Morning Haze
by Eric Rundle
Title
Morning Haze
Artist
Eric Rundle
Medium
Photograph - Photographs
Description
A brilliant sunrise casts sunbeams through the clouds and trees over the West Elk Mountains in Colorado.
Located in Gunnison National Forest
The West Elk Mountains in Colorado comprise a large remote wilderness west of Gunnison. The volcanic ridges and long valleys of this area offer countless opportunities for extended expeditions. As an added benefit, West Elk receives relatively few visitors outside of hunting season, probably because the area lacks fourteeners or numerous alpine lakes which typically attract recreational users. Secluded trips are readily attainable in West Elk, Colorado's fifth largest wilderness.
Aspen blanket the steep-sided valleys, and hikers visiting in late September are rewarded with golden fall colors, clear blue skies, brisk temperatures, and the unmistakable sound of bull elk bugling. Elk and deer herds numbering in the thousands also attract crowds of hunters in late fall. An extensive network of trails along ridgelines and valley floors creates a multitude of loop trips, allowing for multi-day or week-long excursions.
In the 1964 Wilderness Act, Congress designated West Elk as one of the state's original five wilderness areas. Colorado's 1980 Wilderness Act expanded it by more than 120,000 acres to its current size.
About two hundred miles of trails, following creeks and ridge tops, offer opportunities for extended loop hikes through the West Elk, the fifth largest Wilderness in Colorado. Most of the trails provide excellent pathways for horse traffic.
Size: 176,172 acres
Elevation: 7,500 to over 13,000 feet
Miles of trails: 160
Year designated: 1964, 1980
Neighboring towns: Gunnison, Crested Butte, Maher, Crawford, Hotchkiss, Paonia, Bowie, Somerset, Marble
Uploaded
February 13th, 2013
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Viewed 351 Times - Last Visitor from Fairfield, CT on 04/20/2024 at 1:22 AM
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Comments (51)
Nadine and Bob Johnston
F, V & It is one of my FAVORITES of the day. Sunsets of my very favorite images, it's a very difficult even of the same location or subject to find one that's identical. The changing light makes each one unique, you could take 500 pictures of the Grand Canyon from different viewpoints during the same sunset and they would all look different.
George Cousins
A most beautiful sunrise shot, while not actually seeing the sun but getting the benefit of it's rays through the clouds. Lovely! and a Favorite too
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