South Fork, CO (7/16 & 7/17/2019)

Trying for more dramatic lighting, as well as a better chance of seeing wildlife, I drove up Beaver Creek Road late afternoon on consecutive days.  This road is on the edge of town and travels more than fifteen miles up and around a mountain, passing numerous streams and several lakes along the way.  As with all the mountain trails around South Fork, dry camping is available for those attracted to that style.  On the first day, I didn't make it all the way to the top before sunset.

Next day, I drove above the 11,000 foot level before light began to fade and sunset started.

In between those trips, I drove into the La Garita Caldera northeast of town.  This caldera, one of several in the San Juan Mountains, resulted from one of the largest super-volcano eruptions in the history of the world.  One source says it is the second largest, another says it is the largest.  In any case, the mass of ash, magma and debris ejected is said to have been about 4800 times the size of the Mount St. Helens eruption.  The caldera is some 22 miles wide by 62 miles long and contains many dykes and other remnants of that volcanic period.  The La Garita Arch, in a very remote area,  was created by erosion in a large volcanic dyke.