the last day I could really get out to the high country was the 12th  We had gotten a bit more snow so I decided to go back to the Blanco Basin Road because I thought it would be so amazing back there with snow on the mountains.  The sky was clear and pure blue it was a perfect fall day in the Colorado Mountains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Blanco River

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panoramas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way home I stopped at the lake along 160 and tool this one

 

The Sunset on the 10th was beautiful

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I went back to the Upper Piedra on the 9th figuring the colors should be more advanced and they were.

Pagosa Peak on the way up along Piedra Road

 

 

 

There was a little coyote in the field

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Williams Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took the forest service road into the Weminuche Valley past the Williams Lake cutoff.  It is  a steep climb and a skinny road it was getting late and I was wondering if I would get some views as the trees next to the road were pretty thick.  When you first come into the valley you see this falling down

building.

 

 

 

 

 

From the Valley floor

 

 

 

First view from up the hill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up top as far as I went was a real panoramic view this photo doesn’t do it justice.  I’m not sure what the elevation was there but high enough to really get my heart pumping when I wander up a little path to get this photo

 

 

 

 

Coming back down the hill the sun was hitting this lighter stripe of rock in this mountain and it really caught my eye

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking out over the valley again as the sun is getting really low in the sky

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I got back down to the valley this cow was outside her fence, the night before there had been a who bunch outside the fence along Piedra on the way home.

 

 

 

On the 8th I went up McManus road then drove part way up a forest service road off the end of that, then returned and went out to Piedra Falls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a group of very orange trees that were so beautiful against the blue sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was getting late as I headed toward the falls so some areas were difficult to photograph.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I finally got down to the river (the Middle Fork of the Piedra River)

 

 

 

 

along the trail to the falls there is this interesting tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I was almost to the falls an older couple was headed out the man says to me “you’re running out of light”  I though yep I sure am!  The sun was hitting a rock cliff above the river and falls and making the water a beautiful amber color so after taking some photos of the falls themselves I set up my tripod and focused on the river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I got home and put the photos onto the computer the amber was this amazing liquid gold!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is my favorite because the pool of water looks like molten gold not water.