After a dry and extremely windy spring, this summer so far a strong monsoon weather pattern has settled in over the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, bringing much needed rain along with plenty of lightning and thunder. For the last days of June, my wife Claudia and I backpacked into the Weminuche Wilderness south of Silverton for three days of hiking, exploring, and sitting in the tent to wait out storms (and mosquitos!). Then a week later in early July I returned to the same area again for another chance to pursue some photo opportunities I missed on the first trip! Here is a collection of photos from these two backpack trips.
A week later I came back to the same area for another overnight trip to return to a high ridge that I last photographed at sunset 15 years ago - this time with a more promising weather forecast than during our previous backpack trip. Up top I was treated to a fantastic sunset light show! (Along with a fellow photographer named David from Sacramento, who had the same idea that evening!).
I'd love to make a giant wall-sized mural of the above pano... Not only would it be insanely detailed at this stitched-pano resolution, but it reminds me of so many fond memories from all the adventures I've had over the years tromping around amongst those peaks and valleys.
Although it took me two attempts, I'm stoked on the scenes and moments I got to photograph and the adventures along the way!