ColoradoSeen 08-2011

Colorado Seen

ASPENGOLD iN thE SAN juANS

08/2011

ALSO: thE BLACK CANYON n PARADE OF LiGhtS

From the EditorLast August 22, Colorado had an earth-

quake. Not a big one by global standards, but it was a reminder that geology is happening here every day.

Nowhere is Colorado geology — as an event, not just a science — more visible than in the settings for two of this month’s stories, coincidentally on the far side of the state from the earthquake. it’s a statewide phenomenon.

the Black Canyon of the Gunnison formed when an upheaval pushed hard rock into the path of a rushing river, leaving a crevasse which time and erosion have not softened.

the high country of the San juan Moun-tains is the result of more volcanic uplift, and provides a perfect setting to show off Colo-rado’s autumn aspens at their most glorious.

Enjoy this last issue of 2011 —and come on back in 2012. Some more geology is sure to happen.

Colorado Seen

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Editor & PublisherAndrew Piper

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Copyright © 2011 ColoradoSeen

On ThE cOvEr:Snow falling on aspens — an autumn storm

dusts Molas Pass in the San juan Mountains as aspens gleam among a sea of evergreens.

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BLACK CANYONthE

BLACK CANYONOF thE

GuNNiSONRiVER

Deep shadows cast by 1,500-foot cliffs

give the Black canyon its name.

The metamorphic rock walls are

actually brown, pink and gray.

Three mil-lion years ago, the Gunnison River in southwestern Colo-rado flowed across a valley of soft volcanic ash.

then geology happened.

the valley floor began to uplift into a dome of rock, and the river started carving a canyon through the soft ash surface. By the time the river reached the harder meta-morphic rock layer underneath, it was trapped in its course and could not divert around this much tougher material.

Like a bandsaw pressed against a board, the river cut vertically down-wards, with relatively little erosion to the sides, leaving a 48-mile-long, hard-walled, narrow gash through the schist,

STORY & PhOTOS

By AnDy PIPEr

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Area enlarged

Denver

c O L O r A D O

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The green waters of the Gunnison river cut through The narrows, where the canyon floor squeezes down to widths as small as 40 feet. The river drops 90 feet per mile through the national Park, giving it its cutting power.

An artist’s hand records the many shades of the Black canyon from a north rim overlook above the narrows.

gneiss and pegmatite that now reaches depths of over 2,200 feet.

today, 12 miles of the canyon’s deepest part form the Black Canyon of the Gun-nison National Park (a National Monu-ment from 1933 to 1999).

The name comes not from the color-ing, which is grays, browns and dark pinks, but from the perpetual shade in the depths, cast by the sheer walls.

At points, the walls are separated by only 1,500 feet at the rim (and as little as 40 feet at the river). But it takes two hours and 50 miles of driving to travel that 1,500 feet — out of the park, around the uplift, and in from the

other side. Access to the

canyon floor is via strenuous hikes or technical descents of the steep walls, or by kayak along the river from the eastern end of the park., where a road with a 16% grade descends to river level. n

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The valley floor over which the Gunnison river once flowed is still visible as low hills on the horizon.

Temporary signage documented the

change of the Black canyon from a national

Monument to a national Park in 1999.

Kayakers’ tents on a sand bar shrink to the size of sesame seeds as seen from the canyon rim.

At its western end, the Black canyon widens to form the Gunnison

Gorge national conservation Area, a

mecca for kayakers.

At dawn, the moon sets over the Painted Wall, the highest

sheer cliff in colorado at 2,250 feet from rim to river. Pale

intrusions of pegmatite form the brush strokes. n

thERE’S GOLD iN thEM thERE hiLLS

thERE’S GOLD iN thEM thERE hiLLSAspen season comes to

Colorado’s San juan Mountains and the Million-Dollar highway

Like a spill of bee pollen, aspens dust the slopes

along the Million-Dollar highway (lower left) below red Mountain

Pass, south of Ouray.

STORY & PhOTOS

By AnDy PIPErs the crow flies, it is only a bit over 50 miles from Ouray, Colorado to Du-rango.

But that 50 miles climbs over

the top of the San juan Mountains, a sprawling mass of volcanic upthrust rich in minerals, no-tably silver and gold.

the road is

known as the east-ern half of the San juan Skyway, or u.S. 550, or “the Million-Dollar highway.”

Opinions vary as to whether the A

latter refers to the value of the precious metals beneath, or the cost of its rug-ged construction, or the incredible views from its 11,000-ft

passes.But never is its

value more obvious to the eye than in autumn, when it overlooks mile after mile of sweeping

golden panoramas — and becomes the “Million-Aspen highway.”

South the road climbs: from Ouray to Red Mountain

Pass, through the Chattanooga Valley, past the historic mining town of Silverton, above the tree line at Molas Pass (10,910 feet)

Aspens gleam in morning sunlight as an autumn

snowstorm clears over the West needle Mountains

south of Silverton.

Ouray

Silverton

Durango

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Area enlarged

c O L O r A D O

and Coal Bank Pass, and then a long descent through the valley of the Animas River to Durango.

The view chang-es with each turn of the highway: from broad mountainsides on which 50-foot aspens become but tiny specks of pollen; to high ridges where passing clouds ob-scure the mountains and leave the trees silhouetted against nothingness.

From picture-perfect scenes of the San juans surround-ed by golden frames — to the heart of Silverton, where golden hillsides backdrop the San juan County court-house spire, and fallen leaves literally pave the streets with gold. n

The San Juan county courthouse in Silverton is backed by a wall of aspens, left, as fallen leaves pave the city’s streets with gold, at right.

Denver

Even the low clouds of a clearing snowstorm can’t dim the sea of yellow along the highway.

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A leaf on asphalt, gold sign against gold, a lovers’ pledge, a golden bough: Details found along the Million-Dollar highway in aspen season.

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A leaf on asphalt, gold sign against gold, a lovers’ pledge, a golden bough: Details found along the Million-Dollar highway in aspen season.

Aspens frame the view as storm clouds clear to

reveal Twilight Peak south of Silverton.

A solo aspen stands its ground against the coming

snows of winter on Molas Pass (10,910 feet) south of

Silverton. n

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A columbine high School trumpeter shines by his own light as he tunes up, above. At left, a youngster portrays a soldier of the nutcracker Prince in front of a float from the colorado Ballet.

PARADE OFWhat Macy’s thanks-

giving Day parade is to New York, the Parade of Lights is to Denver. the sure sign that the winter holiday season has begun.

Bedecked in Christmas-tree lights, bands from the city’s high schools and the state’s major universities,

and floats sponsored by civic groups and businesses, gather at the Civic Center and march through downtown to the sounds of Christmas carols.

the electric lights are a part of Denver’s history, since the city was one of the first to adopt electric street and decorative lights in the 1880s, earning Denver the nickname “City of Lights.” n

Denver’sbrilliant

kick-off forthe holidays

LiGhtS

TEXT & PhOTOS

By AnDy PIPEr

A tubist from columbine high

School warms up her technique — and her

fingers — in sub-freezing temperatures

before the parade.

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A glowing carousel coach leads a street full of illuminated bands and floats lined up to take part in the parade.

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A glowing carousel coach leads a street full of illuminated bands and floats lined up to take part in the parade.

clockwise from top right: Low-rider cars bedecked in tree lights add a latin flavor to the parade; A tubist

from Lakewood high School glows amid the lights; a tiger balloon looms over Denver’s downtown; and

Katrina Arzhayev dresses as a christmas gift to accompany Santa claus on his float — err, sleigh.

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Trimmed with lights, Kat reynolds and Judy Schenkein portray minions of the nutcracker Prince to march with a float sponsored by the colorado Ballet,

Streetlights shine through the gossamer wings of

illuminated angel chris crumrine before Denver’s annual Parade of Lights. n