Probably my favorite area to haunt in Southern Colorado is in and around the little town of Westcliffe. I have been finding myself exploring there since the 1970s. Back then it was a sleepy little cow town with a few shops, a restaurant (Susie’s), a grocery store, a post office and a small cinema. Since then the population has grown and the town has tried to reinvent itself as a tourist destination with shopping and skiing. Agriculture and cattle ranching have been consistent aspects through the years.
Back in the ’70s I was shooting film and lugging a Mamiya RB67 into the mountains on day trips to capture whatever scenes nature decided to present to me. I was younger and stronger in those days. Another activity was backpacking into the Sangre de Cristo mountains which dominate the western horizon of Westcliffe. I did not lug the RB67 along on those trips but I did manage to take along a 35mm SLR – most likely my Minolta SRT-101.
The photo below was shot digitally this century with my Canon Powershot G12. It is this type of scenery that keeps me coming back time and again.
Gear: Canon Powershot G12