IntrepidXJ's Adventure Blog

Monday, Tuesday & Friday, July 23,24 & 27, 2012

Since the monsoon season here on the western slope of Colorado is in full effect, I went out to photograph a couple of sunsets this week after work. On Monday I drove up to the Colorado National Monument right after some heavy rain had passed through the area. The road up to the Visitor’s Center was covered with debris and rockfall from some flash flooding, so I had to drive extra carefully. I decided to stop at the Book Cliffs View to take a few photos.

The potholes were full of water, and the light was striking the tops of the monuments in the distance.

Highlights by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

A rainbow formed over the Grand Valley, and the Grand Mesa was lit up nicely, too

Rainbow Over the Valley by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

A touch of pink is added to the clouds in the sky above Monument Canyon.

A Touch of Pink by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
 

Here’s another photo I took yesterday evening at the Colorado National Monument before the sunset light show started.

I went up to the Colorado National Monument this evening to try and capture the sunset as the monsoonal storms were breaking up. This is what I saw…

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

It’s been awhile since I’ve hiked to the arches in Rattlesnake Canyon and I have wanted to return again so that I could try and get some better photos of them. I figured that sunset would probably be the best time to go, and that I should have plenty of time to reach them after work before the sun went down. Last week I had originally planned on hiking to them after work on two separate occasions, but as I left work on those days the sky was completely overcast which wouldn’t have made for any good photos, so I cancelled the hike. Finally on Tuesday the conditions were looking good, so I grabbed a quick dinner and drove to the upper trailhead after work. I actually arrived in about an hour, which was quicker than I thought it would take. I got on my pack and started hiking into the canyon. There was no one else around and I would not see anyone else all evening…I had the place to myself. It’s great to be able to get to places like this not far from home to enjoy some solitude in the middle of the week.

Start of the trail.

Ratlesnake Arches Trailhead by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

View from the trailhead over the Grand Valley in the distance.

Above the Valley by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

I made it to the end of the trail rather quickly which left me with plenty of time before sunset to take some photos. I went right to Rainbow Arch, also known as Cedar Tree Arch, at the end of the trail since I knew the light on that arch would be better earlier in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I was too late to catch it at the right time. I might have to return to this arch in the fall or winter for better light.

Cedar Tree Arch by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
 

It’s been a while since I visited the arches in Rattlesnake Canyon and I’ve wanted to return to get some better photos. So after work on Tuesday I headed up there for a nice sunset hike. I made this photo of East Rim Arch, which is also known as Akiti Arch and Centennial Arch, shortly before the sun dipped below the horizon. The golden light on the arch was nice, but I sure would have liked a few puffy white clouds in the sky behind it!