Governor Basin, San Yuan Mountains, Columbines
My favorite spot both last year and this for wildflowers is Governor Basin. American Basin is second. The highly touted Yankee Boy basin would be third. The first two require a high clearance 4-wheel drive vehicle (and I mean it!). Careful drivers might be able to negotiate Yankee Boy basin with in all-wheel drive car with reasonable clearance.
You can see the road down below. I scrambled up a talus slope a hundred feet or so, not from the bottom, to get to this compelling viewpoint. The columbines were in pristine shape.
Feature Image Details
- EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera
- Canon 16-35MM F4 L Lens
- F11 for 1/1000th second ISO 1000
- Focal length 25mm
I used a high ISO to stop the wind. Also I focused stacked the image by focusing on the near flowers, mid-range flowers, and then the mountains. Every image in this post was focused stacked.
Additional Governor Basin Images
I have a many more posts to do in this Rocky Mountain series covering American Basin, Yankee Boy Basin, Imogene Pass, Clear Lake, Silverton, and Durango.
Equipment
Those interested in my equipment and recommendations can find it here: Mish’s Equipment List.
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Mike “Mish” Shedlock

