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Description

Golden Clouds over Crestone

I started from the winter trailhead for Colony Lakes early on a March morning with the objective of doing a winter summit of Marble Mountain. The hike up to the treeline was a slog, there clearly hadn't been anyone on this trail in the last couple of weeks, and even with snowshoes there were pockets where I was sinking down to my hips in the snow. This improved once I hit the treeline, but the reduced tree cover left me exposed to the brutal wind chill.

As I worked up the ridge line for Marble Mountain, I realized that the wind and visibility were getting worse, and that the summit was completely shrouded in low clouds, so a safe summit wasn't possible (and I wouldn't get any good pics of the iconic Crestone Peak), so I decided to find a protected pocket on the ridge line and wait for the sunrise before heading down. Sunrise came and went and Crestone Peak remained shrouded in clouds. I eventually decided to call it a day and head down when I saw a new vantage point on the ridge line that was too good to pass. I made my way over and just as I arrived the golden hour light finally broke through, which is when this shot was taken.