Animas River

The mine site of Eureka just upstream from camp.

Natures Colors

Lichen

Moss

Rust

When photographing in color, as opposed to black and white film photography, I always look for the patterns of color made in nature. Here are three examples including rust which formed on a piece of steel at an old mine site.

Eureka Colorado

Near Eureka

Eureka Colorado

Home Again

Molas Lake

Waterfall just south of town

After sleeping all summer under a thick down comforter in Silverton, Colorado I am back home in Lake Havasu City. Not easy sleeping with the air conditioner on again but it was well over 100 today. Had to keep the heat on in the trailer the last couple weeks in the mountains to prevent the water pipes  from freezing during the night. Still have a project to do in the mountains near Telluride so hope to get back there in next two weeks.

Gotta get out of this place

It is getting noticeably colder and the snow is much lower than even a few days ago. To pull the trailer out there are two passes to cross that are over 11,000 ft so its time to leave Silverton for this year. Was planning on spending some time on the west side of the mountains near Telluride but the Aspens at the lower level are not turning yet. There are two places I wanted to photograph there but may have to come back in a week or so hoping the weather cooperates. If it gets too cold too fast the color will be gone.

Model T Train Car

The mining towns in the San Juan Mountains depended on trains. The mines put train tracks to the mines and the towns of the area to haul oar out with steam trains.  Specialized vehicles were developed to haul mail and supplies into the mountains where roads were almost non existent. 
Like this one, several of these were powered with Ford Model T engines.

Eureka

Several mornings lately we have had snow on the peaks. These were taken on the road to Eureka which was very muddy due to last nights rain. Eureka is the staging area for the sheep being brought down from the high meadows and this morning there were thousands of sheep there. Many large rigs were traveling on the muddy road picking up the sheep to take them to lower pastures.

Red Mountain

Red Mountain from Corkscrew Pass just before sunrise

Hurricane Pass

Valley off trail to Hurricane Pass

Stream in the meadow below Hurricane Pass

Eureka with fog

If it rains at night there is usually fog in the early morning. The key is to get out long before sunrise and the problem is which direction to go as there will be only a short time to work before it burns off. This day I went to Eureka and was able to get these shots.

Labor Day, 1900

From the September 8, 1900 edition of the Silverton Standard

"Labor Day passed off as quiet as could be expected owing to the fact that a brand of liquor was opened up by some strangers with a new fangled roulette wheel early in the day. There were only sixteen fights and three shooting scrapes, one arrest and one fined. In the evening after the ball, some unknown person shot through the Angel of Mercy saloon window; Dooley's summer residence was set on fire and entirely consumed and the city jail was pushed down the hill into Cement creek. No one of importance was hurt as the inmate was an unknown without any money and he met his death in drowning. All in all the day was a grand improvement over that of last year when the liquor was opened up the day before."

Evening and Morning

It had been a rainy day and at sundown a few rays of light broke through. Took the top two photos from my backyard looking east. It rained hard all night which means we will have fog in the morning. Always want to get up early as the fog can make for some great light for photos. This morning the rain in camp had made for some snow in the mountains around 1000 ft above camp. I left before sunrise to check for some photos of fog and when I got back to camp took the two bottom photos from the backyard looking west.

Molas Lake

Molas Pass at 11,000 ft is the first pass you go over heading south out of Silverton. There are several lakes in the area. This is Molas Lake which is the largest. Sometimes I'll go up to Little Molas Lake at sunrise to photograph the reflections of the surrounding mountains. There are also some small ponds with a lot of water Lilies near the summit.

Durango to Silverton

Went into Durango for supplies the other day. It was clear in Silverton when I left  but on the other side of the pass in Durango it was raining. On the way home the clouds were hovering over the peaks giving some great views from the passes.

Looking West from Red Mountain

This was taken from a trail that bypasses Red Mountain Pass and continues through the old mining town of Red Mountain.

Red Mountain from Hurricaine Pass

Abandoned Bus

Bus on Kendall Mountain

At the end of a long trail on Kendall Mountain in front of this mine shaft is this abandoned old bus. Apparently it has been there for a long time and at one time has been lived in. It is an hour and half 4WD trip to get here and involves several steep narrow switchbacks, rock ledges, and narrow passages between trees. I had seen the bus from across the meadow and walked the last half mile as to drive any closer would involve fording a stream that had steep rocky banks and I didn't want to be stuck there along this late in the day.  How anyone got it here is a mystery. This is the same trail that further on down has an abandoned boxcar that has been there for over thirty years.

Rainbow

We have had a lot of rain lately. Today from about 4-6 PM we had one of the hardest thunderstorm I have ever seen. It was great but was glad to be in a trailer not in a tent. The lightening would start at one side of the valley and go to the mountain top on the other side. Then the thunder would come in an instant and the ground would shake. This just keep going on then the sun broke through in the west creating this rainbow.

Red Mountain from Corkscrew Summit

Drove the 4Wd trail to corkscrew Summit early to get to the summit before sunrise. Tried to do this as a twelve exposure panel but the small laptop I am using just couldn't handle the size of the files. These were taken about a half hour before the sun hit the mountain.

Molas Pass

Had to make a quick trip to Durango and stopped at a small lake on Molas Pass on the way back. When there are some clouds to the east there is a chance for some good reflections. The problem is that to get close enough for a good reflection you are in a swamp and you must work fast as you just keep sinking. Most of these mountain lakes are in stream fed basins and surrounded by swamp land making getting a good location and setting up a tripod a problem.

Morning Fog In Silverton

Three more views of Lake Como

Yes, I really like this spot. From here you can reach several great trails such as Corkscrew, California Gulch, Engineers, Cinnamon, Picayne, Placer Gulch, Eureka Gulch, and several others.The trail you see on the far side of the lake is Poughkeepsie Gulch which the guide book says a winch is necessary and to  "expect severe vehicle damage".

Trail back from Lake Como

Rainbow at Lake Como

While I didn't get clear skies at Lake Como a rainbow,even a double rainbow, showed up.