Looking forward to spring

Another one of my finds after going over my photos. This is of Independence Pass in between Leadville and Aspen. The summit of the pass which is where this was taken is a on a wide ridgeline at about 12,000 feet in elevation. This photo is looking to the south. It is undoubtedly one of the most scenic places in all of Colorado and is highly recommended (if you can handle a narrow road with lots of exposure). I am really looking forward to spring when this road reopens. I am definitely going to take this road again.

There is another mountain pass to the south of this one that takes people in the same direction over the same mountain range, but instead of taking people from Leadville to Aspen this other one takes people from Buena Vista to Crested Butte. I haven't taken that road yet, but I have heard that it is a spectacular drive. I think that I will check it out this spring and summer, since it takes people to Crested Butte, I might include it in my book about Crested Butte. The pass is called Cottonwood Pass and is a much smaller and less traveled road than the other ones that traverse the Sawatch Mountains, which is the mountain range in the area.

The sawatch m0untains are the highest mountain range in Colorado and is home of the states 3 highest peaks, 2 of which are near Leadville, it is part of the continental divide and is considered the back bone of the Rocky Mountains since they are the highest peaks in the Rockies. These peaks aren't exceptionally rugged but are very large and are no less dramatic than many other mountain ranges in the world
This photo is an old one that I took of the Sawatch Mountains, this is actually the eastern part of Independence pass at the bottom looking in the direction of where the road leads, it goes in between the peaks shown, the mountain on the right is Mt. Elbert and at over 14,400 feet is the highest peak in the state and the Rocky Mountains, and is the second highest peak in the Continental United States. This photo was taken on an obviously stormy day at Twin Lakes near Leadville