The Colorado National Monument is one of our favorite places to spend an afternoon. It offers an almost limitless number of trails and paths with breathtaking vistas and wonderful rock formations. The pictures below were taken during two afternoon hikes and feature the beauty seen from the valley floor.
A hardy pine tree grows in stark contrast to the wind carved rock formation and crystal blue sky. We love summer weekends in Grand Junction. It gives us a chance to explore and reconnect with our inner child. It is hard to be stressed when you are surrounded by such beauty. This picture and the next were taken in an area known as Devil's Kitchen.
Taken June 20, 2010
I love this picture because it reminds me that beauty doesn't end at death. This Pinyon Pine was undoubtedly picturesque throughout its life, providing shade and shelter for local wildlife and weary hikers. But its usefulness and beauty endures even after the evergreen foliage has turned black. Eventually, it will fall and as it decays, it will serve to enrich the soil for future generations.
Taken June 20, 2010
Over the July 4th Holiday weekend, we went on a short hike through No Thoroughfare Canyon. It was really too hot to be walking through this high desert environment, but we were drawn by its beauty. Because of the heat, only one other group of hikers were chance companions on this journey. It proved to be a beautiful, but sad day for all of us. This picture and the next show the stark beauty of the valley.
Taken July 5, 2010
It's hard to appreciate the scale of the valley while walking the trail, much less from a photograph. The following picture makes it a little easier to realize just how massive is the monument first glimpsed from this perspective on the trail.
Taken July 5, 2010
The junipers in this view of the monument are full grown trees, but appear to be small bushes as they are dwarfed by the size of the mountain.
Taken July 5, 2010
Sometimes you have to look down instead of up to see the wonder of nature. The Indian Paintbrush on the left survives in spite of the hot July sun. The brightly colored lizard delights in the heat.
Both taken July 5, 2010
Framed by the unbelievably blue sky, this monument rises hundreds of feet above the valley floor. Carved by centuries of wind and rain, the rock formation is a wonder to see. In my mind, this sandstone masterpiece will always be a memorial to a newly met traveler who succumbed to the heat that day near the base of this monument. It was a sad end to a beautiful day. However, I can't think of a more beautiful view of this world to take to the next.
Taken July 5, 2010
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