colorado

The second stop on this year’s Southwest Adventure was Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Justin visited the park a number of years ago and was eager to return. My interest was sparked when I discovered that it’s registered as a Dark Sky Park, so I knew it would be a great spot to do some Milky Way photography. Seeing an opportunity, my darling Justin talked me into camping, in a tent, in bear country.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison is one of the steepest and narrowest canyons in the North America. Parts of it lie in almost perpetual shadow and darkness, which is how it earned the “Black Canyon” moniker. It’s a pretty impressive sight, and a very vertigo-inducing one.

Every time we stopped at a lookout, I said the same thing. “Wow!” And, “Wow!” Then another, “Wow!” And, “I know I’ve said this already, but, wow!”

Many of the Black Canyon’s cliffs are just sheer walls of rock, Colorado’s version of The Cliffs of Insanity.

This shot is called “Where are my dragons?” Game of Thrones fans will understand…

After a long day of hiking, we were ready to relax in our rustic digs. Ah, tent, sweet, tent.

As I mentioned, the primary reason I agreed to camp was to have easy access to the Black Canyon’s dark sky properties. So, I set an alarm for 2:30am so I could get up and experience that dark sky in all its glory!

I won’t lie: every little noise I heard had me scared. Out. Of. My. Mind. Scared. Night photography in bear country is definitely not for the faint of heart!

But, it was an amazing experience and I’m so glad I was brave enough to give it a shot. And, I got some cool shots!

We kicked off our third annual trip to the Southwest in Estes Park, Colorado. (We probably should have kicked it off by spending a night in Denver, as recommended, to adjust to the altitude, but hindsight is 20/20…) Aside from the mild altitude sickness I experienced, I really liked Estes Park. The cute little town, full of cute giant elk, is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.

This year, the Rockies received an unseasonal three feet of snow in late May. Most of it had melted by the time we arrived, but we decided to hike around in one of the spots where it was still thawing, because apparently, it’s my secret desire to fall down in all 50 states. After slipping and sliding along on the trail, I was relieved to make it to Nymph Lake in one piece.

After leaving Nymph Lake, we continued along the trail to Dream Lake. Every so often, we stopped to rest and admire the incredible views, and pose for photos.

Dream Lake welcomed us with all the glory of an alpine paradise. At 9,905 feet above sea level, you lose your breath from the altitude and the beauty of it all. We were light-headed and giddy, but in the most wonderful way in the most spectacular place.