This May in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado has been the saving grace as we received near record amounts of rain and snow.  Prior to that we were locked into a severe drought with snow pack way below normal.  As soon as the rains hit, the flowers started to bloom and the grass finally turning bright green which is typical this time of year. Elk and deer filled the now lush fields and nature was rejuvenated at least for now.  It will be interesting to see how this summer plays out.  I am expecting a fantastic alpine wildflower season due to the late snows at the higher elevations.  We might have to wait a little longer for the peak bloom.

I posted this shot from my last trip to the Canyonlands and Arches NP. The picture may look isolated but by 6:00 am I was surrounded on each side by a large group of photographers from around the world. More keep coming out of the darkness as the premium time was approaching. I kept making room for others until our tripods were tangled together.
I don’t usually shoot in these conditions but occasionally it is kind of fun to get around a lot of people to share in the adventure of landscape photography.
We were all fortunate to get the right lighting with just the right amount of clouds to allow for a nice sunrise with plenty of sun getting through to light this beautiful arch up which it is famous for.

We finally got some moisture in the San Juan Mountains after a considerable drought. I was so excited that I drove up to Coal Bank Pass and ran into a blizzard. Then a rockslide occurred in front of me so I pulled over and got out to remove some of the larger rocks. Feeling good about making the road safe I realized I was stuck in the heavy slushy snow about a foot deep. I tried to get out but started drifting towards the edge of a cliff that overlooks Twilight Peak. Then a truck came by and offered me help which I gladly accepted. Driving further down the canyon the snow turned to rain and the chance for a sunset seemed impossible.
Regardless, I pulled over and waited for a awhile to no avail. I finally speed off calling this one off when all of a sudden, a beam of saturated light burst through the dark clouds and brief light show was on. The aspen leaves are just coming out so I felt thankful to catch that soft green color with the golden sunset on fire directly above the top of the cliffs.
This is why I love Colorado so much!

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