Day Nine - From Chama, NM back up to CO

On the ninth day of the trip I left Cortez, CO on US-160 in the dark headed for Pagosa Springs and generally skirting the southern edge of the San Juans. But, when they ran over into NM I did too - down to Chama. And the drive northeast from Chama back to Colorado and into the San Juans was an absolute pleasure. A sunrise more or less hidden by low clouds didn't concern me much, as long as I had enough light to capture the area on camera that I was enjoying so much.

This shot was just west of Chama if I remember correctly. I'd only seen one truck on the road since I left Colorado, so I just stopped on the road and shot this out the driver's window. It was kinda threatening rain, but it was all show - not a drop all day.

I haven't a clue whether this is in NM or CO, but it's between Chama and CO-17 mile marker 14. The reason I took it was that I saw an elk making tracks across country and hoped I might get a good shot. I always like to see critters in the wild.

I think I figured out where this shot was taken, from CO-17 looking ESE along the valley of the Rio de los Pinas.  More than that I can't tell you, because the Google Street View images I'd normally use to confirm my suspicions are two or three generations old and, with lots of snow, aren't very helpful in identifying such spots.

This shot was only possible because traffic was so light I had the luxury of creeping along CO-17, negotiating the switchbacks above Elk Creek Campground while looking for photo ops. Had I been going any faster, I'd never have noticed this window through the pines.

This was one of those sequential shots I clicked off as I walked back to the car (out of frame to the left) across the road. The view just took over. The aspens leafing out didn't hurt the aesthetics any.

This is a better look up the Conejos River Valley than the earlier one peeking through the trees. And the photo op was much more evident and compelling.

I have got to start enabling GPS on my camera if I can't remember any better than this. I should say I have to find out if my camera actually has that capability and, if so, enable it for these road trips.

Anyway, we'll pass through the San Juans pretty quickly and, once past Alamosa, it'll be only a hop, skip, and a jump to the turnoff to Great Sand Dunes NP.