Powerful Wolf Moon Rising, Colorado. 01-11-2023
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM.
Last week, on January 5, 2023, was the 99 percent full wolf moon. I spent a fabulous full-day photo tour with Richard. When we departed Taos, we had high expectations of catching the January “wolf moon” rising over the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo mountains in southern Colorado. We did not expect the vast cloud cover that occurred midday.
As is often the case in the west, the weather changes rapidly and dramatically. There is a saying, ‘if you don’t like the weather wait five minutes”. On this day, following six hours of intermittent cloud cover everywhere except the mountains, where the sky remained full of clouds, they finally dissipated to reveal the Sangres in all their glory! Click on images to enlarge.
In the images below, you can see what the rest of the day brought for us. The first is the Rio Grande looking north upstream to Blanca Peak.
Standing on the Lobatos Bridge bridge to get this image, we could hear the ice cracking around the bridge pillars and along the cliffs. Some of the sounds were like thunderclaps deep down below. Other sounds were like the far of moaning of a person in pain.
I’m not usually one to show both versions of a shot, but I like both equally for different reasons. The black-and-white image has a more dramatic impact. The color of the grasses sprouting up amongst the volcanic rocks in the second version is pleasing and captures the softness of nature and light I experienced there.
Below, the cactus thrives in this lava rock environment.
I first saw the Eastdale post office many years ago when the plaque with the zip code and roof was intact. Alas, things change, and vandals continue to pilfer whatever and from wherever they can.
A few days earlier in San Cristobal, the waxing moon rose, followed by the sunset on our local peaks in the Columbine Hondo Wilderness.
Greetings to all my friends in California. Stay safe!
As always, thanks for looking. G