Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Looking downstream from Pioneer Point Overlook in the upper part of the Canyon. The river is bloated into Morrow Point Reservoir here, which is why they water extends between the canyon walls on either side. The rock in the foreground is some of the granite intruding the very hard metamorphic rocks into which the canyon is incised. This is a so-called "pegmatite", a very coarse-grained granite. The pinking crystals are potassium feldspar crystals several centimeters across. For more about the Black Canyon see the enclosing photo.