Fall 2022 in SW Colorado

Day 10

The morning food me up with the sun. I drove the roads in and around Owl Creek Pass scoping out compositions. Ended up finding a smidgen of cellphone service so I added that as a pin on my maps and chatted with the Wife for a bit. Things seemed well at home. I can't wait to get back and smell the Autumn scents and see the decorations my wife put up. I'd gotten them down from storage just before leaving so they'd not have to.

After chatting a bit, it was obvious that the sky was going to stay boring minus one itty-bitty cloud that I saw, so I headed back to the cabin and whipped up some breakfast; my specialty, jet-boiled water and two packs of Brown Sugar Oatmeal. 😀

After breakfast, one of the fellas at camp mentioned going down the road and shooting a rock formation he'd been wanting to shoot. He asked if I'd bring my 600mm along and shoot the rocks. "Of course," I responded as we gathered up our things and headed that way.

After pulling over and hopping out of our vehicles, he said something along the lines of, "See that clearing way up the cliffside?" I nodded that ai did. Then he said, "That's where we need to climb to get the vantage point we need." Hahaha, I thought as I grabbed my way-too-heavy camera bag as well as my case that holds my 150-600mm lens. "Okay, let's go!"

The hike up wasn't cake or anything, but it was surely easier than what I'd done the evening prior. After about 30 minutes of climbing, we finally ended up in our target area.

The views were amazing! I sat there oftentimes forgetting to take pictures. The light was a bit harsh, so taking pics wasn't an immediate concern for me. I was content with sitting and soaking it all in. However, I did get a few photos in an effort to preserve the moment. I sure know I can't depend upon my memory to do that for me. 🤪

By the time we got back, the picnic had begun. We joined in the festivities. It was great catching up with some old friends and just as great meeting some new ones. Great event! Thank you, Grizz, TJ, and Sherry for putting it all together.

Before I knew it, it was time for me to bail. I wanted to be at a spot in Ohio Creek Pass for sunset, so I said my goodbyes and headed that way. Sure wish I would have remembered to get my Nalgene. 🙄🤷‍♂️

The drive from Owl Creek Pass to Ohio Pass was uneventful. Even the construction on Hwy 50 wasn't a bother. I ended up getting to Ohio Pass a bit early, so I used the time to scout the Beaver Ponds. They were nice and the trail to them was beautiful...! I'll have to return here and spend a bit more time next time. As it was, all I could think about was getting to my next and final destination for the day, The Castles.

I pulled up to The Castles and was pleased to see that I was the only one there. That only lasted a few minutes because as soon as I set up my gear cars started pulling over and checking out the views.

I managed to get some panoramic images of the scene before sunset. I'd definitely be returning at first light.

I packed up my gear, and chatted a bit with another photographer and his girlfriend/wife; I'm not exactly sure of which. They seemed nice. We talked of photo locations, hikes, and the morning's plans and then parted ways. After, I drove down the road, scouted a few locations, and made a plan for the morning. I'd be zigzagging all over as I'd start at a place that I wanted to shoot but only after driving back down to The Castles for the day's first light. Then, it'd be back to the area I slept in for two compositions and then up the road to the large aspens with the ferns. After that, I expect that I'll somehow find my way to CB and the Paradise Cafe for one last breakfast on the road before heading home.

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