Rio Grande National Forest, September 21, 2020, Part 1

After breakfast this morning, I decided to drive on FSR 250 back towards Platoro Reservoir.  I found a convenient pull out and entered the forest on the south side of the roadway.  I wandered around in the forest shooting photographs in the mid-morning light.

Performance Bow. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, 1/250s, f/16, ISO 200.

The curved trunk Aspen in the photograph above appeared to be bowing to acknowledge its fall performance.

Forest Light. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 22mm, 1/250s, f/16, ISO 200.

Forest are always good places to get a starburst effect through the trees, so I had to capture a few of these with the fall color.

Split. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, 1/125s, f/16, ISO 400.

This unfortunate Aspen shows damage from the violent storm that blew through here in early September.  Readers might also note many downed branches in some of my photographs in this area.

Quartet. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, 1/200s, f/16, ISO 200.

The tall, slender Aspen trunks always make good subjects.  It is not unusual to find a group of Aspens growing in a clump.

As I worked my way downhill from my parking place, I came out of this Aspen grove at a portion of the same road that had switched back below the hill.

Mountain Fall. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, 1/125s, f/16, ISO 125.

There is a road sign in the bottom left of this image, indicating that I was very near the junction of two forest service roads.

At the edge of the forested area I found a large “hump back” Aspen.

Deformed Aspen. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, 1/250s, f/16, ISO 200.

Rather than walk back up the hill to my vehicle, I decided to walk along the roadway.

Forest Road. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, 1/200s, f/16, ISO 200.

Trees near the roadways are susceptible to having graffiti carved into them.

Tree of Declaration. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, 1/80s, f/16, ISO 125.

The roadway made a great leading line, so I used that in a number of images as I worked my way back towards my vehicle.

Forest Road. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, 1/160s, f/16, ISO 125.

The rest of the story later,

Ken