Rocky Mountain News Favorites

An ever-expanding collection of eye-catching images from the Rocky Mountain News digital archive activated by the Denver Public Library in the fall of 2015.

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Rocky Mountain News

Mike and Kit Strang, horse ranchers in the Roaring Fork Valley, donated a conservation easement on their 450-acre spread with a magnificent view of Mount Sopris.

Grand Tetons / moon

This artist's conception shows Titan's surface with Saturn appearing dimly in the background through Titan's thick atmosphere of mostly nitrogen and methane. The Cassini spacecraft flies overhead with its high-gain antenna pointed at the Huygens probe ...

(Denver, COLO. JANUARY 24, 2005) Tony Kaempfer (cq Kaempfer), 60, and Barb Slaten (cq Slaten), also 60, and both from Centennial, admires an exhibit made with mannequin legs and flowers, created by Bouquets, a floral store in Denver, Lakewood, and B...

One of the gardens that will be on the 2007 Garden Explorations Tour in Castle Rock/Castle Pines on June 24, from 9 am to 4 pm, a fundraiser sponsored by the Colorado Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. (CFGC), and the Colorado Chapter of American Society...

I was sent to the Sand Dune National Monument the day that it was converted into a National Park. We missed the ceremony, so I just shot beautiful images of the dunes at sunset. But having lived in Taos, I knew that early morning light is always gorgeo...

An ambulatory patients waiting room will be open and full of daylight at Children's Hospital at the Anshutz Medical Campus in Aurora, CO. Today, Thursday September 6, 2007 was the official media tour of the new and nearly complete Hospital that plan...

A light dusting of snow covers the ground near Silverthorne as aspen, still in full fall color, stand in stark contrast to the first signs of winter. A cold front moving through the state dropped temperatures 35 or more degrees yesterday causing an abr...

The Cherokee Castle sits above The Keep, a new development in Douglas County Thursday September 13,2007. Lots on the development are from four to eleven acres on land purchased from the estate of Tweet Kimball (cq) , owner of the Cherokee Castle , wh...

(ATHENS, GREEECE, AUGUST 10, 2004) A view of the Greece's famous Parthenon built above the ruins of Acropolis glows in night high above the Olympic city of Athens, Greece on Tuesday, August 10, 2004. (photo by RODOLFO GONZALEZ/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS)

(ATHENS, GREEECE, AUGUST 10, 2004) A view of the Greece's famous Parthenon built above the ruins of Acropolis glows in night high above the Olympic city of Athens, Greece on Tuesday, August 10, 2004. (photo by RODOLFO GONZALEZ/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS)

(Athens, Greece on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2004) -American water polo Tony Azevedo celebrates a goal mid-way through the U.S.A.'s 7-6 win over Croatia at the Olympic Aquatic Centre Indoor Pool on Sunday night in Athens. Azevedo scored a buzzer-beating goal t...

(11/30/2004) David Parks, 12, on vacation from Oklahoma, flies over a snow ramp while sledding the top of Berthoud Pass on Monday, November 30, 2004. The state just released its latest figures on this year's snow pack percentages. Photo by TODD HEISLER...

Sandhill Cranes fly to the wet lands to roost for the night, Sunday evening, March 11, 2007, at the Monte Vista National wildlife Reserve. Sandhill Cranes mate for life and live 20 - 30 years. Approximately 23,000 - 27,000 Sandhill Cranes migrate bian...

A sandhill crane spreads its wings as it lands in the Monte Vista National Wildlife Reserve, March 3, 2008, Monte Vista, Colorado. A cranes wing span is about 6 feet and can fly up to 45 miles per hour. This bird will continue its voyage to the summer ...

A sandhill crane flies past Mount Blanca, as it heads to open water, on the Monte Vista National Wildlife Reserve, to roost, March 3, 2008, Monte Vista, Colorado. They can fly up to 30,000 feet. (KEN PAPALEO/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS)

A family of sandhill cranes flies past Mount Blanca, as they head to open water on the Monte Vista National Wildlife Reserve, to roost, March 3, 2008, Monte Vista, Colorado. They can fly up to 30,000 feet. Cranes mate for life and their young will be ...

A cow elk grazes on a bumper crop of native grass along a fence line off of CR 56 in Evergreen Wednesday evening June 22, 2005. The vegetation along the front range is lush after persistent rainfall this season. (DENNIS SCHROEDER / ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEW...

A mail carrier delivers mail to the cottage houses in the Poplar community in Boulder, Colorado on October 9, 2007, with 14 homes that surround a common grass area. From their web site: "The project was initiated by a non-profit development group, the...

A time exposure captures the lights of the "Hurricane" ride on the mid-way set up on Broadway in front of the State Capitol on the third day of the four-day-long Taste of Colorado at Civic Center Park in downtown Denver on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 3, 20...

DLM0219 Wed., May 2, 2007. (DARIN MCGREGOR/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS) Gary Coffey, 45, of LAKEWOOD superintendent with Concrete Works of Colorado "Job of a lifetime" I could retire right now and this would be the feather in my cap" It's great to work on som...

Canadian Geese in Del Mar Park in Aurora during the cold snap on Wednesday December 7,2005. The Geese foraged for grass which lay under the new snow. (GEORGE KOCHANIEC, JR/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS) **

Firefighters in Berthoud battle a grass fire near HWY287 and HWY 52. Approximately 100 acres burned before ground crews brought the fire under control Monday January 19, 2009. Record high temperatures and high winds are making for high fire danger alon...

(DENVER, CO. 4/28/04) Grass shots for the cover of DIG (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS PHOTO BY JUDY WALGREN)

(OLYMPIA, GREECE, AUGUST 18, 2004) Fans sit along the grass banks of the Ancient Stadium in Olympia surrounding a remanding pillar as they watch Olympians pefrom in the shot put competition in the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games held in Olympia, Greec...

(DENVER , Colo., December 6, 2004) A pedestrian makes his way up the staircase of Lobby A on the 14th Street side of the new Denver Convention Center Expansion which opened for business Monday as Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper cut the ribbon to offi...

(DENVER , Colo., December 6, 2004) Looking up the staircase of Lobby D on the Speer BLVD side of the new Denver Convention Center Expansion that opened for business Monday as Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper cut the ribbon to officially open the new fac...

(DENVER Colo., October 22, 2004) Denver Zoo's three new lion cubs are now out for public viewing in the maternity den "Pahalli Ya Mwana (cq) in the Predator Ridge exhibit, October 21, 2004. (Photo by KEN PAPALEO/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS)

(FILE PHOTO) Close up of overpass at Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada shows the fences and greenery that grow above the roadway and on top of overpass. (SOUTHERN ROCKIES ECOSYSTEM PROJECT/FOR THE NEWS)

Photo by Dean Humphrey-- Grand Junction firefighters battle a tractor trailer crash in the westbound lanes of I-70 at the 26 1/2 Road overpass around 3:00 am today. The highway and 26 1/2 road are closed indefinitely. The tractor was transporting 55 g...

Pike Hot Shots wildland firefighter Adam Rodriguez

A bunch of cowboys watch as Cody Miles, left, of Parachute, busts out of the start gate in the calf roping competition during the night performance of the Colorado State Rodeo Finals at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden, Colo., on Friday, June...

Sunny and Sun (left to right cq) are announced as wife and wife in a pagan style wedding ceremony on Tuesday morning July 4, 2006 at the 34th annual national gathering of the Rainbow Family of Living Light. The ceremony came after a morning of silence ...

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bob Boughner (#6) flashes a smile at a temmate before a voluntary light practice at the Family Sports Center Ice Arena in Centennial on Tuesday April 25, 2006. Many on the team have to be smiling after a pair of wins again...

MJM129 Two unidentified woman smile on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 during the Inauguration of President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., where Mr. Obama became the 44th president of the United States and the first African-American to hold the office. (MATT...

Rresident Paul Mack (Cq) returns home after a bike ride to his solar condo complex by architect Michael Tavel (cq), in the Prospect community in Longmont, Co. on Sept. 19, 2006. Tavel won the architects' choice award. Above the windows are solar pane...

Mountain bikers with bikes in tow camp near the Bookcliffs area as the sun sets after riding at the 11th Annual Fruita Fat Tire Festival on Friday April 28, 2006. The Festival went back to its roots this year featuring loosely organized rides many host...

Visitors enjoy the sunset and the reflection of the aspens in Maroon Lake Monday afternoon September 26, 2005, at the Maroon Bells in Aspen. The Maroon Bells are one of the most photographed places in Colorado during the show of color by the aspen tre...

(Aurora, Colo. July 6, 2004) A wheel of anti-gang leader Rev. Leon Kelly's 1978 Cadillac Eldorado. He uses two lowriders to help shift kids' interest away from the streets and into more productive options. He has a 1978 Cadillac Eldorado and a 1981 ...

ellen needs to shoot elitch gardens at sunset. she worked on it last week, and needs to try again from another angle.

Lights glow in a time lapse photo of the Ferris Wheel as fairgoers wait beneath it for a turn on the first day of the Colorado State Fair in Publo, Colo., on Friday, August 24, 2007. The Midway is where the the rides and games are at and is popular, es...

(YUMA., Colo., Dec. 12, 2005) Kenny Rogers leans against his truck, near a piece of property where the family rents out farm land. The Rogers family in Yuma, Colorado has maintained the Wagon Wheel Ranch since 1950. They have participated in the Nation...

(Denver, Colo., 1/19/05- David Motes (right) talks with his partner Zane David Bruce their competition in the team roping event at the Wednesday Matinee Rodeo, January 19, 2005 at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo. At 51, Motes is the oldest c...

DM0211 Squeak Schmidt of Johnstown, Neb. competes in the saddle bronc during the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo at the Denver Coliseum in Denver, Colo. Thursday, Jan. 17, 2008.(DARIN MCGREGOR/ ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS) **all names from roster

25 year-old Ken Lewis (cq) from La Junta, CO prepares his horse, Anna, an 11-year-old American Quarter horse beforethe start of the National Western Rodeo Finals in the Denver Coliseum on Sunday, January 27, 2008. Lewis participated on the Steer Wrestl...

DM3367 Whoa! Kelly Masters of Erie, Colo. puts the brakes on as he takes down a steer during the steer wrestling the steer wrestling event, also known as bulldogging, during the Earl Anderson Memorial Rodeo in Grover,Colo. June 15, 2008. (DARIN MCGREG...

Luke Gardner (cq), senior from Highland School - Ault Colorado, talks to friend Becky White (cq), senior at Moffat High school- Moffat Colorado, left to right, Thursday afternoon June 23, 2005 at Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden while White clean...

A bull waits in the pens to be chosen or not chosen for the bull riding event Sunday July 24th during the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo. Established in 1897, Cheyenne Frontier Days is the World's Largest Rodeo & Western Celebration. (JUDY WALGREN/THE R...

Josh Lowell filming Chris Sharma rock climbing / deep water soloing on The Arch, his project in Cala Santanyi, Mallorca, Spain. As of July 18, 2006 Sharma had not completed the free climbing route.

Birds over sunset reflection

Ingrid Backstrom explores the pillars of ice and deep blue canyons of snow in the area around Blue River, British Columbia, Canada. From the film Higher Ground, by Warren Miller. 2005. Photo by Warren Miller Entertainment.

A field of alfalpha is watered in Weld County Wednesday May 17, 2006. The water being used to raise this crop is from his late season water reserve. "We are all embedded in this land. This is more than our livelihood, it's our life, our history," says...

(ASPEN Colo., August 17,2004) Water from the Salvation ditch is used on this ranch to water the hay fields. The ditch takes water from the Roaring Fork River before the river reaches town. In 2002 not much water got past this ditch, because of the sen...

The Glory Hole Spillway in Dillon Reservoir is taking in water Monday afternoon June 20, 2005. This is the first time since 2001 that there has been enough water in the reservoir for water to go over the spillway. The water then will go into the Blue...

Water flows out of the mid point valve of Gross Dam from Gross Reservoir to South Boulder Creek Thursday March 15, 2007. Gross Reservoir is part of the Denver Water system, provoiding drinking water to Denver. The weather and rate of thaw will play a b...

Darren Narens (CQ), gets some air as he competes in the advance division preliminaries Flip Out, Freeride, and Tricks Runs during day two of the Inaugural National Championships of the United States Hydrofoil Association at Soda Lake in Lakewood, Colo....

Uravan, CO.. A liquid evaporation and retention pond, one of several in Uravan, Colorado, used in the clean-up efforts of Uranium mining contaminated land in what was once a town of about 700. The liquid in the ponds is water collected since 1987 f...

[FEDERAL HEIGHTS, CO. - July 28, 2004) Dawn Berth, 18, of Thornton, , competed with 40 other hopefuls and placed 2nd in the girls competition in Water World's first "Best Wave Babe and Wave Bum" surf contest Wednesday, July 28, 2004. Catelyn Rob...

Members of the Niwot 16A girls softball team react to jumping into the cold water Sunday morning January 1, 2006, at the Boulder Reservoir. They are from left to right Katie Ratliff, Isabelle Mastronardi, Kelsey Kreager, Abby Ratliff and Ashley Primm...

A ranger-led tour makes their way through the Cliff Palace site, which is tucked under an alcove on the mesa, at Mesa Verde National Park one afternoon. The cliff dwellings at Cliff Palace were discovered in 1888 by cowboys Richard Wetherill and Charli...

05/15/2003 Western Colorado-I was photographing an enterprise story on a migrant sheepherder in Western Colorado when he left me to hunt coyotes that threaten his herd. While waiting for him to return, I spotted this scene from a distance, at the bott...

Still from "Robots," 2005

Sky Ride at Elitch Gardens

Sky Breaker [painting]

A cyclist traveling the White Rim Trail checks out The Black Crack. At many places along the trail a small crack opens up,becoming, eventually, a vast canyon. During its hundred mile length many canyons appear like this beside the trail. The White Rim ...

A cyclist stands looking at the Green River near Ft. Bottom on the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park. The trail which runs through rough and rugged country for over one hundred miles is in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands. The p...

A group of women workers clean corn at Project Mercy in Yetebon, Ethiopia on, Saturday, October 1, 2005. Corn along with false banana is one of the staple crops of Ethiopian farmers. In rural areas, much of the work, whether it is making butter or brea...

A pothole provides an oasis of life and green color in a vast stretch of white sandstone at a place called The White Crack, on a portion of the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah. The trail which runs through rough and ru...

[(Tucson, AZ, Shot on: 2/23/05)] Colorado Rockies AAA starting pticher Jason Young pitches before an Arizona sky during Spring Training at the Hi Corbett Field Sports Complex in Tucson, AZ, Wednesday Feb. 23, 2005. (BARRY GUTIERREZ /ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS)

Michael Jackson

(Denver, Colorado, 11/15/2005) Weekend Spotlight: Firemancer is a fire-dancing troupe slated to perform in this year's Parade of Lights. The two-person group, comprised of Doug Bates (cq) and Melinda Rivers (cq), demonstrated their skills at Club Sky...

(Denver, Colorado, 11/15/2005) Weekend Spotlight: Firemancer is a fire-dancing troupe slated to perform in this year's Parade of Lights. The two-person group, comprised of Doug Bates (cq) and Melinda Rivers (cq), demonstrated their skills at Club Sky...

(Denver, Colorado, 11/15/2005) Weekend Spotlight: Firemancer is a fire-dancing troupe slated to perform in this year's Parade of Lights. The two-person group, comprised of Doug Bates (cq) and Melinda Rivers (cq), demonstrated their skills at Club Sky...

(BG0164) Clouds decorate the sky as a new day begins at the Worship Center of the New Life Church where church founder Ted Haggard is on administrative leave in Colorado Springs, Colo., Friday, Nov. 3, 2006. Mike Jones, CQ, says that he has had a three...

(BG902) The moon peers through the blue sky over Invesco Field at Mile High as the Denver Broncos lose to the Indianapolis Colts 34-31 in the fourth quarter at on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006. Broncos lose 34-31. (BARRY GUTIERREZ/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS) *** NAME...

(Easement 2) After sunset, the grasslands of Capps Homestead is silhouetted agains a blue sky, Tuesday evening, January 29, 2008, Huerfano County, Colorado. This is part of the conservation easement formed by ranchers in this area. (KEN PAPALEO/ROCKY ...

(Easement 2) Sunrise turns the sky and the Spanish Peaks pink Wednesday morning, January 30, 2008, Huerfano County, Colorado. The land in front of the peaks is part of the conservation easement formed by ranchers in this area. (KEN PAPALEO/ROCKY MOUNT...

(GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLO., May 12.2004 ) VIEWFINDER, While up at Hanging lake I noticed these trout swimming around in the clear water. I had to find an angle where I wouldn't get any reflection from the sky and then used my 70 - 200 zoom and my Nikon ...

(LINDON Colo., January 13, 2004) VIEWFINDER- While out East in farm country I came across this field that belongs to the Scott family. The small amount of new snow was enough fill the some of the plowed field but leaving dirt showing also. The patter...

(VIEWFINDER - RAINBOW July 8, 2004) While on a trip in eagle county, near Vail, a quick moving thunder storm over came me. I waited it out and I knew that when it started to clear, a rainbow would appear. I put my 70 - 200 Nikon zoom on my Nikon D2H...

(MOUNT EVANS Colo., September 1,2004) A Mountain Goat stands on a rock over looking the "Castle in the Sky" at the top of Mount Evans Rd. September1, 2004. The castle was once called the Crest House, that was built in 1941 and at that time was the hig...

({seqn)} Allison Larson looks in her kitchen cabinet while meeting with insurance agents at her home on Sunday, May 25, 2008. The Larsons' house was destroyed in the tournado that hit Windsor, Colo., last week. (PRESTON GANNAWAY/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS) ...

04/20/2004 Littleton, Colo.-A child waves to the sky as doves, representing those killed in the Columbine shootings, fly away near the end of a ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the Columbine shootings Tuesday, April 20, at Clement Park in Lit...

this is for page 22 A field of daises grows along highway 550 north of Silverton Colorado last week. This is a good wild flower viewing season due to the heavy mountain snow melt run off. I underexposed the over all shot by one stop, laid m...

(DENVER Colo., February 15, 2005) Remster (cq) Bingham , of Boulder, walks across the sky bridge at DIA February 15, 2005. The bridge connects the Jeppesen Terminal with Concourse A. The airport is turning 10 years old February 28, 2005. (Photo by KEN ...

(Denver, Colorado, 11/15/2005) Weekend Spotlight: Firemancer is a fire-dancing troupe slated to perform in this year's Parade of Lights. The two-person group, comprised of Doug Bates (cq) and Melinda Rivers (cq), demonstrated their skills at Club Sky...