The Story Behind This Shot

Looking out from the top of Shrine Ridge near Vail Pass, Colorado, as morning light turns the haze orange and layers the distant ridges into fading bands. Red Indian paintbrush and the sandstone shrine rocks fill the foreground, with spruce silhouettes on the right. Shrine Ridge is one of the easiest ways onto a high-alpine ridge in the state, and the wildflowers here peak from late July into early August. A warm, layered mountain print with the feel of a painting.