Crystal Mill - Marble, Colorado

The now ghost town of Crystal, Colorado was founded in 1880. numerous silver mines were in operation here in the late 1800s and this was the mill that powered a mechanical air compressor for ore procesing. There is a 4 wheel drive trail that you can take to this mill thats about 10 miles round trip. We decided to hike the road instead. It ended up being a really really long day because it was a steady downpour of rain/snow the entire way there and back. I actually was glad it was raining and foggy though because i thought it would be a nice change from the sunny and blue sky photos you normally see from here. hope it was worth it!



False Kiva Ruin - Utah

This is the False Kiva Ruin. Located in an undisclosed location in a remote section of Canyonlands National Park. You will not find this spot on any map, or in any books. Chances are anyone who is been there will not tell you where it is. The location is kept quiet because of its remote and rugged location. There is no practical way to protect these fragile cultural resources. It is sad to say, but there are always those who do not respect these irreplaceable locations, and have to ruin the fun for everyone else.

This site is called "False Kiva" because many people falsely believe the main round structure to be a ceremonial kiva room. These were actually common shelters for ancestral Puebloan people living in this area around A.D. 1200. A partial excavation in 1986 proved it was only used for daily activities like cooking and sleeping.

This is truly an amazing place to experience. It is the quietest place I have ever been. Standing in this alcove high up in a sheer canyon wall, it is not hard to imagine the people that inhabited this place long ago.

This was a really tricky image to make. I used a circ. polarizer and two stacked grad nd filters to try to even out the exposure.



Old Boston Mine - Mayflower Gulch, Colorado

This is not a blend of multiple exposures. There is actually no roof on this building so the light hits the inside walls and makes for a pretty easy shot.



Moulton Barn - Mormon Row - Grand Teton National Park , Wyoming

The structures that make up Mormon Row have withstood the elements for over a century. The farmland was homesteaded by predominantly Mormon Settlers in the early 1900s. The park service has since taken measures to preserve them for future visitors. Always great opportunities for photographs here if you are willing to get up early!



Hotel View - Ashcroft, Colorado

I know this one is a lot like my other shot from here [link] , but if you compare them both they show pretty different perspectives. I was not sure which I liked best, what do you think?

Ashcrofts history is a brief one. It began with promising silver finds by prospectors from Leadville in 1879. Quickly pioneers began to settle here. By 1885 the population of Ashcroft was nearing 2,500. However, nearby Aspen was also experiencing a boom of its own. Residents began abandoning Ashcroft as quickly as they had settled it. By 1890 most of the businesses had closed. The devaluation of silver in 1893 was the fatal blow. The post office closed in November of 1912, and only a few hardy men were left. Jack Leahy, the towns last resident died in 1939, officially rendering Ashcroft a ghost town. Many of the original buildings exist yet today. This is the Hotel View. Still standing proudly among a grove of aspens. Not yet forgotten.



St. John - Virgin Islands

The Danish West India and Guinea company settled St. John. in 1718. The Danish crown took full control of the colony in 1754, and was quick to establish a number of sugar plantations. The island has an ugly history of slave labor. Slaves from Africa were used, along with the indigenous Carib and Arawak indians. Today remnants of the islands plantation history are all over. The most famous of those being the Annaberg sugar mill ruins. To me though there are many more interesting structures around the island that have begun to be reclaimed by nature.



Moulton Barn, Mormon Row - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming



Hotel View - Ashcroft, Colorad

Ashcrofts history is a brief one. It began with promising silver finds by prospectors from Leadville in 1879. Quickly pioneers began to settle here. By 1885 the population of Ashcroft was nearing 2,500. However, nearby Aspen was also experiencing a boom of its own. Residents began abandoning Ashcroft as quickly as they had settled it. By 1890 most of the businesses had closed. The devaluation of silver in 1893 was the fatal blow. The post office closed in November of 1912, and only a few hardy men were left. Jack Leahy, the towns last resident died in 1939, officially rendering Ashcroft a ghost town. Many of the original buildings exist yet today. This is the Hotel View. Still standing proudly among a grove of aspens. Not yet forgotten.



Moulton Barn And Buffalo, Mormon Row - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming



The Ancestral Puebloans inhabited Mesa Verde for more than 700 years (550 A.D. to 1300 A.D.), but for the first six centuries, they primarily lived on the mesa tops. It was not until the final 75 to 100 years that they constructed and lived in the cliff dwellings for which Mesa Verde is known. The cliff dwellings were abandoned by 1300 A.D. The reason for the sudden departure remains a mystery.

Mesa Verde is a pretty unbelievable place. If youve never been I highly suggest it.



Mohawk Lakes Trail - Breckenridge, Colorado

There are relics from the gold rush days of the late 1800s scattered all over Colorado. They are pretty cool to see.

I am normally not a fan of black and white photographs, but I figured for this scene it was appropriate.



These are the remains of the old boston mine from the 1800s seems like it wouldve been a pretty nice place to set up shop.



Mormon Row - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming



The Crystal Mill - Crystal City, Colorado

So I made the hike back up to the Crystal Mill, because last year I had gotten there a few days too late, and most of the aspens behind the mill had already dropped their leaves. I wanted to get back up there and get a shot of it at a more peak time. This year It was much better, although I was still there a couple days too early.