This edition is scheduled to be published on the US holiday: Labor Day. Like every Monday for this little ol’ newsletter, Labor Day is also a work day. I beat the Labor Day traffic, fortunately, when I headed up to Berthoud Pass on Sunday (and it seemed like all of the metropolitan area followed me, as the westbound highway up into the mountains was crowded while I was already on my way eastbound and home).
Sunlight reaches the summit within a clear sky, taken with a DJI Mavic 3, 30 August 2025.
I would have been up in the mountains just a bit earlier, but I forgot my drone! I had only barely started out, realizing my mistake while I was still on the service road next to my home. It has been very cloudy and cool the entire past week, and the day for travel was the first to be clear in a long time. Maybe I just got a little too excited? I also changed my kit from the routine, so I didn’t bother with recriminations, but neither did I hurry!
Indian Peaks cast shadows as seen from above Berthoud Pass.
The parking lot at the Berthoud Pass summit trailhead was nearly full when I got there. I looped back a little bit to find an isolated place to fly. While the season is perfect for hiking, little Hoop Creek, for its part, is nearly spent. The runoff in the Spring is the better time to see water cascade and fall along the steep drops.
Like nearby Maxwell Falls, Hoop Creek is nearly spent, and will soon be frozen and dry.
I’m able to fly close to the falls, as all the other visitors are hiking up towards the peaks, instead of down towards the streams and valleys. In all, I stopped five times to fly, covering nearly two hours.
Sunlight and shadows in this panorama over West Clear Creek and US Highway 40.
However, this visit was the first to capture the sunrise over the summit. My original plan was to try to hike part way on US Forest Service trails, then get the drone to the same elevation as the peak. If I was even more adventurous, I’d try to get to the peak before sunrise so I could also get the eastern plains in the picture.
Previously, I’ve only caught the sun rising further to the south over Colorado Mines Peak.
The wilderness peaks to the north cast shadows over the Fraser Valley, where all the water flows to the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean, as my view had crossed the Continental Divide.
From Longs Peak to Pagoda Mountain, the nearby “Fourteener” takes pride of place.
I had heard that it had snowed at the pass the day prior to my visit, but there was no evidence of this. The ground was wet, but there was barely enough to feed the streams (as shown previously above).
The author calibrates left and right in between being awestruck by scenery.
I had never visited Henderson Mine, either. But on that day, I was at an overflow parking lot next to the molybdenum mine where there were already dozens of cars. One was just arriving, and the dog that the new arrivals were walking was so excited, they quickly returned with a bagged gift that they proudly displayed on the hood of their car while they resumed their hike. I’m not too familiar with these customs, but I’m sure it all makes sense somehow.
Clouds were only just beginning to return, although the haze of smoke isn’t quite gone, yet.
I also stopped at a picnic ground at Big Bend, at the confluence of West Clear Creek and Woods Creek. If I were to celebrate Labor Day here, I would want to honor all the workers who made everything possible, from the surveys to the roads to the amenities. Their labor does them proud, already.
A birds-eye view of the falls.
With my drone, I can see all around Berthoud Falls, as well as up and downstream.
The morning light illuminated the trees that cast shadows over the valley floor.
The falls were audibly consistent, but the sound quickly faded away the further I moved away. There are fences around the picnic area, but the drone can fly above and around them.
Another view of the falls in the shadows.
I seemed to stay one step ahead of the crowds, but I was still in good company. I hope you’re in good company, whether you celebrate Labor or Work, Laborer or Workers.
Sunshine over Berthoud Falls.
Thanks for reading all the way to the end!
