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Saturday, September 8, 2012

Weehawken Basin to Mt. Ridgway September 8, 2012

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop like autumn leaves."  John Muir

The last post on Sneffels Overlook reminded me of a fantastic hike I made up Weehawken Basin to the summit of Mt. Ridgway.  Mt. Ridgway is a 13'er (over 13,000 feet high).  It's just above Blaine Basin and just east of Mt. Sneffels.  It's about a 12 mile hike round trip with around 4,600 feet of elevation gain.  So, it's a "puffer" for sure.  I did not realize that I was doing this hike on the same day as the annual Imogene Pass Run from Ouray to Telluride.  I noticed lots of barricades, etc but didn't know for sure what was happening.  They closed the road for most of the day after I had gone on up the basin.  Fortunately, it was all over and the road reopened by the time I got back to my pickup.


Trail head.


There were still quite a few wild flowers.


The trail gains altitude fairly quickly and then opens up a bit for some nice views.  Mt. Ridgway is way up there at the end of the valley.



There are lots of cool hoodoos along this trail.  There are also many cuts from streams that come into the main creek.  Though most were dry, they were often tricky to cross due to washing out during heavy rain storms.



More hoodoos!



Wow, it's getting really cool now.  The valley narrows just before entering Weehawken Basin.



The view back down the valley at the beginning of Weehawken Basin.  There is no trail here that I could find.  There was very little evidence that this area is used much at all.  I was the only one on the trail this whole day.



Weehawken Basin.  Potosi Peak is top center and a very nice rock glacier at its feet.



Mt. Ridgway front and center.  Whew, still a long ways to go.



Mt. Ridgway is high on the left.  Whitehouse Mountain on the right.  Just left of the knob in the center is the way up through the slide area.  I was on all 4 going up that.  But, I've been on worse.



Now we're talking!  This is on the ridge just left of the knob in the photo above.  The view off the other side to the north is fantastic.  Mt. Ridgway's shoulder is on the left in this photo.  Still a bunch of up to go.  But, when you get to this point the views are sooo good that sweat and work is well worth it.



Lots of loose talus from here on.  It was non-stop work.  Forward two steps slide back one.  Montrose, CO is upper left in this photo.



Yes, finally the summit.  That's Mt. Sneffels in the center.  Blaine Basin is below.



The summit cairn.  Whitehouse Mountain in the background.



These San Juan mountains are gnarly!  Potosi Peak is upper left, Teakettle Peak is upper right.



Sneffels (14,157') is a beauty!  I was up there years ago.  I feel the yearning to go back.



On the way back down, there was a light show in Weehawken Basin.  I don't care how many times you visit these mountains, there's always a new view and hope that tomorrow will be even better than today!  But, I wonder if it can get any better than this.



More incredible beauty!



One last view across Yankee Boy before dropping down to the trailhead.  More memories, and more reasons for thanksgiving to our awesome creator God!

Saturday, May 19, 2012

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".


Wednesday, May 9, 2012

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!