Beckwith Gold - a photo on Flickriver

Beckwith Gold

            The chiseled slopes of East Beckwith Mountain (12,441 ft; 3,792 m) rise above swells of golden leaves in the Elk Range, Gunnison National Forest, Colorado. This mountain is a laccolith, as are several others in this part of the Elk Range, including Gothic Mountain and Crested Butte. Laccoliths form when magma pushes up underneath existing layers of sedimentary rock, creating a large swell. Over time, the outer layers of sedimentary rock weather relatively quickly, and the igneous core is slowly revealed. For my human brain, the results are dramatic.

I think anyone who spends enough time outside can relate to encountering a scene that quite simply stops one in one's tracks. For my simple mind, this extraordinary view fell firmly into that category. Up to this point the trail bears northwest and steadily ascends through a grove of what surely must be some of the most robust and beautiful Quaking Aspen in the world. Suddenly, a band of talus disrupts the soil, the trees are somewhat stymied, and an arresting opening sets the mind to flight, gaining altitude and wonder. There were a half dozen other people similarly enchanted when we gained the clearing; all were besotted and happy.

It is a hard thing to bear witness to this beauty and also know that humanity's (and my own) current addiction to fossil fuels will most assuredly make life harder for these magnificent trees. Why is it so difficult for us to collectively revert to experiencing space as we once did? The answer no doubt varies by person, but whether we choose to make changes to our lifestyles or choose to maintain the status quo, every singular choice has consequences, and in aggregate I can only hope that we all begin pulling together sooner than later. The Holocene is a terrible thing to waste for the sake of mere human convenience and entertainment.

Taken in: United States / Colorado / Ruby (show map)

Taken on: October 4, 2020

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Beckwith Mountains

Colorado

East Beckwith Mountains

Elk Range

Fall

Gunnison County

Kebler Pass

Landscape

Populus tremuloides

Rocky Mountains

Southern Rockies

West Elk Wilderness

aspens

autumn

fall color

forest

high country

laccolith

morning

morning light

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trees

wilderness

Crested Butte

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Camera: Nikon Z 6, f/11.0, 1/160 sec, 39mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon Z 6
Lens:	NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S
Aperture:	f/11.0
Exposure Time:	0.006 sec (1/160)
Focal Length:	39mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 10.4 (Macintosh)
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