MAY 30th - Branson, CO
CHASERS: Bobby Eddins  Michael Cohen  Edward Cohen
SUMMARY:
This was the first day of my second chase week and it was a long one. We couldn't leave until after a graduation ceremony which took place Sunday night and got out of town around 3am Monday. Our target was Northeast New Mexico by Monday evening so we switched driving and napping as we drove up Hwy 287.

We got to Clayton, NM by late afternoon and continued toward the Johnson Mesa where Sam Barricklow was already taking scenic pictures.

We ran into Jimmy Deguara and freinds from Austrailia in Capulin and chatted for a bit. By now storms were starting to fire near Trinidad, CO so we decided to drive to the top of Capulin Volcano to get a overview. Wow what a view it was.

We dicided to go north into southeast Colorado in case these storms really got going but after driving all the way to our storm in fizzled out so we came back east, then south to near Branson, CO to look at things.

By now a new storm was coming off Rotan Mesa and started to rotate so we moved into position. Soon there was a funnel stretching down. Don't know if ground contact was made.

This storm started to loose rotation so we drove back south into New Mexico. As we were driving back towards Clayton we heard that a little storm behind us was producing a tornado so we u-turned and headed back. Of course our view was blocked by a hill and by the time we got past it the show was over.
image from Cannon 300D First storm firing near Trinidad, CO. viewed from atop Capulin's cinder cone.
image from Cannon 300D What a view.
image from Cannon 300D An interesting sky before we descend.
image from Cannon 300D After moving into Colorado we approach the Trinidad storm just before it starts to poop out.
image from Cannon 300D Moving back east we note a new storm coming off the mesa.
image from Cannon 300D The old storm not gone yet.
image from Cannon 300D Close-up of the new storm with more precip.
image from Cannon 300D Chasers gather to make a plan as the new storm approaches.
image from Cannon 300D Just a pretty shot.
image from Cannon 300D Another view.
image from Cannon 300D After returning to New Mexico and heading toward Clayton, we hear reports of a tornado to our rear where storms had developed on the south side of the mesa's. Of course view was blocked.
image from Cannon 300D A bit of a rainbow.
image from Cannon 300D An interesting but weak looking tower.
image from Cannon 300D New storm back to the northwest.

All Images © 2005 Bobby Eddins. All rights reserved.