Muted Flaming Gorge

 As I mentioned before, the sky above Dinosaur was gray and gloomy and we decided to try to go across the mountains in hope for a miracle - maybe we could find some sun on the other side of the mountain ridge... To do so, we crossed the Utah border and headed to Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.

 

But we had no luck, the weather on the summit was even worse and we found ourselves driving through the blizzard surrounded by snow. There was even more rain on the other side and everything looked not as we expected. 

 

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is usually bright and colorful, but this day it was grayed out and covered with low clouds. We were able to stop for a few seconds here and there to  see the Green River and were really glad when the rain stopped for a while when we went to the Flaming Dam Visitor Center.

We left the Visitor Center and drove to the Red Canyon, just to find out the clouds there flew so low that we couldn't see the river  down the canyon. When we just arrived, the weather gave us a great opportunity to take a look at the canyon. But just for a minute. Maybe for two and immediately the canyon has been filled with the fog blanket again...

We asked the ranger if the weather like that was normal for the end of May and the answer didn't surprise us. She said this was not common, and even more - that was absolutely unusual. Nobody can remember the whole day of rain! One or two hours at the most but the whole day? No... not here. So... we were lucky to catch a very abnormal view to the area and to the canyon!

Actually I cannot complain. Despite the cold and wet weather we had a really good time there. But more importantly we had an opportunity to see the area from a different angle. Usually everything there is bright and this day it was just the opposite - everything looked muted, the colors faded and the sky, usually high and deep blue, low and gray.

Click here to see the Yampa and Green Rivers later this day, when the rain finally stopped - Yampa and Green rivers

Pictures were taken on May 24, 2015.