Sunlit Gully
15” x 11”
Watercolor
We packed up a lunch and set out to explore new places on the map in the San Juan National Forest. What a day! Serpentine roads through rocky canyons gave way to dense trees footed with lush, spring-green ground-cover, dotted with tiny white flowers ruffling in the breeze. We rose in elevation and encountered patches of snow on the deeply shaded north slopes, and swathes of Columbine, Blue Bells, and Larkspur in the sunny spots. There were trickles of melted snow running down crevices and mossy seeps along rocky shelves that lined the roads.
Finally, we reached the ridge’s backbone, the road running along sections of The Highline and Colorado Trails. The views went on forever!
Then, it was on to the very steep descent on hair-raisingly narrow roads, where we were fortunate to come across slightly wider sections as we encountered a couple of vehicles coming from the opposite direction. This route offered a different view of thickly treed ridges and canyons.
As we approached another hairpin turn, we were treated to this lovely little gully. Of course, we had to stop to explore it. A tiny streamlet ran down the tight ravine, the rocks in its bed stained a soothing, earthy red brown. The water burbling over the rocks looked gold in the sun, bronze in the shade. The vegetation and immense boulders (how did they get there?) were beautifully backlit by the afternoon sun.
