East Dallas Creek - May 19, 2012

We had a great time last Saturday up under Mt. Sneffels along East Dallas Creek.  This is one of my favorite areas.  The creek was perfect for doing some motion capture type photos.  The light was constantly changing as clouds passed over.  I also did some timelapses of the clouds over Sneffels - maybe I'll post them later.  Did you ever wonder how that water just keeps flowing....non-stop; day-in-day-out; year-in-year-out?  For some reason it just amazes me that our Creator can keep the flow going - even in very dry years.  Maybe it's my lack of faith showing up at such times.

I've been on top of Sneffels and all around it on its flanks.  There are springs everywhere!  It's as if the mountain itself is a never ending fountain spreading life for many miles.  This stream joins the Uncompahgre River; which joins the Gunnison River; which joins the Colorado River, etc.  The trickle of water that begins on this mountain nourishes plants, animals, and people for thousands of miles.  And who knows where the drops of water that form this stream have come from!  They may have traveled thousands of miles across this planet; until the spire of Sneffels reached out and captured them.

I'm reminded of God's promise after the flood of Noah's time.  "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."  Genesis 8:22  His nature is to give life abundantly and preserve it.  His adversary only comes to kill, steal and destroy - John 10:10.  That stream of life from the Father will never cease - no matter what the immediate conditions may look like.

Sometimes it's good to stop and reflect on the ceaseless blessings that God sends our way.  Just as the stream seems stopped in time; sometimes we need to stop all the motion around us for a little while and "take stock" of what is important in life.

We were not built to live at a constant frenzied pace.  We've brought it on ourselves!  Our God, who is constantly "holding all things together" and constantly maintaining the seasons; and constantly maintaining night and day and doing all that is involved in universe management - calls us at times to "be still and know that He is God".

Timelapse

I've been doing some timelapse photography lately and it has me thinking about the brevity of life.  There's something about a well done timelapse (of which mine are not....yet)  that catches your eye and mesmerizes you!  It's a perspective of life we cannot see without special camera and processing work.  But, imagine for a minute, if timelapse is really God's perspective.  We know He has an infinite mind and an infinite view.  Eternity past and future is the present for Him.  In His perspective all of history can zip by in a flash - and yet He can see it all in perfect clarity.  Not a single detail escapes His all-seeing eye.  So, just maybe, timelapse is a way we can have a very finite view of God's infinite view.  What took hours to photograph can speed by in a few seconds.  As humans, our lifespan even at it's maximum, is only a brief blip on the screen of eternity.  The trial you're in right now may seem to have lasted forever.  But, in the eternal scheme of things it's only a moment and will soon be over.  That's not to minimize the pain and hurt that this life brings.  It's just to maybe ease the pain by knowing that "weeping may endure for a night; but joy cometh in the morning"!  In the eternal grandeur of heaven; our why's won't even need an answer.  We'll look back at that seemingly life-sucking trial and say - "oh that----it was nothing"!   Timelapses make me think on James 4:14 - "For ye know not what shall be tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away".  That's not doomsday stuff.  For the quadriplegic, for the terminal cancer victim, for the unloved spouse, for the single parent working three jobs - and on and on - it's hope if we know Jesus!   Just as the clouds scurry by in these timelapses; the sorrows of this life will seem like a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away into the bliss of eternity with the Lord.  Enjoy - and be kind - I'm just learning!

Baldy Hike - June 11, 2011

This was my first hike this year.  This hike is a fairly low altitude hike; topping out at 10,600 feet.  But, the snows in the San Juans have been so heavy this spring that it was impossible to go anywhere else.  When you're a hiking fool and have itchy feet; almost any old hike will do.  It also wasn't very photogenic on this particular day.  There was a lot of smoke drifting in from the south from the Wallow fire in Arizona.  Praying for those folks in that area.

The trailhead. Duhh

The hike zigzags up some fairly steep terrain until it opens up on a bench for a mile or so.  The destination for today is Baldy Peak which is in the center background.  On the way up I spotted several elk grazing on the side of Baldy.

The grass as you go through the oak brush is waist high or more.  It's full of wild roses - man did they chew my legs up!  Plus, they hide things really well - more on that in a minute.

As the trail rises; the San Juan mountains around Ouray look so close you could reach out and touch them.

Baldy Peak also provides some great views.  The pasque flowers were just blooming which added a nice touch.

Yours truly counting his blessings on top of Baldy Peak!

Back to what that deep grass and shrubs sometimes hides.  On the way down the trail - less than a mile from my truck - I was just moseying along when I heard something off to my right rustling in the grass.  It was less than 20 feet away - and I ain't exaggerating!  I walked a little closer and saw brown fur and knew immediately it was a bear.  But, all I could see was the top of its back and it didn't have a clue I was around.  I've encountered our typical black bears many times while running around in the mountains - and they always make a horrible commotion as they make their escape.  But, I'd never got up on one this close.  So, I thought this was just a bit too close to be surprising a bear.  I quietly began backing up the trail.  I'd only gone a step or two when the bear apparently caught wind of me.  It snorted and grunted; but didn't immediately run away.  That was odd.  So, I started talking to it in my most authoritative voice - hey bear;  you hear me?; hey bear; get out of here.  It began to slowly trot off, but it was grunting and growling the whole way.  I could hear it's teeth chopping together; which is not a good sign!   About 40-50 yards away it stood up on its hind legs to get a good look at me.  The whole time it was snorting and snapping its jaws.  I was thinking of turning on the video camera when I saw two little black fur balls go up a tree behind the big brown bear.  Uh oh - this was not a good thing - now it suddenly came together why this bear didn't make a beeline for parts unknown.  Well, momma bear then dropped down on all fours and started walking toward me.  That was all I needed to hightail it back up the trail.  I really didn't anticipate she'd pursue me with her cubs up a tree - though I didn't stop my jog through the brush until I felt I had a comfortable distance between us.  But, they were right on the trail where I needed to go to get back to my truck.  No way I was going to cross her again.  So, I bushwacked through the nastiest tangle of brush I've ever encountered.  Plus, it was on a very steep slope.  I wiped out once and put 3 or 4 vertical cuts in my upper right arm.  Some that saw my arm said that I could really embellish this story; as the cuts looked just like bear scratches.   Anyway, I made it back to the truck without further incident and was never so glad that a hike was over.  Thank you Lord for protection from YOUR critters!

On the way down the one lane steep road,  I took this parting shot out my passenger window.

In the end - no video - my mind was on other things I guess!