Stephen Krieg's Nature Photography Blog

October Again

2018-10-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

Fall Colors along Last Dollar Road.

October, the perfect month. The one I wait for all year.

And this year it seems even more sweet than usual. Because we've lived through an Exceptional drought (who knew there was a category beyond Extreme?) and now the fall rains have been falling and soaking in.

Aspen colors from the east end of Last Dollar Road.

It could have been a very dry autumn, too, but so far we're looking up at the rain falling.

Orange aspen colors, Last Dollar Road.

There is snow falling on the high peaks, but for the most part I can't see it yet; the clouds are keeping them secret for now. Soon enough. Hopefully for some photos of the remaining fall colors with the snowy peaks on the skyline.

Cottonwood colors, San Miguel River, Colorado.

See much more of my photography at www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright 2018 Stephen J. Krieg

Autumn Storm, Paradox Valley, Colorado

2018-10-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

Above Paradox, Colorado on a stellar early October afternoon.

October 4 in the Paradox Valley, and a lot was happening. The first visible snows on the La Sal Mountains in Utah, which are only about a 30 minute drive from Paradox, Colorado. A rare morning rainbow. I was unable to photograph either, just to fleetingly enjoy them.

But by mid afternoon I was free to wander. From the hamlet of Paradox I drove up Highway 90, starting up the switchback curves. Partway up there is a very nice pullout, an excellent viewpoint.

The west end of Paradox Valley, with its 2,000 foot high red rock cliffs, was in sunlight and shadow, an early autumn thunderstorm hovering to the northeast over the Dolores and San Miguel Rivers.

Photo location: Paradox, west end of Montrose County, Colorado.

See much more of my photography on my website: www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright 2018 Stephen J. Krieg

Colorado Fall Colors, South Fork San Miguel River

2018-10-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

Looking down at the upper South Fork of the San Miguel River, October 1, 2018.

After a slow start the past few weeks due to warm temperatures, the fall colors in the high country of southwest Colorado have picked it up.

Highway 145 stormy day fall colors near Telluride, Colorado.

Some might call this "peak colors", but I don't. It's close, though. Still a lot of green aspen leaves mixed in with the yellow. And now we have rain pushing in from the south due to a hurricane turned tropical storm that made landfall on the Baja Peninsula. But it's relatively warm rain. So it will be interesting to see how things continue to play out for the rest of this week.

Photo location: Along Colorado Highway 145 south of Telluride, Colorado.

See much more of my photography on my website: www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright 2018 Stephen J. Krieg

Fall Colors On The Uncompahgre Plateau

2018-09-29T16:53:00.001-07:00

La Sal Mountains in Utah, from Colorado's Uncompahgre Plateau.

This autumn of 2018 seems to be progressing well despite an exceptionally dry summer. Since this is only my first season living in this area of southwest Colorado it will be interesting to experience more years and compare them.

Aspen leaves backlit by afternoon sunlight.

I drove up onto the mighty Uncompahgre Plateau from Nucla, Colorado to see how things were going. And to visit a dying wildfire.

Glowing autumn aspen leaves against the dark greens of spruce trees.

The backbone road of the Uncompahgre is the Divide Road. Once I was onto it I headed west, toward the control lines of the Bull Draw Fire, still smoldering over 36,000 acres. Interestingly, despite the shorter days and much cooler nights the fire was still putting up visible smoke. Why? The falling aspen leaves. They quickly dry and give the ground fire paper-like fuel to advance, especially up steep forest slopes.

Remains of the Bull Draw Fire from over the ridge.

As I approached the northeast edge of the fire, the smoke was turning the forest road opaque. The firefighters were there on their patrol, watching for spot fires on the other side of the road, which was their major control line. I stopped to talk with one of them. Since I had once been a forester we could "talk turkey" about wildfire and control methods.

Fire Crew on the Divide Road containment line of the Bull Draw Fire.

The firefighters had used aerial ignition from a helicopter to "make black" just below the forest road. Meaning that by burning it in a controlled manner they could starve any uphill racing fire from having fuel to continue.

Smoke through the burned aspen forest, Bull Draw Fire.

I turned around to descend back down off the Plateau to Nucla. It was nearing sunset and the lowering sunlight was lovely.

The Bull Draw Fire had been caused naturally, by lightning. It had been allowed to burn because for about a hundred years the natural fires had been unnaturally suppressed, which has created today's firestorms in the West. But this fire had occurred in an exceptionally dry year, and it had gotten away. Way away. Very expensive to contain until late fall or winter weather finally puts it out. Managing our public resources is not easy.

Fall colors from the edge of the Uncompahgre Plateau.

Photo location: Uncompahgre Plateau, Uncompahgre National Forest, southwest Colorado.

See much more of my photography at www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright 2018 Stephen J. Krieg

Down By The San Miguel River in May

2018-05-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

The San Miguel River downstream from Naturita, Colorado, with muddy spring runoff from the high country.

The lower San Miguel River in Montrose County's West End is a cold high country stream running through red rock canyons of the high desert. It's a ribbon of green in a rocky and sandy land.

Growing leaves of Gambel Oak on the San Miguel floodplain.

Between the town of Naturita ("little nature") and its confluence with the Dolores River, the San Miguel flows through both private and public land. The Nature Conservancy owns part of it, the Tabeguache (pronounced "tabba-shay" by the locals) Preserve, which it keeps open to the public on a day use basis.

The Nature Conservancy's Tabeguache Preserve on the lower San Miguel River.

"The San Miguel, a major tributary of the Colorado River, is one of the few remaining naturally functioning rivers in the West and is home to some of the best riparian (streamside) habitat in the upper Colorado basin." So says The Nature Conservancy on its interpretive signage along the river.

The Nature Conservancy has three preserves in the San Miguel River basin.

A particular spot I have been becoming familiar with is down a quiet dirt spur through the sagebrush and oak brush to the river.

Claret-cup cactus beginning to bloom.

Some of the Claret-cup cactus, earliest of cacti bloomers, were opening their blossoms.

Blossom of one of the barrel cactus species near the San Miguel River.

So were some barrel cactus nearby.

The inconspicuous flowers of Gambel Oak.

The Gambel Oak ("oakbrush") flowers and leaves were expanding. Hopefully this year they won't get nailed by a late freeze, which prevented acorn production last year.

See more of my best photography on my website: www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright 2018 Stephen J. Krieg

Spring Begins In The High Country

2018-05-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

Lone Cone Peak, from the south in early May, 2018.

The re-emergence of plant growth happens last in the high country. We watch it move up from the lowest elevations to the highest. From the warmest to the coolest.

Early springtime in the mountains is what I call one of my two "in-between" seasons. Most of the beautiful snow is gone, but the green has not begun. It's mostly brown across the land, except for the conifer trees. It's in between.

Willow blossoms.

It's a very dry spring here in the Southwest. The snow has melted early, and so the plants respond accordingly.

Far below Lone Cone Peak, some of the Canada geese have their hatchlings on the edge of the lake for the first time.

Geese hatchlings on the lake.

On the San Juan National Forest I had lunch in a mountain meadow that was not long ago under snow. The flowers of the willows ("pussy willows") along the cold mountain stream glowed in the warm sunlight.

"Pussy willows" flower buds, San Juan National Forest.

To the north, on the mighty Uncompahgre Plateau (Uncompahgre National Forest) I was disappointed to find out that I had already missed the peak blossoming of the Arrowleaf Balsamroot plants. Those earlybirds were extra early this year.

Arrowleaf Balsamroot blossoms, Uncompahgre National Forest.

I enjoyed their next in line successors of the early wildflower season. Oregon grape. Pasqueflower.

Pasqueflower.

At lower elevations, the Gambel oak trees were flowering and beginning to leaf out. I always love seeing them finally emerge because, tough as they are, they seem very cautious about whether the last freezes have passed. And even they get caught wrong, as happened last year.

Gambel Oak, emergence time.

From further above there were lovely sight lines across the top of the Uncompahgre Plateau and to the distant snowy San Juan Mountains peaks.

Early spring hues across the top of the Uncompahgre. Such subtle hues and intriguing patterns of the land.

I was tempted to drive the rest of the length of the Uncompahgre Plateau that afternoon. But it's a long though lovely way. Instead I turned around and descended the switchbacks back down to the San Miguel River.

Ponderosa pines, high mountain meadow, and the shining San Juan Mountains.

See more of my best photography on my website: www.NaturalMoment.com.

Copyright 2018 Stephen J. Krieg

Goodbye Cortez: Moonset Over Sleeping Ute

2018-05-03T18:21:00.001-07:00

Moonset and Sleeping Ute Mountain from upper McElmo Canyon.

Unbelievably I was moving out of Cortez, Colorado after only a year there. Things change. Not only a new job but a transfer to another portion of the western slope of the state. Another area to explore intimately.

Full Moon moonrise photography had been a washout for April. Clouds. The springtime moisture was appreciated, scant though it was.

The other side of moonrise is of course moonset. When you can watch it going down toward the western horizon while dawn approaches.

Thus I awoke in my home on the last morning there and realized that the previous night's clouds were gone, off to the east. That was the moon shining in my bedroom window, and it was about to get light.

I rolled out of bed and dressed like a clumsy fool. No time to waste. No coffee, breakfast, nothing. Just get in the car and get to a decent viewpoint. And quickly.

Driving south of Cortez toward Sleeping Ute Mountain, I turned down the canyon road. It was the very upper reach of McElmo Canyon, no time to search around much.

I pulled over at an opportune spot and made this photograph.

See more of my photography on my website at: www.NaturalMoment.com

© Copyright 2018 Stephen J. Krieg

San Juan Mountains Alpenglow

2018-03-27T19:32:00.001-07:00

San Miguel Mountains just before sunset.

Fresh snow on the high peaks of the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado. An evening free all to myself. Great springtime weather. What to do? Get out there and combine them! Photographically, of course.

From Norwood in the southwest corner of Montrose County I drove south on a paved County road that heads straight toward Lone Cone Peak, possibly my favorite mountain. So far.

On the way down the road, the sunset was getting near. I stopped to shoot the San Miguel Range to the southeast. Then drove on.

Alpenglow on the San Miguel Mountains.

But only a few minutes later the San Miguels lit up pink with alpenglow from the sunset reflecting off the clouds above it, from the west.

Alpenglow on northwest face of Lone Cone Peak.

Finally, Lone Cone reflected the same alpenglow off of its snowy northwestern slope.

A very fine early springtime evening in the southwest Colorado high country.

Photo location: Montrose Country, near Norwood, Colorado.

© Copyright 2018 Stephen J. Krieg

The Edge Of Spring, Mesa Verde

2018-03-16T12:34:00.001-07:00

Cliff Canyon on a March morning.

The middle of March of a mild winter and I was searching for the very first signs of spring at 7,000 feet in Mesa Verde National Park.

A recent weak storm system had left the air clear and crisp in the morning sunlight. I began with a morning drive around the Mesa Top Loop road as well as the newly reopened for the season Cliff Palace Loop road.

Cliff Palace, the crown jewel of Mesa Verde National Park.

I stopped to make a panorama of Cliff Palace in soft morning shade. Then another for views of Cliff Canyon and the House Of Many Windows Ruin.

House Of Many Windows, Cliff Canyon. They are actually doorways, not windows.

Returning in late afternoon I made another panorama of Square Tower House, my favorite in the park.

Square Tower House site on a March afternoon.

And I once again tried to imagine how the ancient ones could build a four story tower by hand out of sandstone "bricks" and mud mortar. No iron tools yet, only stone tools. No beasts of burden. Only humans. Amazing.

Square Tower House site, featuring the tallest structure in the park.

Back on the Cliff Palace road, I bypassed the Balcony House parking lot, looking at the few tourists that had stopped to see it. Surprise: you can't. Not from there. Because it's in the alcove underneath you. The Ranger led tours down to it hadn't started for the season.

Hemenway House, from across the canyon.

But I did stop at the overlook for Hemenway House, which you're not allowed to tour at all. Same as with most of the park. Too many sites, too rugged.

It would take massive road construction to reach even a fraction more than you can now. Instead, you get to see the most impressive sites, and the rest are protected for research.

Balcony House from the Soda Canyon overlook.

But I wanted some more shots of Balcony House. So I hiked the easy Soda Canyon Overlook Trail to the viewpoint across the head of the canyon.

Balcony House, with a long lens.

On the hike back I photographed the only emerging greenery I could find: bunch grasses and Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata).

New spring growth, bunch grass.

Emerging leaves of Bitterbrush, Purshia tridentata (meaning three lobed, you can see some already).

I was also interested in how the cacti had fared during the winter. Their somewhat leathery and waxy "skin" preserves moisture but by now they were looking quite wrinkled, waiting to revive themselves.

Wrinkled pads of Prickly Pear Cactus at the end of winter.

And the Banana Yucca (Yucca spp.), which weren't wrinkled but were looking a bit yellow compared to how they will soon look again with the revival of springtime.

End of winter coloration in Banana Yucca.

See more of my photography at my website: www.NaturalMoment.com.

Photo location: Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.

© Copyright 2018 Stephen J. Krieg

Bedrock, Colorado

2018-03-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Bedrock Store at Bedrock, Colorado.

It was the last day of February, and it felt time to take another long drive into the mountains of southwest Colorado. To them, between them, through them. Why not? (My usual excuse, as if I need one).

My first real stop (meaning for photos, rather than merely admiring the passing scenery) was Bedrock, Colorado. A tiny hamlet in the middle of nowhere, truly. Wide open high desert scenery. Snowy mountain ranges to the west and to the east. No services, not even a convenience store. Gas up your vehicle well beforehand.

Which is not a put-down, merely advice. I love these rural, clean air, wide open skies kind of places. As usual, the locals waved to me as our cars passed, even though they did not recognize me. I have experienced this many times in rural areas, where people look after each other, including strangers. Especially when the weather is bad.

Highway 90 west from Bedrock toward the La Sal Mountains in Utah.

But this was not a bad weather day. More like an early spring day. Warm in the sunlight, chilly in the shade.

At Bedrock, which is nothing more than a wide spot on the highway (and not even very wide) I once again photographed the Bedrock Store, that irresistibly historic building. Looking like an Old West general store. Several years ago when I first make my way through Bedrock, the store was open. It was fascinating inside. I bought a little something, then continued on my way.

The next time I passed through, the store was closed. With a sign saying the owner was experiencing health problems. And again the next time I was there.

But now I hear that it's open once again. Limited hours. As in: when whomever running it is there.

See much more of my photography at my website: www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright 2018 Stephen J. Krieg

Icing On The Day: Coyote

2018-02-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

Coyote, roadside hunting, Mesa Verde National Park.

One of the many privileges of working in a National Park is that you can more frequently see wildlife in a more natural state. As in: not being shot at.

I thought about this as I was driving back out of Mesa Verde again during the winter "offseason" (for tourists, that is).

Coyote watching from above for its next meal.

A coyote was walking down the edge of the road, coming toward me. I stopped well before I got close to it, so I could grab my camera, and turn its control dial to a setting that I had programmed for "wildlife" so that I could enable it quickly. (I get a little smarter every year). (But just a little).

Being in a National Park, the coyote was only marginally interested in me, or should I say my vehicle. It surely was keeping an eye on me. At least one corner of it, just out of instinct.

I think that it was walking down the shoulder of the road because it gave a better view of the terrain just below. Looking for food. Prey.

Which made me think about weak we humans are, despite our immense intellectual talents. Because that coyote essentially wore its home on its back. Thick warm fur. It knows where to find (to it) delicious, high calorie food. It knows where to curl up in a sheltered place in the fiercest of winter storms. When to sleep, when to go back to hunting for the next meal.

Thus it needs no job. No career. It has one. It is one.

Could you live out there without a whole lot of insulated clothing and supplies that you had paid for somewhere? How "free" are you, after all?

See more of my photography at www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright Stephen J. Krieg

Icing On The Day: Bobcat

2018-02-10T10:15:00.001-07:00

Sunrise on Point Lookout, at the entrance to Mesa Verde.

A February day at Mesa Verde National Park began with it now being light enough around 7am as for the sun to soon be crawling over the eastern horizon, lighting up the towering rampart of Point Lookout as I drove into the entrance of the park. The vertical cliffs of sandstone at the summit glowed with gold, while the more angled and brush covered lower slope turned rosy. And all the other slopes still in shadow provided a wonderful contrast of angles and tones.

Up onto the Mesa itself, and 20 miles in as I neared park headquarters, I saw that I had plenty of time for a swing around the Mesa Top loop road. To see how things looked now that the sun was much further north than it had been back at Winter Solstice. A nature photographer has to keep up on such things, you know.

Square Tower House cliff dwelling site in the soft shadows at sunrise.

At Square Tower House I parked and walked down the paved path to the overlook. The sunshine was just creeping over part of the rim of the canyon, but the alcove below with the remnants (lovingly stabilized by the National Park Service) of the prehistoric village lay in soft daylight illumination.

In late afternoon as I was driving "outbound" as the rangers call it (there's only one road into the park, and out) a bobcat Lynx rufus) was walking down the opposite edge of the road. This being a National Park with no hunting, it was much more relaxed than if it had been surprised by a vehicle pulling up behind it outside the park.

And though I had my camera equipment beside me, it was zipped up in the case, and it did not have the long lens on.

This still being the serene offseason in the park, I stopped right in the road, put my warning flashers on, and watched the bobcat to see if it was going to bolt out of sight into the brush, or not. It didn't. So I hurriedly pulled out the camera and changed lenses, while the beautiful little predator walked up onto the brushy bank a little.

I didn't think I had time to change the camera to a much higher ISO speed, so I shot away with what it was set on. What the heck.

Blurred but beautiful bobcat shot.

Still no other cars approaching behind me, so I kept shooting. The first one here I like even though the shutter speed was slow enough to make for a blurred image. But it is of the small cat in full length stepping down the slope. It almost looks like a tiger in this shot.

Bobcat, over the shoulder pose.

Then it turned back up the slope and almost seemed to pose briefly. From this angle the patterns in its fur shows how well it can blend in with the brush.

Bobcat, hoping I'll drive on and leave it alone.

Then it looked to the other side, right at me. Between its momentary stillness, my resting my hand on the car window, and my camera's state of the art image stabilization technology, we had a win.

And I continued "outbound", down the hill to Cortez and home.

Photo Location: Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, USA.

See more of my photography, and order prints at my website: www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright Stephen J. Krieg

Moonrise to Lunar Eclipse Moonset, Colorado San Juans

2018-01-31T13:48:00.002-07:00

Moonrise over the San Juan Mountains, Trout Lake, Colorado.

The end of January 2018 was supposed to be not just a Full Moon, but a "blue moon", meaning the second one in the same month. But that's merely the calendar. The Blue Moon occurred on January 31, just one day before February started. Thus robbing February of a Full Moon at all! What should that be called -- the Non Moon?

Whatever. The important thing is that the weather was forecast to be clear, and I live in southwest Colorado. As in: awesome landscapes abound in which to photograph a rising moon above one of them.

So I drove up to Lizard Head Pass (elevation 10, 222 feet or 3,116 meters) the day before the Full Moon as indicated by the calendar. Why? Because depending on when the moon actually reaches "full illumination", you have to be out there the evening before if you want to make landscape photography shots with both the moon rising and the landscape not in darkness.

Trout Lake, just north of Lizard Head Pass. Sun almost down, moon not up yet.

I got to the Pass while the setting sun was still glowing enticingly on the high peaks. I did not stop at the pass but chose to drive down the other side a few miles, to an overlook above Trout Lake. There the warm sunlit peaks, though they were slipping into shadow fast, made for a fantastic accent to the snowy lake in twilight shadow below.

But! Having those peaks so close to me meant that the rising moon would not clear them for quite a while. After dark. Not good.

So I did a U-turn on the highway and headed back up to Lizard Head Pass. The additional 500 feet in elevation would make a critical difference.

And it did. It was a gorgeous January evening. Unseasonably mild, and there was not even a breeze. Still enough to hear a coin drop on the pavement.

The moon was already up over the peaks, of course, and the sun had gone down, too. No time to lose. Shoot the moonrise in the early twilight, before the moon would become a white round disk in a black sky.

So back to work, camera on tripod of course.

Moonrise panorama. Click on image for larger view.

As I was about to finish up a lone cross country skier appeared back up over the opposite road bank, to his car. Taking his skis off, he saw me photographing and said "What a great view to photograph!". Something like that. We each savored the scene for a few more minutes, then wished each other to have a good rest of the evening.

So much for that evening. I would get up early the next morning for the second half of the show: a full Lunar Eclipse as the moon was getting ready to set before sunrise.

See more of my photography, and order prints at my website: www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright Stephen J. Krieg

Ship Rock, The "Rock With Wings"

2018-01-11T15:11:00.002-07:00

Ship Rock, New Mexico.

I drove down into northwestern New Mexico to photograph Ship Rock. It's west of the town that bears its name, Shiprock.

The Ship Rock is the weathered remnant of a volcanic plug -- the magma that cooled to rock while in the throat of the volcano as it was dying. Afterward the volcano eroded away, and here we are looking at what was inside.

The site is on Navajo Nation land. This image was taken from the public highway, as I have no desire to intrude upon private Navajo property for the sake of a photo.

The Navajo call Ship Rock "the rock with wings".

My website is at: www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright 2018 Stephen J. Krieg

Mesa Verde: Sunset Glow At Square Tower House

2017-11-05T09:41:00.001-07:00

Square Tower House alcove just before sunset, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.

November has arrived. Up in Mesa Verde National Park at the park's south end, (7,000 feet elevation), I spent an evening seeing how the much lower angle of the autumn sun was working the sunset light on the cliff dwellings.

On the beginning of the Mesa Top Loop road, I soon was able to see how Navajo Canyon was lit up by the low angle of the late autumn sun. Square Tower House, I thought, was going to look really good.

And it did. But it was still a half hour or so until sunset. So I drove on to see how the light was playing on some of the other Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling remains along the drive.

Oak Tree House alcove, early November afternoon sunlight.

Cliff Palace, as the pre-sunset shadows come up the alcove wall well before sunset.

Nice, but I was really interested in seeing how Square Tower House would look at sunset.

I swung back around the loop and parked and returned to the overlook. I was the only one there. I kept glancing at the sun, so low above the mesa top to the south. The lower the angle of the sun, the warmer the light would be. Each few minutes mattered, the difference noticeable.

As the shadows came up the alcove wall, the warm sunlight glow intensified. It seems to do this better at Square Tower House than at Cliff Palace because the adjacent canyon (Navajo Canyon) is wider, allowing the sun to be even lower before it finally disappears below the far canyon rim.

Square Tower House in sunset glow.

Photo location: Mesa Verde National Park, southwest Colorado.

See more of my photography at www.NaturalMoment.com

© Copyright Stephen J. Krieg

High Peaks Sunrise and Valley Fall Colors

2017-10-12T16:55:00.002-07:00

Moon setting at dawn, Rico, Colorado, October 7.

October 7, and I was driving up the Dolores River valley in southwest Colorado for another day of experiencing the fall colors. It was still dark as I left Cortez, and cruised through the town of Dolores.

Approaching Rico, dawn was occurring. When it got light enough to take decent landscape photos, I made some compositions with the just past Full moon getting ready to set behind the San Juan Mountains with their aspen forests fall colors.

Dawn at the beaver ponds on the edge of Rico.

At the edge of town I turned off on a gravel road that I knew bordered some old beaver ponds. A nice wide open view of the mountains, and a glassy reflection provided by the water's surface.

Sunrise on the high peak, above and below.

I was about to continue on my way when the sunrise lit up a high peak above timberline with an orange glow. And reflected on the pond's surface.

See more of my photography on my website: www.NaturalMoment.com.

Photo location: Rico, southwest Colorado.

© Copyright 2017 Stephen J. Krieg

Rico, Colorado Fall Colors

2017-10-03T03:50:00.002-07:00

Fall colors from Rico Community Church on an overcast morning, September 30, 2017.

As I track the progression of the fall colors in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, I return again and again to the tiny community of Rico. Once the county seat when it was a mining boom town, it's now part tourist destination, part bedroom community for people working in Telluride.

At about 8,800 feet in elevation it's a good bellweather of what's going on in the high country, ringed by high mountain peaks.

Fall colors on a sunny afternoon, October 7, 2017.

I returned a week later, on a perfect early October day. Warm, no haze to speak of, and no wind.

Photo location: Rico, Colorado.

See more of my photography on my website: www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright 2017 Stephen J. Krieg

Aspen Colors in First Snow

2017-09-24T18:27:00.001-07:00

Orange, yellow and green aspen tree foliage in the first snow of the high country.

Photo location: San Juan National Forest, Colorado.

© Copyright Stephen J. Krieg

First Fall Weather at Mesa Verde

2017-09-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

Rain curtain from the Navajo Canyon overlook, Mesa Verde.

Mid September, and I'm enjoying the first fall weather of the season, which looks like it's going to continue. Goodbye summertime heat at last?

I drove the Mesa Top Loop road first, just after the first hard rain in weeks had moved on.

Oak Tree House cliff dwelling, after the rain.

The overall lighting was poor, so I concentrated on eliminating the sky in most of my shots. I was interested in how the wet Cliff Dwelling Sandstone layer was showing off its dark streaks of desert varnish even more prominently.

Fire House cliff dwelling.

At Sun Temple's "Camera Point" I got a nicely saturated panorama of Cliff Palace.

Cliff Palace from across the canyon at Camera Point.

Inside the Cliff Palace alcove, the Ranger-led tour's visitors were enjoying being nice and dry.

Tour group at Cliff Palace.

The Mesa Top Loop completed, it was time to continue outbound from the southwest end of the Park.

Young wild turkey drinking from the rumble strip gouges in the road.

On the way to Far View, where the park's lodge is located, I came across the same hen (female) and youngster wild turkey pair that I'd seen on the way in that morning.

Being in a National Park where no hunting is allowed, they were quite casual. I watched them drink from the "rumble strip" depressions in the road's centerline, as I had seen other birds do. A convenient way for a quick drink of cool, clear water after the storm.

Mother and youngster wild turkeys.

Since there was only one poult (hatchling) with the mother hen on both sightings, I assumed that the rest of the young ones had been killed, probably picked off one by one by predators. Which is why each hen hatches a clutch of eggs, not just one.

Storm to the south, from Park Point.

At Park Point I made a panorama of the slowly clearing skies and the rain storm still underway down toward Shiprock, New Mexico. Then I shifted my view to the north for a nice wet view toward the Knife Edge cliff formation, with the La Plata Mountains in the distance.

Looking north toward the Knife Edge, from Park Point.

While at Park Point I made some shots of early fall colors in some Gambel Oak leaves. With the chilly nights in the forecast things should be changing quickly.

A few Gambel Oak (Quercus gambellii) early fall colors.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) early fall colors.

As a closing touch, I photographed a lovely thunderhead cloud before continuing down from the North Rim and out of the park.

Thunderhead cloud from Park Point.

Days So Much Shorter

2017-08-18T12:45:00.001-07:00


Pinon Pine snag at Montezuma Valley Overlook.

It's August now. Late summer. It's been a spectacular one, too. Rain showers in the afternoon, keeping the land green. Minimizing the wildfire danger.

At this time of the year, the days (length of daylight) are getting shorter by about two minutes a day. Meaning an hour a month. As we slide out of the heat of summer into the glorious coolness of autumn, starting in September. It won't be long.

Photo location: Mesa Verde National Park, southwest Colorado.

See more of my photography at www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright 2017 Stephen J. Krieg

Mesa Verde Summertime View

2017-07-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

Navajo Canyon, Mesa Verde.

It's mid summer. Here comes late summer right around the corner. I try to enjoy all the seasons.

People are saying: "It's almost August! Where is the summer going?" It's going day by day, of course.

Soon it will be fall, my favorite time of year. But not yet. Here on the Colorado Plateau, it's monsoon thunderstorm season, the beautiful time when southern moisture collides with hot high country temperatures and boils over in the skies. When all manner of blues and whites and grays make for a mesmerizing palette above.

Navajo Canyon cliffs.

Up on Mesa Verde, I continue to watch things progress through the summer. The vegetation growing until it's once again time to settle in for the coming cold season.

Once again I look down upon Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in North America.

Cliff Place at Mesa Verde.

Meanwhile, in the parking lot, the Rabbitbrush are beginning to bloom. A butterfly is sufficiently distracted as to allow me to take some photos of it from a few feet away.

Butterfly on Rabbitbrush blooms, Cliff Palace parking lot.

High Country Summer

2017-07-18T15:05:00.001-07:00

Colorado Hwy. 145 near Lizard Head Pass

It was the end of June, and I had not been back up into the southwest Colorado high country in over a month.

Up the Dolores river valley from the quaint and historic river town of Dolores on Highway 145. Up past the hamlet of Stoner, and Rico, my favorite mountain town. But I could not stop there, as I had a long way to go.

Lizard Head Pass, late June.

The aspen forests high above were in full greenery, as were the alpine tundra fields above them, even if only slightly less so. Shades of green against blue mountains, and skies.

Lizard Head Peak, from the Pass.

And before long I was back up at Lizard Head Pass. The snowfields above timberline had been melting rapidly. The uppermost reaches of the streams were losing their turbidity (muddy-ness) after the high water mark of spring runoff of the snowfields in the surrounding mountains.

I settled into a campsite. A "dispersed campsite", meaning it was just a spot on the National Forest. No facilities, just me and nature. There was a well used fire ring there, but I had no desire for a campfire.

I began to look around at the wildflowers.

Then some deer walked almost right through my camp. Alert but relatively unconcerned, they know when it's hunting season and when it's not.

Starry, Really Starry Night at 10,000 Feet

2017-07-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

Milky Way and infinite friends, from Lizard Head Pass.

Summertime, and the living's easy. Right? Especially up in the Rocky Mountains of southwest Colorado.

I was back up at Lizard Head Pass, and had found an excellent campsite on the National Forest to settle into. A day off, plenty of provisions, nowhere else to be but to be relaxed and savoring the experience.

Sunset turned to dusk, and to sleep. Good night. But something was bugging me: being back underneath a clear dark sky view of the Milky Way again.

I'm no night owl. I like going to bed early and getting up early. But I wanted to once again try my hand at some night sky photography.

So at one point I peered out the window and upward just to confirm that the Milky Way was still up there. Got that done. Then I dozed off. And woke up dreaming that I was photographing it! Oh, I thought, I'd better just get up and actually do it. Otherwise it will be fits and starts of dreams all night.

So I sleepily set up the tripod and camera and had what could best be described as a good effort. Which, in post production back at home (fully awake) turned out to be not bad. Progress from my earlier attempts.

To the north, I framed the spruce and fir trees in silhouette against the sky. After all, who needs another great shot of the night sky without an Earthly reference?

Southern sky, the Galactic Center.

Then, to the south. The Galactic Center was in view. Such shots are often called fake, because they look like star clouds.

The reality is that the camera sensor records more than our eyes can see at the time. Also, city people have no night vision because of all the light pollution. Come up here to 10,000 feet and look up at the night sky. Without turning on any white lights. You could see so much more than you imagined.

At any rate, these are my best depictions of what I experienced that starry, starry night.

Photo location: Lizard Head Pass, San Juan National Forest, Colorado.

See more of my photography at www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright 2017 Stephen J. Krieg

Moonrise, Moonset, and Sleeping Ute Mountain

2017-06-10T12:23:00.003-07:00

Totten Reservoir, Mesa Verde, and Sleeping Ute Mountain.

It was Full Moon time, that time of the month to once again try for great landscape photos featuring the moonrise.

In June, sunset occurs late, just after 8:30 PM, which is also about the time that the Full Moon rises in the east. So I had some time to kill.

I drove to Totten Reservoir just east of Cortez, in part because the late afternoon haze was making Sleeping Ute Mountain stand out on the southwestern skyline. Mostly clear blue skies, a nice breeze, the warming light of the lowering sun.

Sleeping Ute Mountain from Totten Reservoir.

Sleeping Ute Mountain is a small but prominent mountain range in southwest Colorado. It lies wholly within the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation, meaning it's off limits to non-tribal members except by certain advance tours with a guide.

Why is it called Sleeping Ute? To the right is the warrior's head, with his headdress flowing out. (He seems to have no nose, who knows?). His arms are folded across his chest, forming Ute Peak on the map. To the far left his knees are visible, and even the tips of his toes. It is said that Sleeping Ute will awaken when his tribe needs him, so take heed!

But to the east is the North Rim of Mesa Verde, the dazzling cliffs that form the backdrop to the town of Cortez. It was there that the moonrise would appear over. Earlier in the afternoon I had alerted some visitors going into the park to watch for it. City dwellers are unaware of such things, and they delight in being given such tips to enjoy with their families.

Moonrise over the North Rim of Mesa Verde, from Cortez.

The sun went down and the shadows of Mesa Verde as seen from my vantage point near the southern edge of Cortez deepened. It was getting too dark for my favored kind of moonrise landscape photos.

Full Moon after it got too dark for good landscape shots.

But about 9 PM the Full Moon (actually a bit past 100% illumination, but who's counting) started to peek over the rim of the Mesa. Shots made a few minutes later were too wildly contrasty to satisfy me. Who needs yet another shot of the gorgeous moon in a black sky? Mesmerizing as it is.

In the morning, though, the rest of the Full Moon event is moonset at dawn. So I was back out at the lake for more. I had slept in, and had to scramble out there to see what was available. I was not disappointed.

Moonset at dawn, Totten Lake.

Mesa Verde Wildflowers: Fendlerbush

2017-06-02T12:54:00.001-07:00

Fendlerbush blossoms, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

The first day of June in Mesa Verde National Park. I stopped at the Far View pueblo sites for an early evening walk. Being on the mesa top, it's an easy walk, and it was a beautiful late afternoon.

Before long I came upon more Fendlerbush (Fendlera falcata (F. rupicola), which have been blooming for a while now. Still they are not done, at least not certain shrubs in the park. With the late afternoon light illuminating them from behind, they glowed even more. The deep shadows behind only served to make them stand out even more.

Their flower buds are pink, but as they open they turn a very pure white. The four petals make them an easy identify up here.

Photo location: Mesa Verde National Park, southwest Colorado. See more of my photography at www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright 2017 Stephen J. Krieg