Photos: Blue Mesa Reservoir and Black Canyon of the Gunnison

The water level in Blue Mesa is quite low. Let's hope they get a lot of snowfall in the High Country this coming winter! 

Hard to imagine just how deep Black Canyon of the Gunnison is, from pictures. It reaches a depth of 2,722 feet (829 meters), more than twice as deep as the Royal Gorge! It's called 'Black Canyon' because it's so deep and so steep, there areas where sunlight only hits the bottom for 33 minutes a day, throwing such dark shadows against the rock walls as to render them nearly black.

The same river -- the Gunnison -- that cuts through the Black Canyon fills the reservoir.

This area should be full of water, but the water has been gone so long, prairie grasses are growing here.

Look at the waterlines on the bank!

Yellow-bellied marmot, stuffed and on display in the visitor's center.

Painted Wall—the tallest sheer cliff in Colorado at 2,250 feet (690 m). Lighter-colored pegmatite dikes are clearly visible.

That river is half a mile down.

The city of Montrose, population around 20,000, can be seen in the valley ahead.

We're back to the Blue Mesa Reservoir.

I have been here when the water level was almost to the bottom of that bridge.

And now it's too dark for good pictures.  Time to put the camera away!  We're almost back to our campground.