Crystal Lake, San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Fall colors and the first snow on Red Mountain Pass are reflected in Crystal Lake.

I started the morning at Dallas Divide hoping for a colorful sunrise. The mountains were not visible from the overlook as a heavy layer of clouds had settled in and obscured everything. When it became clear that the weather would not break, I hopped in the car and headed for higher ground. The clouds cleared as I climbed out of Ouray and up the Million Dollar Highway, and I arrived at Crystal Lake just in time to find a location to set up. A few minutes of waiting for the sun to hit the trees on the right, and this is the result.