Mountain skies shift from mournful blue to brilliant sunlight within a single morning’s ride.

Evidence

I left Longmount at eight on Saturday morning, rather heavily loaded, for in addition to my own luggage I was asked to carry the mail-bag, which was heavy with newspapers. Edwards, with his wife and family were still believed to be here. A heavy snow-storm was expected, and all the skythat vast dome which spans the Plainswas overcast; but over the mountains it was a deep, still, sad blue, into which snowy peaks rose sunlighted. It was a lonely, mournful-looking morning, but when I reached the beautiful canyon of the St. Vrain, the sad blue became brilliant, and the sun warm and scintillating. — Isabella L. Bird, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, 217

Categorization

• CANDY: A striking image: overcast plains below, but the peaks rising into clear, sunlit blue above.
• XREF: connects to: Mountain dawns transform the landscape into transcendent beauty that defies words — Isabella L. Bird, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, 111