Waterton Canyon: January 2018

I headed into Waterton Canyon on New Year's Day. My quarry as always was bighorn sheep, Texas being fairly light on charismatic megafauna. The day was cold, but skies were clear. So whatever I saw, I knew I would have good conditions in which to shoot it.

No squirrels or songbirds on the early stages of the trail this afternoon.  But in the right light, tufted seed pods take a pleasing portrait.

I'd seen mule deer in the woods by the picnic area half a mile up the trail before.  And fortunately, there were some there again this day.  A grazing doe showed herself first, followed by two young bucks.

The real prize took patience, and I would have missed him if I'd moved on too soon.  But eventually this 10-point fellow stood up from where he'd been laying in a shaded patch as if to say, "HERE'S your picture."

The afternoon skies reflected a brilliant blue off the South Platte River.

The bighorn sheep I'd come to see were there.  They always are.  But they were high up the canyon walls and in no apparent hurry to come down for close-ups.

The river hadn't completely frozen over.  The ice that was present had clearly cracked, thawed, and re-frozen repeatedly, which resulted in some striking mosaics.

The late afternoon sun cast its golden light on subjects like this Smooth Sumac as I made my way back to my car.  I covered a good seven miles in the canyon in all, relishing the cold air, warm sun, and beautiful Colorado scenery!