The colors fill the sky when you are attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. It is not very difficult to capture a flying hot air balloon at the festival!
Shrine to Mary Magdalene
St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Questa, also known as San Antonio de Padua Catholic Church, was built in the mid-1800s by the first families of what was then the village of San Antonio del Rio Colorado. It was recently renovated and this shrine sites just outside the main doors of this beautiful church. I sat and marveled at it's simple southwest design and beauty. Finding these gems on your travels is worth the exploration.
Autumn Colors at Weston Pass
One of my favorite 4x4 roads is Weston Pass outside of Leadville Colorado. Coming from the Arkansas River Valley up to the top of the Mosquito Range is quite the visual experience especially when the colors are changing in fall. This view was mine late in the afternoon as I looked back towards the Collegiate Mountain Range with Big Union Creek winding down the valley.
Waiting on a Bench in Taos NM
Teig was resting on a bench outside the Kit Carson Museum in Taos New Mexico. It was beautiful evening with the rain falling and we were under a street awning watching and listening to sounds of the storm. There was no one out and about and we were quite content to relax on the bench the museum provided.
Calm in the Snow Storm
Out on the trail on Green Mountain during an early snow storm. We love having trails near Denver we can explore when weather comes in. Teig love being out in the storms and loves frolicking in the snow.
Valle Vidal Corral
We came upon this western corral on our travels across the Sangre De Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico. The autumn colors were showing in the aspens and we explored the corral and the valley below. The southwestern flavor is fantastic in New Mexico and the western ranching history is so very interesting. Don’t pass on the opportunity, if you ever get a chance explore the Valle Vidal region of the Sangre De Cristos.
Windy Gap Pass New Mexico
Windy Gap Pass was the first pass we crossed on our 4x4 tour crossing the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico. This pass is on the way to the beautiful Valle Vidal which is the vast valley on the opposite side of Windy Gap. You can see the wonderful fall colors in the mountains in the distance that stand above the valley. Teig and I prefer traveling on the back dirt roads when touring the southwest.
St Louis Creek Cascade and Traildog
Teig and I came across this small cascade falls on St. Louis Creek in the Vasquez Wilderness inside the Fraser Experimental Forest. Teig found a spot on the rocks and i shot a long exposure to get the wonderful movement of the water. Just fun in our Colorado Rocky Mountains!
Gold in the Forest Understory
It is very rewarding finding small treasures while hiking next to Saint Louis Creek in the Vasquez Mountain Wilderness. I love getting photos of grand vistas and majestic landscapes but sometimes it’s the gold along the trail that can be uber special. The colors in the Colorado Rockies during autumn are special and it is no different in the mountains near Winter Park.
Cascade Falls on St. Louis Creek
What a joy hiking in the Fraser Experimental Forest west of Winter Park, Colorado. On this day we were exploring St. Louis Creek which is one of the streams flowing down a beautiful valley towards Fraser. Teig and I came across small cascading falls on the creek which caught my eye. Who doesn’t love the sound of falls on a Rocky Mountain Creek?
Crosses in the Mission Ruins
We came across this wonderful spanish ruin while hiking on the Withers Canyon Trail in the Comanche National Grasslands. It is very rewarding to find these jewels of American Western History in Colorado while exploring our wonderful state. This section of the hiking trail was once part of the Santa Fe Trail and this ancient mission was a site where the spaniards worked to convert the local indians to catholicism.
Aspen Stands Before Spring Awakening
Early spring in the Colorado Rockies show the “bare bones” of the aspens before they begin to leaf. Lost Park near the Lost Creek Wilderness is a great place to check out the multitude of aspen stands before the bloom.
Moonset on Square Top Mountain
We witnessed the moonset on our hike up to the summit of Square Top Mountain near Guanella Pass in the Rockies of Colorado. It is very rewarding to see the moon set on the Rocky Ridges above 13,000 feet. Definitely motivates the adventurous explorer to bag the peak.
Traildog on South Table Mountain at Dusk
Teig and I love to hikes on South Table Mountain outside of Golden Colorado after work. The large mesa is a place close to metro Denver but has a quaint wilderness feel when out exploring near dark. Teig is shown here near one of the promontories on the north side of the open space.
Colorado Backcountry Road in Autumn
A taste of what it is like to tour the backcountry of Colorado when the aspens are changing their colors to orange and gold. This is a dirt road in central Colorado near Buena Vista.
Colorado Color in the Gulch
Autumn Colors in Colorado are Awesome! You don’t even need a large peak in the background to be overwhelmed.
Traildog Scouting for Trout at Crater Lakes
What do you do when you bushwhack over a Colorado mountain and end up at Crater Lakes? Well I take a load off and rest but Teig goes on a Trout scouting mission to find the rising fish in the beautiful mountain lake. Can’t blame him… it is fun to see the big ones feed on bugs at the surface.
Bridge over Joe Wright Creek
Teig and I were trekking up to Blue Lake in the Never Summer Mountains of northern Colorado when we crossed this bridge over Joe Wright Creek. The day was perfect for a hike and the morning was nice a crisp. Teig had to stop and check out the views from the footbridge.
Shake it off in the Colorado Creek
Teig shaking off some of the icy cool water after a long drink in the creek on our way up to Blue Lake in the Never Summer Mountains of Colorado. Nothing better than a refreshing gulp of that pure Rocky Mountain stream water!
Just Chillin Off the Trail
Teig on a long hike to Blue Lake in the Never Summer Mountains of northern Colorado. When you get a chance to relax in the shade off of the trail you take it. A little down time on a 10 mile saunter in the Rockies is good for the body and soul.