Happy week-ending my friends! I hope Spring has greeted you with sunshine and awakened excitement for brighter, longer days ahead. The end of March and start of April have been dismal and gloomy here on the western slope of Colorado. Overcast skies, full-bodied clouds, and the occasional sliver of Grandfather Sun- the daily outfit of our 2018 spring season. However, the blue birds have once again graced us with their ethereal presence, the prairie dogs can be seen frolicking throughout the sage brush, and the attractive scent of fertility is dispersed pleasantly throughout the valley. All the signs of Earth’s unfurling.

The Caves trail is one of the first to melt out in our valley. It is a simple hike with big rewards as far as views go and it’s like a perfect appetizer for those itching to traverse large peaks in the area. It fills one up enough until the gates open up into summer hiking season. We find ourselves on this trail at least once a year. Once on top of ‘The Caves’ you can see Red Mountain, Whetstone Mountain, Cement Creek Road, hillsides covered in pine, as well as the CB South community. We’re commonly asked if the views ever get old or if we become accustomed to the surroundings in a way that they lose their ‘wow’ factor. While the initial overwhelm transitions into a perspective of normalcy, the grand appeal is always there, the awe is a constant. Similar to a good book your drawn to read more than once yet still find gems you hadn’t noticed before.

This was the same hike that I shared early on when I had just upgraded my camera. In Spring in The Rocky Mountains I was still overwhelmed by the cameras overall function and capabilities and mostly shot in auto. Now I prefer to shoot in manual utilizing the variety of adjustments and what feels to me like a more accurate composition of my vision. It can prove frustrating at times, especially when time is of the essence and I’m fumbling around with the settings risking the shot entirely. Of course using auto and other settings are great, even necessary and it doesn’t make a photograph less valuable or a photographer less of a visionary, not at all. For me personally, it was a leap out of my comfort zone and has built my confidence in my own technique and ability behind the lens.

The cloud layer was the ideal allowing the sun to permeate just enough giving way to the landscapes rich, warm colors. The rock of the caves reflected weathered wisdom through overlaps of amber, grays, and whites, while the green sage looked lively and spirited amongst the still, leafless aspens. Boulders along trail were brightly decorated with orange spots of oxidation. All seemed to be made more visibly vibrant because of the degree of light.

Inspiration can feel dormant during these seasonal transitions, perhaps more so when it’s damp, cold, and cloudy for days at a time however, I always find treasures on a trail and life outside within natures bounty. Where I find my inspiration happens to be my inspiration.

How about you? What’s spring looking like where you live?

Thanks for joining me here and until next time, 

Happy trails♥

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