Life is Good in ColoradoA Chipmunk in Doubt Colorado became the 38th state (right after Nebraska we have just passed through) to join the United States on August 1, 1876. The capital city is Denver. The highest point is Mt. Elbert at 14,433 feet.

Road Trip 2013 - Day 6 - June 16 - Colorado (Previous road trip 2013 posts: Indiana Dunes, De Immigrant, Amana Colonies, Des Moines, Madison County Roads, Bridges of Madison County, White Pole Road, Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, Golden Spike Tower & Union Pacific's Bailey Rail Yard, Loveland Pass)

After five days on the road and 1924.4 miles behind us Sunday put a dent in our driving average. The car stayed parked in front of our unit in Powderhorn Resort in Mesa, Colorado all day long and was enjoying a well deserved rest. So were we! Late and lazy start to the day, reading, some games, and a walk around the beautiful grounds was all we could pull off.

Powderhorn is a ski resort sitting right at the chairlift base. And since it is quite ways up the mountain, the Grand Mesa, unlike traditional ski resorts that are located in valleys, the views are beautiful right from the resort, and even better if you walk a little bit up the hill.

Mountain SunsetThe Quiet Day Ending with a Quiet Sunset The resort's elevation was the first thing we noticed once we got out in the morning and did a little bit of walking around. We were huffing and puffing like we just finished a marathon. It's located at 8,200 feet (2,500 m), quite a lift from the midwestern plains we have just driven through. In winter, the ski lift takes you another 1,650 feet up the mountain.

In summer, the lift was off duty and we had enough sitting behind us. We found the maintenance vehicle tracks and headed up the hill on foot. The tracks zigzagged nicely providing for a comfortable walk but the elevation was still with us. It was quite a dose of "fresh air".

During the driving phase sunrises and sunsets were secondary to getting a good rest and making progress on the road. This was my first opportunity to stay up with the camera longer and wait for the Colorado sun to come down. And I was rewarded very nicely!

As I was wandering around at the end of the day on my own I found myself wondering about all the different animals that might be wandering around there with me. I was glad that all I met was a chipmunk, a marmot, and a deer. While it could have been nice to photograph a bear I was not in the mood for chatting with one.

A House with a ViewValley View from Powderhorn Resort The Grand Mesa the Powederhorn Resort is located on is the largest flat top mountain in the world with an area of about 500 square miles. It's located between the Colorado River and its tributary Gunnison River. I'll be mentioning the Gunnison River in another post coming up soon in a more prominent role. The Grand Mesa itself will also have a stronger role coming up.

Before the sun disappeared all together its low rays lit up the valley below very nicely and the visibility improved quite a bit. And as I was looking down this beautiful house overlooking the valley kept coming into my view. Can one get tired of views like that? I seriously doubt that. Just sit down on the deck, pour yourself a favorite beverage, and enjoy. Despite the mountains staying put each sunrise and sunset are different. A permanently positioned camera documenting these over a year would be cool I am sure!

Final Glow of the DayFinal Light over a Dark Valley And then the day was truly over and for just a very brief moment the clouds lit up over the already dark valley below. This burst of light lasted only a few seconds and then everything turned into darkness. It was time to head for cover and get ready for Monday when our first local trip was planned to take advantage of the strategic location of the resort and its proximity to various beautiful locations in Colorado and Utah.

Sources:

• Colorado on 50states.com
• Powderhorn Resort on Wikipedia
• Grand Mesa, Colorado on Wikipedia

Equipment Used:

Nikon D600, Nikon 24-85mm Nikkor Lens, Promaster 72mm Circular Polarizing Filter (I have since switched to the low profile Hoya polarizer on the left to avoid vignetting), Induro Carbon 8x Travel Tripod (CT-014) and Manfrotto Ball Head (496RC2), Think Tank Speed Demon Waist Pack,  Petzl Zipka Plus 2 Headlamp (always in the bag just in case), SanDisk Extreme 32GB SD Cards, Nikon Capture NX2

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