The Black Canyon of the Gunnison

About an hour and a half south of my house is the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.  Because it's so close, I try to get down there at least once a year.  A few weeks ago, I realized I had yet to visit this year, so I made the journey on a gorgeous autumn afternoon.

It's a challenge to capture the canyon's impressive majesty with photographs.  Because it's so narrow and deep, little light makes its way to the bottom.  In October, the low angle of the sun allows even less light to penetrate the depths of the canyon.  That does nothing to diminish the experience of viewing it from any of the overlooks on the north or south rims, and thus I don't hesitate to visit regardless of the time of year.

The scrub oak was still ablaze in color so late in the season, and the rim of the canyon has a lot of it, along with pinon pine, cacti,  and other high desert flora.

The Crystal River Valley

Connecting Marble to Redstone to Carbondale, Colorado, the Crystal River Valley is one of the most scenic areas in Colorado.  A snowstorm last night gave everything a fresh white coating, and the parting clouds this morning stand out great against the blue sky.

More from the Crystal River

Another snowstorm, another snowshoe outing.  The pillowy shapes formed by the snow on the rocks and river banks make the scene look like a fancy dessert.Snowshapes on the river keep drawing me back for more.

Snowshoeing on the Crystal River

Winter offers a completely different set of opportunities and challenges - both to exploration and photography.

Snowshoes are my favorite way to explore the backcountry in winter.  It takes about twice the energy to cover a mile as it would hiking in summer, but the rewards are great scenery and an incredible experience.

I recommend carrying spare camera batteries in a pocket that's close to your body.  The cold weather saps the juice from your camera batteries rather quickly.  Other than that, the only other challenge I've found to winter photography is fogging - of the lens, the viewfinder, and my eyeglasses.  My DSLR behaves like a champ in much colder temperatures than my 35mm could handle. 

If you're planning a ski vacation to Colorado, consider taking a day or two to explore the backcountry by snowshoes or cross-country skis.  You probably don't get our here too often in winter, so take advantage of a bad weather day to try a new outdoor activity.