Continue on Forest Service Road 858 over the pass and along the West Fork of the Cimarron River with impressive views of " the Needles" on Pinnacle Ridge. Temps were about 15 degrees above normal, and the leaves were much slower to change, making it possible to savor Fall’s beauty a little longer. Renting a camper van once you get to the state lets you stay nimble. This one stands out because of the vibrant color combination, and the selective focus on the front row of blooms using my 70-200 mm lens. This is one adventure where you’ll want nothing keeping you from the scenic sights and fresh mountain air. The workshop leader told us to not only look up but to look down as well. Don’t miss the clear view of Wilson Peak, recognizable not only to geo-savvy Coloradans, but also to anyone who’s ever examined the label on a Coors bottle. The skies opened up and absolutely dumped on us. McClure Pass! Sneffels Wilderness, Colorado. If you have a 4WD or are up for a one-mile hike, check out Rowdy Lake, then do the three-quarter-mile hike to Clear Lake, a small pond with a great grove of aspen along the eastern shore. I had been hiking out on the Rustler’s Loop Trail near Fruita, shooting the numerous claret cup cactus that flourish on the trail. On the third day, day hike to Squaw Pass on the Continental Divide (11,210’, a … This view of the Dallas Divide between Ridgway and Telluride is one of my very favorite mountain scenes in the whole state.

While he biked, I drove around and shot fall images.

As it was, I still had a great time and this image is one of my favorite of that morning’s shoot. Dallas Divide T he trip from Montrose to Telluride is quite scenic and particularly so around Ridgeway Reservoir and along the approach to the Dallas Divide. google_ad_format = "200x90_0ads_al_s"; – amazing waterfalls. I shot this in early March at sunset. Starting once again from the Ridgway traffic light, head north on Highway 550 for 1.7 miles and turn right on the well-graveled Owl Creek Pass Road. This year, I found this wonderful juniper to use as a foreground element.

Use these tips to tame your photo library. I had a total BLAST shooting wildflowers in the Flint Hills in early June. Enjoy Fall on the GMUG.

Snow Drift Ranch on Dallas Divide is the cherry on top of the whipped cream. County Road 7 (the sign also says National Forest Access Dallas Creek) turns south from Highway 62 4.7 miles from the traffic light at the junction of Highway 550 and Highway 62 in Ridgway. I almost felt like I was back in Kansas (except of course for the mountains in every direction!). I did try to work on my technique so my photos are sharper, with some success, but I need to keep at it. One day I went up to the Colorado National Monument and spied this scene, with the vibrant cottonwoods in the wash creating a pleasing “S” curve, with the shadow play on the canyon walls.

Please remember to pull off to the side and not stand on the road when photographing or enjoying the scenery.

Knowing Todd and his bizarre sense of humor, I’m still not sure if he was telling me the truth or just pulling my leg…  At any rate, the peak was nothing short of awesome, especially once the alpenglow hit its face.

Sneffels Traverse: North Pole Hut to Blue Lakes Hut is a 8.5 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Placerville, Colorado that features a river and is rated as moderate. The beginning of fall color season is fairly predictable; the end can be sudden and unexpected. Like the infamous Road to Hana in Hawaii, Last Dollar Road can be a bit of a challenge (even impassible after a heavy rain), but is completely worth the trek. In mid-May, the Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers held a little weekend shindig in Moab. My cousin has a summer home near the Durango/Silverton area, and we made it down to visit her this summer in mid July, the perfect time for wildflowers and waterfalls! And here's the latest release in the Sorcerers' Scourge series. Lauren is kind enough to allow the public to cross his ranch on two roads, and the best scenery is on the dirt road that follows East Dallas Creek toward Mount Sneffels. Note that the last mile of the Capitol Creek Road is steep and a bit rocky. I used my 70-200 lens to isolate the blooms. I did try to find markets for my work, with minimal success. We spent the rest of the morning shooting on the Silver Pick Rd. The road starts out as a graded gravel road leading along the west side of the Sneffels Range; shoot this area in the afternoon.

The Horsethief Ranch is near Loma and is part of the land the Mesa Land Trust has preserved, so it was a very unique opportunity to get to visit it. Most off-road experts in the area would classify this road as a beginner to intermediate trail.

On the left, you can see ragged Cimarron Ridge (shown on another page here).

I was transfixed and almost hypnotized by the beauty of the fresh fallen powder on the evergreens, and couldn’t stop saying “God, this is. This section between Ridgway and Placerville is. I ventured over to Glenwood Springs in June to hike the Hanging Lake Trail, only to discover there were NO parking spots available! google_ad_height = 90;

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