From frigid mountains to torrid deserts, often within sight of one another, the river carves its way through an incomparable, 1,450 miles long universe.
This spring an impressive snow melt swells its banks and some times floods them. Below the confluence with the Green River in Cataract Canyon the Colorado disgorges 56,500 cubic feet - more than 420,000 gallons - every second! Great news for the bathtubs, faucets, lawns, fields and people as far away as Los Angeles and Phoenix.
And everywhere along and out of the way.
A
handful of miles below its headwaters in the Kawuneeche Valley the
Colorado packs a stronger punch than any waterway in the southern half
of my home state, waterlogging the ground.
Along
Grand County 1/Eagle County 11 upstream from Radium Hot Springs. The
California Zephyr runs river right between Oakland and Chicago.
Not enough room for both the river and the freeway in Glenwood Canyon. The latter tunnels through the mountain instead.
Lazy float at Grand Junction.
The
historical Dewey Bridge sees little traffic since an accidental fire
destroyed its wooden planks. To repair it to its former glory donations
are accepted...
Western landscape, why I love thee.
The snowy La Sal Mountains tower above the, uh, Fisher Towers in the desert. And a river runs through it all!
The snowy La Sal Mountains tower above the, uh, Fisher Towers in the desert. And a river runs through it all!
Downstream from Moab.
Gold Bar.
The San Juan and Colorado rivers meet in Lake Powell.
Lake Powell at Gregory Butte.
Page and Glen Canyon Dam. The Grand Canyon is next!
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