Mystery Falls - Elko Park

Mystery Falls - Elko ParkA small waterfall seems to flow from solid rock in Elko Park, Colorado, Gunnison County.

It was the summer of 1992. I was still exploring the abundant backcountry around Crested Butte, Colorado, with my trusty 4 x 5 Wista field camera when I wandered into Elko Park with my new Nissan Pathfinder.  Those were the days! 

I could see a small stream but couldn't see its source, so I found a precarious parking spot and started to hike upstream. I had not walked far when I discovered the source of the stream seemed to flow from a large block of stone. The water seemed to gush from a hole in the boulder. I was intrigued. As it turned out, there was a long, deep ledge along the face of the stone that created a shelf for the water. It was pretty cool. But "Mystery Falls - Elko Park" was better-left a visual mystery. So, I photographed the scene leaving the source of the flow a mystery. I think it makes a more interesting photograph and becomes more intriguing. 

Satisfied with my new discovery, I hiked back to my Pathfinder only to discover that I had a flat tire. My vehicle was parked on a 20-30 degree slope, making a tire change precarious at best and probably extremely dangerous. Did I mention that there was no one else around? For probably miles? There was yet another discovery to be made. The rod that turns the jack was missing from my new car. I had to use a screwdriver that forced me to place myself very close to, and below, my tilted car, using a screwdriver to slowly lift it onto three wheels. Needless to say, I survived, and I eventually parted ways with my Pathfinder after 248,000 miles. 

This is one of many transparencies that have been hidden my archives for decades. A deep dive into those files happened this week, resulting in me finding some lost treasures. I hope you like "Mystery Falls - Elko Park" as much as I do. I hope I don't like it just because of the difficulty it was creating it.