Sedona, Arizona
January 6, 2021
The above map shows the first leg of my trip yesterday from Salida to Durango. The drive along US 285 from Salida to Del Norte is one of the more special drives I have made on my wakabout. The road is flat and straight - the mountains to my left yesterday were anything but flat and straight. I made this drive northward back in October. I'm not a fan of driving the same road twice -- but in this case I am sure glad I did.
The mountains to my left are known as the the Sawatch Range /səˈwæt/. It is a high and extensive mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at 14,440 feet elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies.
The range is oriented along a northwest-southeast axis, extending roughly 80 miles from 39°37′36″N 106°32′13″W in the north to 38°5′51″N 106°3′48″W in the south. The range contains fifteen peaks in excess of 14,000 feet, also known as 14ers. The range forms a part of the Continental Divide, and its eastern side drains into the headwaters of the Arkansas River. The western side of the range feeds the headwaters of the Roaring Fork River, the Eagle River, and the Gunnison River, tributaries of the Colorado River.
The Sawatch Mountains in general are high, massive, and relatively gentle in contour. While some peaks are rugged enough to require technical climbing, most can be climbed by a simple, albeit arduous hike. Notable summits include Mount Elbert, Mount Massive, La Plata Peak, Mount of the Holy Cross, and the Collegiate Peaks (Mounts Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Belford, and Oxford).
State Highway 82 traverses the range at Independence Pass (Colorado). It is also traversed by Cottonwood Pass, which connects the town of Buena Vista with Gunnison County. Both Independence Pass and Cottonwood Pass are over 12,000 feet, making them two of the highest passes in Colorado and are typically open only from late spring to mid autumn. Hagerman Pass is another pass to the north, connecting the Arkansas Headwaters near Leadville with the upper valley of the Fryingpan River. Hagerman Pass is traversable with four-wheel drive vehicles and on foot during summer and early autumn months. The range contains numerous hiking trails within the San Isabel National Forest and White River National Forest.
I'm not sure I can adequately describe the confluence of weather I experienced. There was snow, low clouds, snow, bright blue sky, billowing clouds.
stunning shots!