sunset on Trail Ridge RoadWe’ve had a string of beautiful, sunny days this fall, and with the days shortening, and the sun lower in the sky, we’ve had some beautiful sunrises and sunsets.  The result of all of this is some gorgeous rose, purple colors on the mountains, otherwise referred to as alpenglow.  Alpenglow is the glow on the mountains opposite the sun, usually a pink-tinged, or purplish glow on the peaks.  Most people usually think of Alpenglow as being more of a sunset type thing, but here in Nederland, in that we sit east of the high peaks, we get some wonderful sunrise Alpenglow.  I had to get up early the other morning, and caught sight of the glow of the peaks, and it took my breath away.  As I was driving to Rocky Mountain National Park in the morning, a couple of times, I just had to pull off, to take a moment to take it all in.  Perhaps John Muir said it best, when describing this unique alpine setting:

“Long, blue, spiky-edged shadows crept out across the snow-fields, while a rosy glow, at first scarce discernible, gradually deepened and suffused every mountain-top, flushing the glaciers and the harsh crags above them. This was the alpenglow, to me the most impressive of all the terrestrial manifestations of God. At the touch of this divine light, the mountains seemed to kindle to a rapt, religious consciousness, and stood hushed like devout worshippers waiting to be blessed.”

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