These photo challenge subjects so often coincide with an experience I just had! I’ve just driven a rather harrowing 5.5 miles from my office back home in a white-out blizzard of Wisconsin spring snow. The county road goes up a steep incline of glacial terrain, and the snowplows hadn’t gotten to it when I and 4 others began the ascent. I was slipping sideways and barely able to get to the top in first gear with my 11-year old Honda Accord with front wheel drive. Needless to say, I wasn’t taking any photos during this journey!
Now that I’m safely home at my laptop, I’m thinking back to another wild road experience. I was so excited to travel through the Jemez mountains in New Mexico in October…the bright yellow of the cottonwood leaves, the blue sky and the red rock were absolutely stunning! The next day, we traveled the same route and were caught in a hailstorm that almost stranded us at the summit under two inches of icy pellets. Of course, I don’t have photos of that part of the trip, only the sunny splendor of the initial journey.
Hi Scilla. What strong colours: quite a different red from the Australian outback …and a great shot of the photographer who’s taken that road. Glad you made it safely over the ice. Cheers Meg
G’day Meg! I’m grateful that Steve took a companion shot of me at that place. It shows more of the cottonwood trees. (They’re not aspen…I will correct that.) And I have so few pictures of me. I’d love to get to Australia and compare reds some day!
Look up Uluru, used to be called Ayers Rock, central Australia
Will do! Update: Kings Canyon looks like a marvelous destination – and so different from the Kings Canyon in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, where I hiked as a teenager.
Nothing like an open road under a blue sky dotted by clouds (just to give a touch of depth to the view). Nice photo.
Ω
Lovely photo Priscilla, and a great story. Glad you made it up the hill! Such a coincidence that in October, my wife and I were in western New Mexico as well, but at the the Gila and Aldo Leopold wilderness areas. Those cottonwood colours are so familiar. 🙂 On the journey back home we traveled north to Saskatchewan to visit family, and I told my brother, the Bakken oil field was a terrible part of the drive… So much development and truck traffic and destruction. He asked if I had taken a photo and of course I hadn’t, because I have a tendency towards the good, not the bad or the ugly. Like you, I wasn’t taking any photos.
I did take a picture of a sign at the side of the road near an oil refinery in New Mexico near Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It was a warning about poisonous gas. It seemed ironic to me. Once you see the sign, you’re already in the air space, aren’t you? 😦
My favorite (local) mountains. Many photo trips up there and it is beautiful along the river in the fall. The old 1621 Spanish mission is cool. The high road over towards Cuba past Fenton Lake is good in summer and fall. Great post and great timing on your visit.
scillagrace 
I really liked the Jemez Mtns. when I was there in the spring. Fortunately, you’ve given me a look at them in fall fashion! 🙂
I imagine that they’re beautiful at any time of year, actually! Thanks for your visit!
That part looks lovely, but I imagine it didn’t look so good during the storm!
janet
It looked dramatic from this point the next day, too, but up toward the summit, the sky looked as dark as could be! Ominous!
Hi Scilla. What strong colours: quite a different red from the Australian outback …and a great shot of the photographer who’s taken that road. Glad you made it safely over the ice. Cheers Meg
G’day Meg! I’m grateful that Steve took a companion shot of me at that place. It shows more of the cottonwood trees. (They’re not aspen…I will correct that.) And I have so few pictures of me. I’d love to get to Australia and compare reds some day!
It’s a big place. The Red Centre is awesome and unforgettable.
I’ll look it up. Thanks!
Look up Uluru, used to be called Ayers Rock, central Australia
Will do! Update: Kings Canyon looks like a marvelous destination – and so different from the Kings Canyon in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, where I hiked as a teenager.
Nothing like an open road under a blue sky dotted by clouds (just to give a touch of depth to the view). Nice photo.
Ω
Thank you so much! Big sky is absolutely my favorite depth to look into. (not a great swimmer!)
What a medley of colors! Beautiful picture..
Thank you, Madame Zenista! I appreciate your visit!
Lovely photo Priscilla, and a great story. Glad you made it up the hill! Such a coincidence that in October, my wife and I were in western New Mexico as well, but at the the Gila and Aldo Leopold wilderness areas. Those cottonwood colours are so familiar. 🙂 On the journey back home we traveled north to Saskatchewan to visit family, and I told my brother, the Bakken oil field was a terrible part of the drive… So much development and truck traffic and destruction. He asked if I had taken a photo and of course I hadn’t, because I have a tendency towards the good, not the bad or the ugly. Like you, I wasn’t taking any photos.
I did take a picture of a sign at the side of the road near an oil refinery in New Mexico near Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It was a warning about poisonous gas. It seemed ironic to me. Once you see the sign, you’re already in the air space, aren’t you? 😦
My favorite (local) mountains. Many photo trips up there and it is beautiful along the river in the fall. The old 1621 Spanish mission is cool. The high road over towards Cuba past Fenton Lake is good in summer and fall. Great post and great timing on your visit.
Thanks for your comments. I timed this visit with the Wilderness 50 Conference, so got to take advantage of lots of good things.