Telluride Morning
I’ve always been a morning person, so being the first awake was nothing new to me. It was, however, my first time experiencing the mountains in winter and there was a kind of magic in waking up to a world blanketed in snow. The cabin was quiet, and I could feel the cold pressing against the windows. Still rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I glanced outside and saw the snow-covered trees and hills stretching out to the distant mountains. The sky had just started to show hints of pink and orange, and I knew I couldn’t miss this.
I’d not seen the mountains like this. I’d seen them green and vibrant in summer, but winter transformed them into something almost otherworldly. The San Juan Mountains are part of the Rockies and have a rich history as being rugged and remote. Home to miners in the 1800s seeking their fortune in silver, Telluride was once a booming mining town. Now it is better known for skiing and festivals, but the isolation of these peaks still feels wild and remote. Even the town’s name, believed to be a contraction of “To Hell You Ride,” speaks to its hard, unforgiving past.
I got dressed as quickly as I could, grabbed my camera, and left my friends, still asleep in the warm cabin. Instantly, the cold hit me, that sharp bite that makes your breath turn into clouds. I could smell the fresh snow and pine, the air so clean and crisp it almost stung. It was dead silent—no wind, no animals, just me and the crunch of snow under my boots.
As I wandered around looking for the right shot, I started to feel the cold seeping into my bones. That would be the real struggle—trying to hold the camera still while I had started to shiver. I could see the colors in the sky changing so fast—those soft pastels that light up the horizon for just a few minutes. The trees looked amazing, their branches heavy with snow, like something out of a postcard.
After circling the cabin a time or two, I found the shot: the trees, the snow, and that perfect bit of pink sky right above the mountain tops. I forced myself to hold still long enough to press the shutter. I managed to squeeze off a few shots before the shivering returned. I checked the image on my camera, and it was exactly what I’d hoped for.
Even though I was freezing I stood there a little longer, just watching the sunrise and trying to soak it all in. The quiet out there was incredible, almost like the world was paused for a moment. By the time the sun was fully up, the colors started fading, and I knew the moment was over. I walked back to the cabin and my sleeping friends. My hands were numb, and I was shivering from head to toe, but it was worth it.