I spent the last week in the Crested Butte area capturing the fresh spring colors. It is hard to believe how much earlier the scenery has been changing this year. I remember previous trips to the area the first of June and many of the roads weren’t even open yet. Not so this year!

The clouds rolled in Wednesday afternoon and a light drizzle persisted throughout the evening. Since a sunset shot was not going to be happening, I turned in early that night to get some sleep. It was raining a little steadier at that point. I didn’t even think about the fact that it would probably turn to snow if it kept it up. I awoke before sunrise to a couple of inches of new snow and more still falling! They had been working on the gravel road the previous day getting it ready for the mag chloride treatment they put on for the summer. I got out of the campground and found the road to be a oozy mess. After traveling a couple of miles my Jeep was totally covered with mud. I hung around waiting for the snow to stop and the clouds to lift, but finally gave up and headed into town for some breakfast (and to wash some of the muck off my windows!).

Things were clearing up by the time I headed back over Kebler Pass and I just had to stop on the way down into the valley to take this shot. The snow was melting fast with the sun out, but there was still a bit on the trees and ground. The Beckwith Mountains had a nice coating of snow and made for a striking subject across the valley. East Beckwith Mountain is the prominent peak in the foreground, with West Beckwith Peak behind it. What a beautiful sight!