Moonrise Over Ouray – Weekly Travel Photo

Situated in the heart of southwestern Colorado the small town of Ouray rests at the foot of spectacular mountains.  Made famous by its hot springs the sleepy little town also serves as a nexus from which ribbon-like roads snake out into the nearby mountain passes as they attempt to wind through the San Juan Mountain Range.  The town itself has a distinctly western feel to it with old-western architecture and the occasional semi-tame wild deer roaming the streets.  Thus, it was the perfect spot to enjoy this spectacular moonrise.  We were freshly arrived and had just checked into our hotel.  Eager to wander a bit and enjoy the brisk September air I grabbed my camera and started to walk the 200 meters to the city’s main drag.  Then, just as I neared it a casual glance up at the rippling-ribbon like valley wall took my breath away.  The moon, made massive by the added perspective of the canyon’s rim, was just starting to come into sight.  Over the next 5-10 minutes I watched, breathless, as the moon slowly climbed into the sky with every crater, valley, and plateau clear as day and visible to the naked eye.  A few quick steps left me standing in the perfect spot to watch the moon climb skyward before seeming to pause briefly balanced perfectly atop a small peak.  This photo is the end result.

Make sure to head over to flickr to see the rest of the album.

Would you like to see previous Weekly Photos? View past travel pictures here. This photo was taken on a Canon T3i (600D) Camera.