Saturday, October 10, 2009

Sun, Clouds, Mist, and Aspens

Aspen Vista Trail
On October 8 we did our annual hike of the Aspen Vista Trail. In contrast to the blazing sun of the past two years, this was a cooler and less sunny walk, but beautiful still the same.

We lucked into a wonderful window of reasonably bright weather combined with threatening skies--which made for some great shadows and colors.

I would say that we were a few days past peak--good color on the lower and more protected slopes (at about 10,000 feet) but lots of lost leaves as we climbed higher.

Aspen Vista Trail
Aspen Vista Trail
Moments before we left (the temperature had already dropped about five degrees) a heavy, cold mist blew in. The time between the first and last of the following photographs was no more than four minutes--in the first you can see the entire valley from the parking area; by the third. the valley has been totally obliterated.

Aspen Vista Trailhead
Aspen Vista Trailhead
Aspen Vista Trailhead, Snow Coming
Time to hop in the car and go home! The mountain was covered in clouds the rest of the day, but the next morning we could see that the peak was clearly snow-covered.

Aspen Vista Parking Lot
Click the links to read about our 2008 and 2007 walks, with lots more detail on the Aspen Vista Trail!

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Real Silver Linings!

Clouds with silver linings
I never was as interested in clouds before I moved to Santa Fe! Sunset clouds, storm clouds, morning, afternoon, and evening--there's always something to look at when the sky isn't the pristine blue Santa Fe is famous for.

Here are some clouds from last night with a cold front moving in--real silver linings!