The Sky is Falling

It is still raining a lot here for our monsoon season! There were more mudslides yesterday blocking highways 145 and 62.

SkyWatch Friday: Fat Rainbow

I saw this huge rainbow last week as we were driving on highway 62 (The Dallas Divide).

To see more beautiful skies all over the world, please visit SkyWatch Friday.

700

This is my 700th post!! We have had lots of cloud cover this week with so much rain that many areas have had flood watches and there have been a few mudslides across the highway. I took this near the nature center that is close to the St. Sophia gondola station. Just right of center you can see the airport landing strip and the shadowy mountains in the distance above it are the La Sal Mountains near Moab, Utah.



Also I was very excited yesterday to see my first bear since living here! They come into town quite often but I hadn't seen one in the three years that we have lived in Telluride. I wasn't close enough to get a photo, but my friend got this picture of two bears on the ski run the other night. I'm pretty sure the one I saw yesterday was the dark brown one at the bottom. They are fun to watch as long as they stay up there on the ski run and stay out of town! Bears try to open the trash cans to eat whatever they can find.

Yoga in Elks Park

Telluride Postcard 1961

A blog friend of mine came across a postcard from Telluride in 1961 and sent me the images. Thanks Judy!

White-Lined Sphinx

Last week on Black Bear Pass I was fascinated watching this White-lined Sphinx in the Columbines. It is a moth, but hovers like a hummingbird.

Summer and Winter

SkyWatch Friday: Mountain Village Bike Park

As I stood looking up at the blue sky and clouds through the Mt. Village bike park sign, I thought of only one thing. SkyWatch!! I can't believe it's already Friday again.

You can throw your mountain bike on your gondola cabin and stop at the top of the mountain for the bike trails beginning at 10,500 feet above sea level. Plus the gondola is always free!

The bike trails are rated just like the ski trails, green, blue and black.

Don't forget, to see more beautiful skies all over the world, please visit SkyWatch Friday.

Ingram Falls and the Black Bear Mill

Now for the Fun Part

Coming down the steps of Black Bear Pass with Telluride way below.

Black Bear Pass

From the Bottom to the Top

Bridal Veil Falls.

Colorado Columbine

Conversation With a Marmot

Marmots make a very high-pitched chirping noise that is fun to try to do when you hear one. On our hike this week my daughter and this marmot chirped back and forth for a good 15 minutes.

SkyWatch Friday

View from the top of Bridal Veil Falls.

SkyWatch Friday is three years old!! To see more beautiful skies all over the world, please visit SkyWatch Friday.

Hiking in the Alpine Tundra

Lewis Mine

On Monday we hiked to the Lewis Mine above Bridal Veil Falls in the Bridal Veil basin. The Lewis Mill was built in 1907 and is said to be one of the most intact examples of historic mining sites in the state. Since it is so remote and only accessible by foot (4 miles from the trailhead), most everything has been left alone up there. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2001, the mill was restored by a State Historical Fund grant and the materials used were flown to the site by helicopter. The elevation at the mine is 12,448 feet above sea level.

A Common Occurrence

Paragliders are coming into town on an almost daily basis lately.

Ptarmigan Lake

It is still snowy around Ptarmigan Lake at the top of Imogene Pass.

Red Mountains

One of my favorite places to be is at the top of Imogene Pass looking down at Red Mountains 1, 2 and 3. A lot of people are scared just to drive Red Mountain Pass (the Million Dollar Highway, 550) which is way, way below us from here! The mountains are red from iron oxide.

SkyWatch Friday: High in the Sky

This is the view west from the summit of Imogene Pass, elevation 13,114 feet above sea level. It was a perfect day with clear blue skies. The Telluride airport is in the middle of the photo.

To see more beautiful skies all over the world, please visit SkyWatch Friday.

On Top of the World

Looking way down at Yankee Boy Basin from Governor Basin, just on the other side of the mountains from Telluride.

Trucks

Veterans

Our wonderful Veterans marching at the beginning of the Telluride 4th of July Parade.

Uncle Sam the Snowman

Happy 4th of July!

F16s flying over Telluride after the parade.

More Needles

These are a couple of views from the Joint Trail in the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. I have a lot more photos of the National Park on my Mountains Rule Blog and I will be adding more photos to it in the next day or two.

SkyWatch Friday: Needles in the Sky

With only a three hour drive into Utah earlier this week, we were in a land completely different than Telluride when we camped in the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park.

To see more beautiful skies all over the world, please visit SkyWatch Friday.

Theme Day: Reflections

This was taken on an autumn day when we drove over Owl Creek Pass. That's Chimney Peak and Courthouse Mountain in the center and reflecting in the Silver Jack Reservoir. Owl Creek Pass begins near Ridgway, Colorado and the area is where the John Wayne movie True Grit was filmed. The big shootout in the movie was filmed in front of Chimney Peak.

It's the City Daily Photo July theme day! Be sure to click below to see the other participants.

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