On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Wag
Over the years I have submitted a number of posts to OTR, mostly about my climbing trips in the mountains of Colorado. Alain spent time in Colorado, as well, especially with his mushroom hunting. Alain was always deeply appreciative of my photos, and the introvert in me appreciated a willing “gallery owner” who would enthusiastically post them.
This is a photo that I included in an OTR post a couple of years ago. It evokes to me a feeling of release, of the sadness of letting go of summer, but the persistence of exploration despite the changes in seasons, despite the changes in our lives.
Another from the same day. Weather changes everything.
Our support for each other will help us through this adversity.
Though we crack apart, always remember that you are part of the whole.
Sometimes, just focus on the small things.
WaterGirl
Wag, I didn’t want to put a note up top that might interfere with your lovely tribute to Alain.
But I want you to know that even though it’s not the same without Alain, we are still enthusiastically posting your photos! I am very much appreciating not only your photos, but also the lovely words that accompany them.
Mary G
Beautiful words and photos. Alain would be honored.
OzarkHillbilly
Nice.
JPL
Lovely!
Baud
Great photos and tribute.
p.a.
Thank you.
mrmoshpotato
Wonderful natural landscapes. (Is that redundant?)
Thanks Wag.
raven
sweet
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
What a beautiful way to start the morning. Thank you. Your descriptions are very poetic.
SiubhanDuinne
Simply beautiful. What is the rock in the “cracked apart” photo? It’s stunning!
Anya
Wonderful photos and awesome tribute. This helped with my mood. Thank you
Wag
@SiubhanDuinne:
that was a rock that caught my eye in the middle of a talus field while descending Mt Wilson in the San Juan Mountains outside Telluride. I’m not sure what the minerals are that’s give it the colors.
Wag
Alain’s OTR feature has been one of the things that keeps me going each morning. Being greeted by our collective visions means so much to me. WaterGirl, I am thrilled that you have taken over, and am absolutely impressed with the work that you are doing. I am so happy to be part of this community.
BretH
I feel better now. Thanks.
arrieve
Wonderful pictures. I am so glad that On the Road is continuing. I’ve been using some of my free time to process some of the years of photos on my hard drive, and should submit some of them.
Wag
@arrieve: I for one will look forward to seeing your photos.
Madeleine
Thanks for photos and words. They are calming this morning.
Miss Bianca
Lovely. Where is Broken Hand Pass? I feel like I ought to know, but I don’t.
Wag
@Miss Bianca: It is in your backyard. It is the pass that goes from South Colony Lakes to Cottonwood Creek just to the east of Crestone Needle, separating the Needle from Broken Hand Peak. This photo was taken on our way to climb Crestone Peak. The next photo in the series is taken from the top of the pass on our return, and is looking north to Mt Humbolt
StringOnAStick
@Wag: The San Juan’s are volcanic in origin, and volcanic rock can have some really exotic colors, a true nightmare for mineralogists because so many grade from one thing into another. I’ve got a breccia (welded together chunks from heat) sample from that area that has the coolest pinks and purples. They’re such different mountains than in the rest of Colorado, relatively quite young.
Wag
@StringOnAStick: I agree with you about the San Juans, an amazing range of peaks. The blues in the photo make me wonder about copper containing minerals, but as far as I know the San Juans aren’t known for copper deposits
J R in WV
Wonderful mountain pictures, thanks so much for posting them… no wonder Alain loved to see your pictures, they can take anyone into the Rocky mountains who has ever been there.
Not too familiar with Colorado rocks, but did spent 3 weeks collecting rocks out there years ago, and the only remarkable rock we ran into with anything like that color was amazonite, a feldspar collectable in crystals, described in Wikipedia like this:
Haven’t ever seen it as a coating like this photo, only seen it as crystals, but no reason it couldn’t occur as a coating like that. No rock collector would go for a coating like that when crystals are available. They are mined as collectable specimens and sell for high bucks at rock shows. People literally stake claims on BLM land and bring in heavy equipment to mine crystals, they occur with quartz and smokey quartz and are very attractive.
Wag
@J R in WV: I agree 100% that he color is suggestive. Gem quality Amazonite is found in the mountains around Pike’s Peak, but I’m not sure if it is found elsewhere in Colorado.
Wag
@StringOnAStick:
Here’s an interesting page about the geology of the Wilson Group. some of the youngest rock in Colorado.
jimmiraybob
Not sure if anybody’s still checking in but thanks for the pics. I wasn’t sure where this pass was and had to Google. It’s in the same neighborhood as some hiking that I had (have) on the calendar. I hope to do a recon trip to the west side and try to reach Crestone Needle, spending a couple-few nights at Cottonwood Lake.
And, as a geologist, I thank you for the geology report!
Wag
@jimmiraybob: You won’t be disappointed. The Sangre de Christo Mountains are spectacular. After descending the Pass we hiked past Cottonwood Lake on our way to Crestone Peak it is a beautiful lake you’ll have a great trip
The rock of the Crestones is a joy to climb a massive conglomerate formed in the alluvial fans from the Ancestral Rockies, with plentiful cobbles for holds I can’t wait to go back!