One of the most intriguing things about the Rocky Mountains is how quickly the weather can change, especially at higher elevations. I had spent the entire day at the park in late August of 2019, arriving shortly after sunrise. As an aside, I would have made it by sunrise that day if I hadn’t gotten a speeding ticket just outside the park. 43 in a 35. My bad. Anyway, it was an absolutely beautiful day weather wise. It was hot in the late afternoon, in the upper 80s. There was not a lot of cloud cover, and not much in the way of rain or storms predicted.
I had wandered around the park, and done a few short hikes. A couple of hours before sunset I went back to Sprague Lake, hoping to get a nice sunset picture of Hallet Peak. Earlier in the day I actually was fortunate enough to catch a picture of a moose feeding in the lake. I lined it up just perfect with Hallet, and thought a sunset picture from there would make a nice set. After getting to the lake, the sky was clear to the west, and I realized it probably would not be the best conditions for the image I had in mind. So I packed up and drove to Bear Lake, arriving about 20 minutes later, and one hour before sunset.
As I walked up to the Bear Lake trailhead, clouds started to quickly roll in. As I mentioned, the weather changes fast. 20 minutes prior the sky was almost completely free of clouds. I walked a short way around the lake, and all of a sudden was hit with a gust of wind. Shortly after the wind, came the downpour. I was worried there might be lightning and thunder next, so I was prepared to head back to the car quickly. But the lightning and thunder never came, and after about 5 minutes the wind was completely gone, and the rain started to diminish.
As the rain began to subside, the clouds started to break up. As they did, the scene above unfolded in front of me. The setting sun had brought an eerie orange glow to everything. The contrast of the orange with the deep black clouds was simply beautiful. Hallet Peak looked foreboding surrounded by the orange glow. I quickly found a spot to set up my tripod and camera, and equipped a neutral density filter so I could do a long exposure, and smooth out the small ripples still left in the lake.
The photo turned out better than I thought it could. It was such a beautiful moment in time. I was mostly alone watching this amazing scene, in awe of what nature is capable of. It was the first photo I had taken in the park that I felt really captured a moment in the way I experienced it. And it is why I’m excited to share it with you.
Mountain Drama
Longs Glow
It’s incredibly hard to describe the sense of peace and calm one feels when watching the sunset at Bear Lake. I captured this photo one September evening, while waiting to take some Milky Way photos after dark. The weather was perfect, a cool 50 degrees about a week after an early September snow storm. It was the last time I would get to visit the park before the 2020 wildfires ravaged the sky, and filled the park with fire and smoke. This evening, the sky was mostly clear, and a few clouds looked like cotton candy as the sun set.
Autumn Alpenglow
A beautiful fall morning with a pre-sunrise hike towards Bierstadt Lake. I stopped about halfway up the trail and saw the first light over the landscape, and realized the hillside full of Aspens with their golden leaves would make a nice composition. I waited for sunrise, and the alpenglow to strike the mountain. I was rewarded with one of my favorite Rocky Mountain National Park photos.
Lunch Time
Summer in the park is wonderful time of the year. The flowers are in bloom, and the wildlife are active. I had set up my tripod to capture the summer day at the lake, when all of a sudden a friend appeared. Happily grazing on the weeds in the lake, the young bull made a great subject.
This was taken on the first day of summer, but I got to experience all the seasons that day. A strong storm rolled over the rockies, with snow, sleet, thunder, lightening, rain, and wind. The snow was confined to the higher elevations, leaving a nice frosting over the mountains. After the storm passed, it was followed by a calm, cool afternoon. The clouds remained, and the lake was smooth as glass. It was one of the more serene and peaceful moments I’ve had during the day in the park, and this panorama was my attempt to capture it.
Summer Powder
Cotton Candy Over Longs
Taken one day after a spring snowstorm dropped a couple of inches of snow on Rocky Mountain National Park. The warm weather quickly replaced the cold, and melted all of the snow at lower elevations. The snow had not melted on the higher peaks, leaving the contrast of spring and winter. It was a warm morning, and the elk were everywhere. I saw several herds that morning, with one blocking the road for some time as I drove down Beaver Meadows road. They finally moved on and I made it to the trail head at Beaver Meadows in time to set up and watch this beautiful sunrise.
Intimidation
Notchtop Mountain as seen from Moraine Park. The early morning light was just catching the mountain on this cold winter’s day. The clouds were clinging to the peaks. Or perhaps the peaks were holding on to the clouds.
Going With The Flow
The fog was not incredibly thick this mid spring morning, but it kept flowing around the edges of the Moraine. I captured this image about ten minutes before sunrise. There was not a lot of color in the landscape, but the contrast of the Big Thompson River and fog against the subdued landscape really stood out to me. I processed the photo as black and white to try and help those two distinct elements stand out.
What Lies Beneath
I love the fog in Moraine Park. The way it wisps and flows over the landscape is mesmerizing. Delicate and graceful like a ballet dancer, yet powerful like a flowing river. I captured this picture about 10 minutes before sunrise one spring morning. The grass covered in frost, greener in some spots where it is growing in the burn scar from the East Troublesome wildfire of 2020.
Spotlight on Longs
Stormy late springs skies backdrop Longs Peak, while the sun shines its last light on the mountain peak. The day brought lots of snow flurries and sunlight, but towards the end of the day the storm clouds were winning the battle. The sun fought back with one last ray lighting the peak of my favorite mountain in the park.
Mount Doom
A stormy day where the clouds were clinging to the peaks. Rain and snow were falling on and off throughout the day, and occasionally the sun would make an appearance.
Chasin’ Rainbows
The storms were relenting. Lightning, rain, wind, hail, and even some graupel. I was worried I wouldn’t see a peek of the sun all day. But just 30 minutes before sunset, as the heat of the day began to dissipate, the clouds gave way to the sun to the west. As soon as the suns rays arrived, the rainbow appeared. It lasted for a good 10 minutes.
Watching storms roll over the Rocky Mountains may be one of the most powerful connections I have found with nature here in Colorado. I hiked out the Flatirons Vista trail to catch the alpenglow light up the foothills near Boulder one summer morning. The sunrise didn’t work out all that well, but about an hour afterwards the storm started rolling in, and the sun was peaking through some low clouds to the east. I wish there was a way to capture smell in a photograph. You could smell the storm and the fresh wildfires. I got a little wet that morning on my hike back, but I enjoyed that too.
Fighting The Dark
Pink Blanket
A cold winter morning after a snowfall as Mother Nature paints the landscape in pink. A wall of clouds catches the color, and blocks the front range mountains behind, as snow continues to fall below. NCAR in the lower left provides some scale for just how big the Flatirons and foothills are.
Colorful Colorado
The sunsets in Colorado are really spectacular. You can experience some breathtaking moments by hiking deep into the colorado mountains. But you can also get them if you just pull over. I took this shot on an evening where I thought the sunset might be special, but didn’t have time to hike anywhere special to get a photo. So, I went to a spot I know with a little pull-off the road, and just soaked in this incredible moment.
Winter’s Grasp
Even on a cold afternoon, under a bright sun, winter remained in control. I hiked out the Flatirons Vista trail (good name, huh?) in about 8-10” of the fresh powder to see the mountains close up. The sun was bright and strong, it was only about 25 degrees, but it was hot as I hiked out. It was a long hike, but it was worth the reward.
Spring Delight
Watching the morning sun cast a light on the Flatirons is such a serene experience. There are a lot of great places to do this. one of my favorite spots also gives a great view of the alpenglow hitting Longs and Meeker. This was taken at the end of a cold and rainy month of May. It was the first warm spring morning of the year, with temperatures in the low 70s. The birds were singing and no one was around except me and my dog. The perfect way to welcome another Colorado summer.
One of my favorite places to go and watch the sunset in Boulder is the Flatirons Vista trail. About a 1.5 mile hike will get you a fantastic view of the mountains from Eldorado Canyon all the way to the Flatirons. I’ve seen many wonderful sunsets and sunrises here. This sunset was on a very warm summer evening, and the color and light were a photographers dream. In the last moment before the sun actual disappeared behind the horizon, a soft pink light bathed the walls of the canyon. I fumbled about trying to get a photo, almost as if I was surprised. The combination of the light, and the layers with the mountains and the clouds makes this one of my favorite photographs, and certainly one of my more memorable stolen moments.
Last Light
Above And Below
Colorful Colorado. There is a reason you hear that phrase a lot. The sunsets and sunrises often throw the entire color palette on a scene. Here I managed to capture a glimpse of that. Deep blues, subtle pinks, bright magentas, yellows, and a little orange. A storm was building from the east, and to the west some high clouds caught a little bit of light, resulting in the wide array of colors in the sky as the sun came up. Here I even managed to capture some anticrepuscular rays. They are rare sun rays that converge away from the sun. I’ve only seen them this one time, and was happy to have a camera to capture this stolen moment.
The mountains are calling and I must go.
John Muir