Rocky Mountain National Park - Bear Lake

Bear Lake

Bear Lake is located on the east side of RMNP, and is at an elevation of 9,449 feet. Several of the most popular trails in RMNP originate near Bear Lake.

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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

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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.

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Alpine Galaxy

This image was taken in September 2020 shortly after an early season snowfall. As it grew dark, I was amazed at how the fresh snow on the mountains was brought to light by the shining stars. The Milky Way was easily visible with the naked eye. I was all by myself on the lake this night, and to say I felt small would be an understatement. Looking up at the sky, staring at all of those stars, wondering what else was out there. I was also struck by how this view of the sky was common for our ancestors. Now we have to travel to a handful of places where our modern way of life doesn’t interfere with this view of our galaxy.

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Stoic

An incredibly cold and windy morning view of Hallet Peak. The clouds were hanging low over the mountains, and the sun was just beginning to shine on the mountain tops. The patches of ice on the road give are a stark reminder of the cold. The road wanders into the mountains, almost inviting you to go farther and higher.

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Into The Milky Way

I love taking Milky Way photos. One of the things I enjoy about it is revealing more than the eye can see. You can see the Milky Way with your eyes at Rocky Mountain National Park. But you can’t see any detail surrounding in. It’s just far too dark. The camera however can see much more. By doing a long exposure we can shed light on the foreground, and allow us to see the Milky Way in it’s surroundings.

This photo was during a fun night of shooting. I had clear skies and took several images of the Milky Way from around the park. This shot was taken from a parking area on Bear Lake road not far from the Glacier Gorge parking area. I was standing safely in the parking area when I took this picture, it is just cropped in such a way it looks like I was in the road. Safety first.

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.

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Sprague Lake Photos