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Rocky Mountain High aka How I spent my summer vacation
For some reason, I kept thinking of Sister Mary Elephant from Cheech and Chong for that title :rofl
Anyway, spent the better part of the summer exploring the Rockies again this year. Last year I spent the better part of my trip searching for my favorite beer - Fat Tire Amber Ale with limited success in the San Juan Mountains. Well, on this trip, I decided to bring my own suds and save myself the hassle. Armed with a bevy of lenses, my trusty camera and plenty of ice in the cooler, it was time to explore...
...However, without a central distinguishable goal for this year's adventure, I chose to make my focal point the beautiful high mountain wildflowers themselves. Colorado had a record year for snow along the front range and I decided that this could be a banner year to capture the color along the Rockies.
My goal... to find the most outrageous colors that Mother Nature offered high in the Colorado Rockies!
My first mission was to capture the late spring bloom along the Front Range foothills themselves at 5500 feet. Onto Boulder, Co we go!
Nestled along the edge of the Flatirons, sitting with a spectacular view of Boulder, Chautauqua Mountain Park offers some of the most dramatic views of pristine landscape preserved as open space along the entire Front Range of Colorado.
Although the flowers themselves were not as prolific as I had hoped for, the grasses and colors led to some serious promise as the season began
The next stop was on top of Vail Pass at 10,000 feet high.
It was a bit early for wildflowers as most were just barely beginning to bud when I arrived.
Fortunately the trip up was not in vain as I managed to get some great alpenglow color on my way back down to Denver as I planned my strategy for my next visit to the pass later in the month.
The next stop on the tour was at my old stomping grounds, at the backbone of Rocky Mountain National Park on top of Trail Ridge Road. The summer tourist season was in full swing, and cars, road construction and tourists were all over the lower valley. What better way to escape the crowds? Take a hike to 12,500 feet high into the alpine tundra!
Up there, the signs of summer were truly around as the buttercup flowers were all over. The fragile life above timberline is never more apparant than here. Flowers have a lifespan of a few weeks and then its back to 10 months of solitary confinment back in the ice-laden tundra. So, making the most of their life, the flowers here put on a very brief but fantastic show.
Of course, at that altitude, the views themselves are spectacular on their own.
Longs Peak dominates the East side of RMNP
Solitude
The sunsets above treeline, high in the Rockies can be spectacular!
After a breathtaking (literally) day above 12,000 feet, it was time to truly test my stamina. What better place to do that then on a 14,000 foot mountain? Onto 14,264 feet altitide at Mount Evans outside of Denver, CO we go!
The famed Mount Evans mountain goats are here, as is the worlds highest paved road which reaches above 14,000 feet.
Speaking of those goats, it seems that July is a fine time to see them! Interestingly enough, the goats apparently are not native to the area. They were introduced sometime between 1948 and 1972. They are quite adjusted to the environment as they have thrived ever since. In fact, most of the time, you dont even need a telephoto lens to view them as they get very close most of the time.
Here's a view of two juviniles having a carefree day above timberline.
After an exhausting day along Mount Evans, it was time to descend back to an altitude that wouldnt cause me to get sick. So it was back to the "lowlands" of Vail Pass 4000 feet lower.
To be continued!
Anyway, spent the better part of the summer exploring the Rockies again this year. Last year I spent the better part of my trip searching for my favorite beer - Fat Tire Amber Ale with limited success in the San Juan Mountains. Well, on this trip, I decided to bring my own suds and save myself the hassle. Armed with a bevy of lenses, my trusty camera and plenty of ice in the cooler, it was time to explore...
...However, without a central distinguishable goal for this year's adventure, I chose to make my focal point the beautiful high mountain wildflowers themselves. Colorado had a record year for snow along the front range and I decided that this could be a banner year to capture the color along the Rockies.
My goal... to find the most outrageous colors that Mother Nature offered high in the Colorado Rockies!
My first mission was to capture the late spring bloom along the Front Range foothills themselves at 5500 feet. Onto Boulder, Co we go!
Nestled along the edge of the Flatirons, sitting with a spectacular view of Boulder, Chautauqua Mountain Park offers some of the most dramatic views of pristine landscape preserved as open space along the entire Front Range of Colorado.
Although the flowers themselves were not as prolific as I had hoped for, the grasses and colors led to some serious promise as the season began
The next stop was on top of Vail Pass at 10,000 feet high.
It was a bit early for wildflowers as most were just barely beginning to bud when I arrived.
Fortunately the trip up was not in vain as I managed to get some great alpenglow color on my way back down to Denver as I planned my strategy for my next visit to the pass later in the month.
The next stop on the tour was at my old stomping grounds, at the backbone of Rocky Mountain National Park on top of Trail Ridge Road. The summer tourist season was in full swing, and cars, road construction and tourists were all over the lower valley. What better way to escape the crowds? Take a hike to 12,500 feet high into the alpine tundra!
Up there, the signs of summer were truly around as the buttercup flowers were all over. The fragile life above timberline is never more apparant than here. Flowers have a lifespan of a few weeks and then its back to 10 months of solitary confinment back in the ice-laden tundra. So, making the most of their life, the flowers here put on a very brief but fantastic show.
Of course, at that altitude, the views themselves are spectacular on their own.
Longs Peak dominates the East side of RMNP
Solitude
The sunsets above treeline, high in the Rockies can be spectacular!
After a breathtaking (literally) day above 12,000 feet, it was time to truly test my stamina. What better place to do that then on a 14,000 foot mountain? Onto 14,264 feet altitide at Mount Evans outside of Denver, CO we go!
The famed Mount Evans mountain goats are here, as is the worlds highest paved road which reaches above 14,000 feet.
Speaking of those goats, it seems that July is a fine time to see them! Interestingly enough, the goats apparently are not native to the area. They were introduced sometime between 1948 and 1972. They are quite adjusted to the environment as they have thrived ever since. In fact, most of the time, you dont even need a telephoto lens to view them as they get very close most of the time.
Here's a view of two juviniles having a carefree day above timberline.
After an exhausting day along Mount Evans, it was time to descend back to an altitude that wouldnt cause me to get sick. So it was back to the "lowlands" of Vail Pass 4000 feet lower.
To be continued!
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The next morning (and several asprin later) it was time to hit the road and go back to the summit of Vail Pass to see how those lovely flower buds had progressed. Much to my dismay, the sunrise was much earlier than I anticipated. Drats! Looks like I would have to make an additional trip the following day to catch sunrise.
So, how to kill some time since my best light had gone for the morning already? Macro shots! Armed with the trusty 180mm lens, it was time to capture some sunflowers.
After having some macro fun, it was time to finally hit the road and explore the pass. When I arrived, I was met with one of the more extrodinary displays of wildflowers I'd seen so far this year.
Feeling giddy at the prospects of a successful discovery of wildflowers, I made my way onto the high mountain fields and began shooting as much as I could.
Unfortunately, within the next half hour after arriving, the winds began to overtake the wildflower fields. So much for large apertures! And of course, with the wind, brought the storms. Ack!
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Composing shots proved to be tricky as the area was literally covered all over leaving very little that would make for and ending frame to each photo.
And then came the winds and storms... again
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I threw on a 3 stop ND filter on the front of my 70-200 lens and did some zooming with some interesting results.
And some double-exposures
The last day of the Vail Pass adventure took me to the very top of the pass itself on a hike to Shrine Pass.
The hike itself isnt very tough for as short as it is, but try telling that to this flatlander!
On the summit, I was once again stunned at what I discovered. It was a veritable explosion of color. One person described it appropriately as "Where Shattered Rainbows Come To Rest". I couldnt possibly describe it better myself.
After an incredible day amongst the best wildflower display I had ever seen, how could I possibly top that? Only one way... Onto the San Juans and the legendary wildflowers that I visited the previous year
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While I pondered my lack of good transportation in the rugged San Juans, I took a day to explore my home base back at Rocky Mountain National Park. By this point, dealing with crowds was the last thing I wanted to deal with. Solution? Evening and last light photography again!
IR storm clouds
After some photoshop, I really felt the mood in the following two photos were much more in key with what I wanted the shot to be.
Coming soon... Rocky Mountain High - Part Two - Electric Bugaloo
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Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
Speaking of faves. RMNP is one of the nicest places too. Lots to see and do
in the park
ann
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Ian, like I said last year... tell the friends and family that you are taking a major vacation and we'll get you back to the high altitude paradise
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Shattered rainbows, for real! I have never seen wildflowers like that, not even in a garden store.
I don't know what to say. These are gorgeous. Keep posting them. Pleeze!
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