Rarities: Wolf Moon, Arapaho Peaks

Moonset, Arapaho Peaks. Photo by James Beissel (Jamesbeissel.com)

Photographer James Beissel sent us this fantastic dawn-patrol shot of the full moon setting over South and North Arapaho in the Indian Peaks, shot from Flagstaff Mountain. Said Beissel: ”The first full moon of the New Year is often called the Wolf Moon. The name comes from Native American culture, in which it was associated with cold nights on which hungry wolves could be heard howling at the moon. January 30th’s full moon was also the largest for 2010—the full moon coincided with the lunar perigee, the point at which the moon is nearest to Earth during its egg-shaped orbit, making the moon appear larger and brighter than normal.”

Here’s another thing this photo reminds us: The east ridge of North Arapaho (right foreground), located inside Boulder’s closed-to-the-public watershed, sure looks like a fine mountaineering route. It’s a shame no one gets to climb it.