Rio Grande River
We have met our friends and together we setup our respective camps perched on the pinion-juniper-sage desert rim of basalt above the Rio Grande. Here the river runs straight south in a gorge it carved deeply into the basalt plateau. Behind us are the Sangre De Cristo mountains.
The days dawn cool but warm up quickly this is our base for the next couple of days. We have neighbors but mostly fishermen and they hardly make themselves known.
That night a full moon rises above the Sangre De Cristo mountains held mysterious in a veil of cloud. The moon glows luminous as it rises above the pine spiked ridge. Coyotes call in the distance.
The next morning my friend and I descend into the canyon for a morning hike. We hope to beat the heat and the sun on our return up the steep trail. He is there to scout for fish while I have a camera and hope to capture the mood of the morning.
The descent is easy and the trail remarkably well-made given the steep rocky canyon. We make steady time down with our two dogs staying close and enjoying each other’s company. As we approach the bottom ponderosa pine is added to the mix of trees indicating perhaps more water and shade.
The prickly pear cactus are in bloom with their delicate waxy flowers surrendering less water but giving nothing away in terms of color or beauty.
The river tumbles over basalt boulders upstream of us before settling into a straight deep section downstream. The basalt near the shore shines with a darker black and is denuded of the lichen that stains the basalt in the canyon walls. This we surmise marks the high water of flood stage. The water turbid from its fullness and travels from Creede Colorado. We walk upstream and encounter a tributary of much clearer water the Red River.
We walk perhaps another half mile before we turn back, the sun is higher and hotter and before long the eastern canyon wall will afford no shade. We hike the steepening switchbacks as the heat intensifies. We arrive at the top our wives reading under the shade of a juniper; they have picked an ideal perch on the canyon rim. The cool air rises from the canyon and. We can enjoy coffee and breakfast with this stupendous view.
Photography Notes
I used both my Fuji GFX 100s ii and GFX 50s ii. The 100s ii has my GF500 f5.6 lens while the 50s ii keeps my 35-70mm kit lens. I find it easier than switching lenses. Both I have set for this trip to Provia/STD film simulation as I find the higher contrast and slight saturation reproduces the colors we encountered best.
I tend to shoot 2/3 of a stop underexposed. This helps with bright western light this time of year and keeps highlights in check.
Most images have been tweaked on Apple’s stock photo app mostly for contrast.
