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Gothic Valley, just north of Crested Butte, Colorado, is one of the most fertile valleys in the state, and by June of each year “gets as green as green gets,” as photographer John Fielder writes in his wonderful book “Best of Colorado.” Mount Bellview and Avery Peak are the predominant mountains here, and the East River – just a creek up here – helps lead the eye right to them. I love this place. To me, it’s quintessential Colorado: killer mountains, impossibly blue skies, a beautiful creek coming down from the heavens, in a valley so green it could rival any in the Pacific Northwest.

Gothic Valley
Gunnison National Forest
Colorado
United States

The photo was made using a Canon EOS 50D digital body, EF 35mm f/1.4L lens (or full frame equivalent of 56mm), at f/9 for 1/15 second at 100 ISO.