. I think I'd rather go up twice than down once. My legs and feet took such a pounding and my knees were so sore by the time we reached the bottom. I think I'm done mountain climbing for a while.
Looking west during the sunrise. I could really get used to this kind of scenery!
Here are a few random images from a hike up The Sangre de Cristo mountains in southern Colorado. I didn't realize it at the time but this is one of the longest mountain chains on Earth. It stretches from Poncha Pass, Colorado, in the north to Glorieta Pass, New Mexico, in the south. There are ten peaks over 14,000' high in the range, more than two dozen over 13,000'.
I was excited to see some snow remaining above the timberline, even in the first days of August. I can only imagine how deep it was during the winter.
One of those icy cold mountain streams they talk about in beer commercials. We filtered some of it to refill our water packs. Very refreshing!
An afternoon storm. This thing rolled in quickly! We were pelted with sleet but the most disturbing thing was the lightning. That's really nerve-racking when you're so high up and there's not much else for it to hit but you!
Just before sunset. Once the sun drops below the mountain tops, things get dark quickly. You can see a little smoke from our campfire at the lower left.
Sunrise the next morning. "Run to light from shadow / Sun gives me no rest / A promise offered in the east / Broken in the west" —Peart
Randal, Dad, and me heading out for the summit. Temperatures were still in the 40s but we knew the climb ahead was going to heat us up. We still had about 800 ft. left to go before we crossed the pass.
I was in awe of the vast landscape. Dad forged ahead...
This is what passed for a "trail" close to the pass. Breathing was difficult as we approached 13,500 ft. I can't imagine climbing Everest!
Finally, the summit. Well, the summit for us, anyway. We crossed the pass and headed down the other side. The wind up there was ferocious!
Looking back on where we'd been. It was amazing to see two lakes (one above the other) this high up a mountain.
A similar photo as one above, only this time we're heading down. I think I'd rather go up twice than down once. My legs and feet took such a pounding and my knees were so sore by the time we reached the bottom. I think I'm done mountain climbing for a while.
Looking west during the sunrise. I could really get used to this kind of scenery!
posted by Available Light at 10:45 PM
1 Comments:
Thanks for the head's up on the site! I just got back from Montana and was really missing the mountains. If I have to be in this flat, dreary, (albeit warm for January!) state, at least I can gaze longingly at your great pics!
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