These were taken as we were descending from the summit of Monarch Pass (elev 11,319'). I was struck by the lofty mountains AHEAD of us! This makes Monarch kind of unique in that most passes are the highest point ahead and behind. The peaks in the distance are (I think), from left, Tabeguache Peak (14,155'), Mount Antero (14,269'), and a couple of closer 13ers. These are a part of the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains

Monarch is on the Continental Divide which "wanders around" through the San Juan Mountains to the south (where we had spent the previous two days) and does not include most of the 14,000+ peaks in Colorado. The Sangre de Cristos (remember from Westcliffe?) are largely 14ers but the Divide is on the OTHER side of the San Luis Valley which is drained by the Rio Grande and goes to the Atlantic. Wolf Creek Pass was the other crossing of the Continental Divide on our trip.

The highway follows the valley of the South Arkansas River to the right of these mountains into Salida, Colorado.