They rise abruptly from the open plains,
remnants of the ancestral Rocky Mountains,
formed eons ago and shaped by time itself.
Stone that has learned how to endure.
Their forms are vast and commanding,
pines gathered at their feet,
meadows resting below their watchful faces.
In winter’s quiet, they seem to pause,
as if the land is holding its breath.
Within their folds, life finds refuge.
Bears and mountain lions move unseen,
foxes, bobcats, coyotes, and countless others
slip into shadow and shelter,
woven into the contours of stone.
They are the ancients of this place,
towering above the valley.
Unchanging witnesses to seasons passing below,
held by winter,
and holding the wild in return.
Image captured in Boulder, Colorado, winter 2019
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
