Embracing Spring

After a long, long, very snowy winter I’ve been out close to home searching for spring! To tell the truth, as glad as I am to see spring arrive each year, it has never been my favorite season for photography. It comes in third with autumn and winter being first and second. And if I can get up into those wildflower basins this summer, spring could lose its third place standing. Spring … it can be uncooperative and I’ve often referred to the season as a ‘big tease’! After just a sprinkling of warmer, sunny days the cold and chance of snow lingers. As they say in the mountains, “if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.” This is especially true in spring, when conditions change quickly. Along with cloudy skies, rain, snow and strong gusts of wind, the weather has been fickle to say the least. It’s all part of what defines this season however … so what’s a landscape photographer to do but embrace it all …. as wondrous, dynamic and unpredictable as it is. Following are some landscapes I found while out searching.

‘Spring Glow’ © Denise Bush
‘Ranch View’ © Denise Bush
‘Vernal Reflection’ © Denise Bush
‘Mount Abram View’ © Denise Bush
‘Coming Home’ © Denise Bush

Another Direction

With so much snow this year it may be a while before the high mountains are accessible. Roads in the the National Forest and on BLM land are not maintained in the winter, in addition to several county roads. In some places residents need snowmobiles to get home. Not only is the snow incredibly deep and melting slowly, but winter avalanches and slides are making clearing the roads an even more difficult task. It’s a perfect time to head in other directions that explore more arid areas near our Ridgway home. Here are some views from the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, about an hour north. Comprised of 62,844 acres, I was amazed by the uninterrupted vastness of the scenery. Getting out in the sun and exploring this unique landscape was a fun spring outing. Here are a few of the views.

‘West Elks In View’ © Denise Bush
‘Forever View’ © Denise Bush
‘Great Wide Open’ © Denise Bush