|
|
 |
|
Vestal Basin Sunset
|
|
The Weminuche Wilderness, in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, has long been known as a wildflower
paradise. I made plans to visit in 2001, 2002 and 2003, but wildfires and drought always made me cancel my plans at
the last minute. Finally, in July, 2004, after a winter and spring with near-normal precipitation, I made plans to visit the
Weminuche and do the most audacious, off-trail, solo backpacking trip I'd ever done with 70 pounds of camera and camping gear
on my back. My route led straight through the heart of the Needle Mountains and the Grenadier Range. On the first
day, I climbed east from the Needleton stop on the historic Durango & Silverton narrow-gauge railroad and camped in Chicago
Basin. From there, over the next three days, I went north, over 13,080-foot Twin Thumbs Pass, up Noname Creek and over
the pass between Peaks Five and Six, down to Balsam Lake, then over the pass between Vestal and West Trinity peaks and down
into Vestal Basin to camp for my last night. The morning's ominous weather had cleared, and I found a beautiful group
of columbine growing improbably from a desolate and unstable scree field. A quick compass check showed that the sun
would set straight down the valley of Vestal Creek. I set up and waited, hoping against hope for the dead calm required
to make sharp, two-second exposures of the delicate flowers, which stirred in the slightest breeze. Sunset came, and
with it a few brief lulls that let me expose several sheets of film while holding my breath. Of all the photos I made
on my journey, this image invokes the strongest memories of a very special place.
|
|
|
To order an 11x14 loose, matted-only (flannel mats) or framed
print (flannel mats) of Vestal Basin Sunset, please visit my product catalog by clicking the link beneath the appropriate
thumbnail.
To order an 11x14 loose, matted-only (suede mats) or framed
print (suede mats) of Vestal Basin Sunset, please visit my product catalog by clicking the link beneath the appropriate thumbnail.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glenn Randall Photography
At
home on the web at GlennRandall.com and AGPix.com
Specializing in Colorado landscape photography and Colorado scenic photography since 1993
Now offering a select
group of Utah landscape photographs from Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park
Glenn Randall Photography
and its online store, GlennRandall.com, offer some of the finest Colorado landscape photographs, Colorado scenic photographs
and Colorado photographic prints available
Colorado landscape photographs and Colorado scenic photographs are offered
both as prints for the general public and as stock images for professional photo buyers.
For the best in Colorado
landscape photography, Colorado scenic photography and Colorado photographic prints, add glennrandall.com to your favorites
today. Thanks for visiting--please check back often!
|
|
|
|
