My extended family (on my mom's side) gets together biannually for a big vacation. We've done this since I can remember, visiting places from Couer D'Alene, Idaho to Lake Tahoe, California to Oglebay, West Virginia to Depot Bay, Oregon and many places in Montana. For the last two trips, we've gathered at the Snow Mountain Ranch near Tabernash, Colorado.
I was concerned that I would be unable to make this trip as it was in sweeps and while I didn't ask for any time off, I realized I would be able to attend a couple of days on my normal days off. If we weren't gathering in Colorado, it probably wouldn't have happened!
Anyway, I left Grand Junction on a Monday (the 18th) after work, trying hard not to get distracted by a lone (likely) supercell in the White River Valley. I kept my nose on target even when word of a tornado in Montezuma County reached me.
I would be arriving late at night... close to midnight. I took the most direct route which may or may not have been the fastest, but probably was the most scenic... a fact that was lost on me since it was dark.
As I reached the high valleys of Grand County, it was actually kind of cold out! Nearing the resort, I realized that fog was settling into the upper basin of the Fraser River. The moon made the vistas stunning. I stopped at the entrance and took some images.
Self-portrait with headlamp.
Eventually, I proceeded to the lodge where the family was staying. They had been there for a day already, so I was arriving late and everybody was asleep I just couldn't get myself to go inside with how amazing the surroundings looked. I probably spent another half hour taking images while the fog slowly rolled in and obscured everything.
Thickening
Moon colors
Back toward the main resort area
Fully entrenched
Aliens landing?
A final shotEven when I woke up the next morning and prepared to go hiking with some family members, the fog was still there... so I popped off a few more shots.
Dann.
