Winter in Colorado is a most amazing season. Everything changes under our annual blanket of ice and snow. I love adventuring and exploring all over Colorado, and seeing how it changes with the change of seasons. A couple of winters ago, we planned a January outing to Gunnison, Colorado. Unfortunately, there was so much snow that we couldn’t get to the Gunnison valley and we had to postpone it until March. That sounds a little like this year–only we’re getting all this crazy snow in March and can’t get up to the mountains to enjoy it.
Once we got to Gunnison, it was well worth the wait. Gunnison is just a short drive from the charming ski town of Crested Butte, so if you’re a winter sports fan, you’ll find first-class skiing and snowboarding. And being in the heart of the West Elk Mountains, there’s no shortage of other winter sports as well. We found several beautiful trails to snow shoe while we were there. One of our favorite parts of exploring this area was following the Gunnison River through town, through the Curecanti National Recreation Area, and all the way to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
It has been many years since we have been to Black Canyon of the Gunnison and this was our first winter trip. One of the advantages of winter, besides its beauty, was that it felt like we had the park to ourselves. It seems there are few visitors in the winter months. We were able to hike a short way along the canyon rim, and are looking forward to visiting again in summer to do more hiking, especially in the inner canyon. The national park and recreation area are only two of Gunnison, Colorado’s many scenic wonders no matter which season of the year you choose to visit.
These are a few of my favorite images from our trip, and many of them can be found for purchase in my online art gallery by clicking on the image.
I was amazed by the thickness of the ice on the Gunnison River. Here you can see that it is more than a foot thick.
A still and calm morning on the Blue Mesa Reservoir
Snow shoeing along one of the Gunnison Valley’s many creeks.
Cebolla Creek, south of Gunnison, is a beautiful area to explore.
As we left Gunnison early on our last morning, we were able to enjoy the moonset over the Reservoir.
There was no shortage of snowy landscapes to photograph in a Colorado winter.
The patterns in the ice were amazing.
A beautiful snowy landscape and an old mine outside Gunnison, Colorado.
Views of southern Colorado’s San Juan Mountains.
The spectacular Black Canyon of the Gunnison early on a winter morning.
Another view of the Gunnison Valley’s many creeks.
A pastoral view of one of the valley’s many ranches.
The eastern end of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison
A row of old tractors lie buried in the deep winter snow.
The beautiful snow-covered mountains and foothills of the Gunnison Valley in central Colorado.
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