I left my motel room in Walsenburg, Colorado in the pitch dark of pre-dawn, headed west to Great Sand Dunes. Only an occasional trucker accompanied me along this lonely stretch of rolling highway, so I was free to engage in some serious musing as I sipped on my morning latte. On the down side of La Veta Pass, through the Blood of Christ Mountains, I noticed the sun coming up in my face which startled me back to reality. I was not about to daydream my way through a fabulous Colorado sunrise. Something eventually pulled my eyes right and I saw the scene above. The mountains around me had erupted in fiery colors. I pulled off the road and slammed on the brakes. I had about five minutes to capture the drama.