I belong to several Denver/Colorado Springs Photography Groups, and this adventure to the Pawnee Buttes National Grasslands near Keota, CO, was with the Denver Photowalk Photography Meet-Up. The organizer decided to go to the Grasslands for a sunset photo shoot, so our adventure began later in the afternoon.
The day would prove to be quite the advenuture. The day started out with bright blue sunny skies and big white puffy clouds. As we made our way towards northern Colorado, we could see thunderstorms developing off in the distance. Kind of scary, but my photography buddy Elane and I were excited, because thunderstorm make for interesting photography. Not long after we turned off the highway onto dirt roads did it start to rain. It was sunny to the west and raining to the east, which equals a rainbow somewhere and sure enough we turned the corner and there we spotted an end to end rainbow!!! This was my 1st attempt at capturing a rainbow, let alone a COMPLETE rainbow. The rainbow soon faded and we continued on the Buttes.
We finally met the group at the trailhead, and began our hike out to the Buttes. My knee is feeling better, so I thought this would be a good test to see just how much better it was feeling. At 1st the hike was very flat and easy, but as the trail curved we started to hike down into a small canyon. It was very cool for pictures, but the farther I hiked the more concerned I got about my ability to hike back. After we shot the sunset, we would have to hike the canyon back in the dark, even though we had flashlights, I was worried about my knee and making in back in the dark. The skies had clouded over, and it didn't appear that we were going to get much in the way of a sunset anyway from out by the Buttes, so I headed back to the car.
I am sooooo glad I decided to hike back early, because just as I got back to the car the sun was setting to the west in a SPECTACULAR show of color! I drove up the hill to the old windmill I saw as we 1st came in, and starting snapping away. The silhouetted windmill with a vibrant sunset sky was on my camera capture "wish-list"! YIPEE!! You can find the images I shot that afternoon under the photo album titled Pawnee Buttes National Grasslands. The Buttes are out in what seems to be the middle of no where, on the northeastern plains of Colorado. If you have never seen them, DEFINITELY worth a weekend drive to check them out!! GORGEOUS!
Cheers from behind the camera!
Teri V.
