Collared Lizard, Flume Canyon, McInnis Canyon National Conservation Areal, Colorado

 This little guy is a collared lizard.  Bob encountered it in Flume Canyon in the McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area, Colorado while hiking out from his Arch Rally hike to see Picture Window Arch and The Spectacles double arch.

The male of the collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) is brightly colored often with greens and yellows.  The coloration of the female is more subdued, but they both have the dark band around their necks that gives the species its name. They are a common species in rocky and arid regions

This image is heavily cropped from the original photo due to Bob not having a long telephoto lens with him during this hike.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Painted Wall, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

 After attending the Fall 2023 Arch Rally at Colorado National Monument with the Natural Arch and Bridge Society, Bob headed to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.  This impressive cliff is called the Painted Wall and Bob photographed at late morning.  This 2250 foot cliff is one of the tallest cliffs in Colorado. The lighter colored streaks through the cliffs are a mineral called pegmatite that intruded into the prevalent gneiss and schist formations.

The Gunnison River is visible at the canyon bottom.  It has one of the steepest descents of any river system, which contributed to its carving such a deep and narrow canyon.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Centennial Arch, aka, East Rim Arch, Rattlesnake Canyon, McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, Colorado

 During the Natural Arch and Bridge Society's Fall 2023 Arch Rally, Bob got to hike into Rattlesnake Canyon in the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, Colorado.  One of several impressive arches was this one called Centennial Arch, but is also know as East Rim Arch, but is also known as Akiti Arch.

Accordig to Robert Vreeland, this is an old pothole-type arch with a span of 40 feet, a height of 120, a thickness of 8 feet, and a width of 10 feet.

Reaching this arch took a long drive over rough 4WD roads.  The hike to it was only about a mile and a half, but the hosts of this hike had the group downclimb through the first arch we came to using a nylon webbing handline, which they had to climb back up through at the end of the hike.  Our main host wanted this to be an afternoon hike, so that the lighting was better for taking photos of the arches.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.