Monday, April 19, 2010

GARDEN OF THE GODS

A day trip to Colorado Springs last week turned into an overnight due to high winds. Always wanting to see Pikes Peak from the top, having heard from my parents since childhood of their experience there in the 20's driving a Model "T" ford, I talked my husband into the drive. Unfortunately the road was closed because of the high winds but it led to our first trip to the "Garden of the Gods", hardly a poor second.

The variety of colors and formations in the park is amazing. Having been formed over the eons as one continental plate over-road the other the sedimentary rock was uplifted into fantastic shapes.

The view of Pikes Peak from the park was beautiful.

"White Rock" stands out against the red "North Gateway" rock.

These jagged darker rocks contrast with the more rounded spires of red rock below.

HARTMAN ROCKS

As we are getting ready to leave Crested Butte for New Jersey, I managed to get in a hike at Hartman Rocks in Gunnison.

Though spring comes earlier in Gunnison than in the mountains there were still patches of snow.

The shape of some of the rocks were reminiscent of Gaudi's rooftop creations in Barcelona.

Trees managed to grow out of solid rock.

It is interesting to me how the hole got in the round rock at the right.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

PINK SNOW

As we are getting ready to leave beautiful Crested Butte and head for the New Jersey shore I wanted to show a few pictures of the "end of the season" phenomena. In the East we talk of March "coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb". Here that seem to be a good description of April. We frequently get big snows just after the ski area closes in early April, often accompanied by high winds which blow the red sand of Utah our way. The Result is pink snow.

It is easy to see the wind direction by which mountains have changed color, and the altitude of the "snow-sand storm".

The Pick Snow leaves interesting patterns on the mountain sides which, for a time, can be quite beautiful.