Fall Colors Part 1This year I began the fall color season in Colorado. The weather was mild and dry for the last week of September, which is typically the peak for aspen colors in most of Colorado. The first destination I went to was Rocky Mountain National Park. I had seen a picture from Colorado photographer Glenn Randall of Bear Lake and Longs Peak framed by yellow and orange aspen trees. I could get a general idea of where the picture was taken, but after scrambling around through the bushes and rocks, it took me 3 attempts to finally find the exact spot to get the composition I desired. I was fortunate to find this spot at the time when the aspen trees were peaking.
The only thing missing was some fresh snow on Longs Peak in the distance. Maybe next year? Last year, I read an article in 5280 Magazine about some recommended fall color hikes in Colorado. One of these was near the town of Edwards, next to the ski resort of Beaver Creek. The East Lake Creek Trail not only featured some nice aspen stands, but also some understory bushes and ferns that was also colorful.
Another trail that was recommended was a small section of the Colorado Trail starting at Molas Pass. Molas Pass is along scenic US highway 550, known as the "Million Dollar Highway" in southwest Colorado. However, looking at the map, it dawned on me that a more unique attraction might be over 4 miles from the highway. After a nice hike to the bottom of the Animas River Valley, I arrived at the railroad where the famous narrow gauge railroad train takes tourists between the towns of Durango and Silverton. Intrigued by this, I decided to look at the train schedule so that I can plan my hike around when the 2 trains on this day would pass through this area where it intersects with the Colorado Trail.
I submitted this image to USA Today's "Your Take" website, where they featured this as their Image of the Day back on October 8th. One my favorite places to visit is Telluride, especially during the last few days of September. This time I decided to get a different perspective of the expansive aspen groves surrounding the town. With the mild temperatures and no snow on the summits yet, I made the climb to 12,785 feet Ajax Peak. It was a long ascent to the top, but totally worth it!
Slot Canyon TourEarlier this week, I went on a 5-day tour of slot canyons in Utah. This trip was organized by renown storm chaser Roger Hill from Silver Lining Tours. Roger is well known for his tornado tours, but in the off season, he also schedules tours of various slot canyons of southern Utah and northern Arizona. I was impressed with his knowledge of the area.
 
We first visited this slot canyon near Goblin Valley State Park in Utah (above) before moving down to the area near Escalante, Utah where I saw some of the narrowest canyons possible. Hiking into these very narrow and winding made for one of the most unique hikes I have ever done. In some places, you have to walk sideways with your camera and backpack down by your side just to fit through this.
If you are in the right place at the right time, you can get some beams of light shining through these canyons!
This slot canyon near Kanab, Utah (below) featured red Navajo sandstone which makes for some fantastic color!
Many of these canyons pictured above usually do not see any more than a few visitors a day, which added to even more charm to visiting these places. Our final stop was Lower Antelope Canyon just outside of Page, Arizona. Antelope Canyon (pictured below) has probably become most visited slot canyons in the world and has turned into a major tourist attraction. You have to battle the crowds when photographing this famous canyon. However, with some patience and a good Navajo guide to halt the crowds while you photograph, you can still have some great pictures here and it is a magical place to visit.
We also did some night photography in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. Here are a couple of my favorites from that night featuring the Milky way and the unusual arches there.
Storm Chasing: Southwest StyleI have done quite a bit of storm chasing before, and I have also been to Arizona before. However, this is the first time I have combined the two together with the intent of photographing storms in Arizona. Earlier this August, I joined David Kingham again for storm chasing across Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. Some days produced storms, others didn't. On the days when there were storms, I used a "Lightning Trigger" with my camera for the first time to help capture lightning, which can be quite a challenge to capture strikes in the daytime. These triggers are designed to trip the shutter at exactly the right moment when electricity is detected. With the help of this, I was able to capture several lightning images.
There was more than just thunderstorms to shoot at the Grand Canyon. Just after a storm left at Point Imperial (the highest viewpoint in Grand Canyon National Park) was an incredible moment. Clouds were left hanging over the Canyon with a rainbow in the background!
Travels Across ColoradoDuring the month of July, I spent quite a bit of time in the Colorado Rockies, including seeing some new territory in Central Colorado. On the morning of July 4th, I took a hike into the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness near Leadville and Buena Vista up to Lake Ann. The columbines were coming out for the summer.
Hikes like this with a daypack was a good warmup for the hikes I was about to take with a backpack for a 2 night trip into the Mount Sneffels Wilderness near Ridgeway. During the second weekend of July, I was guided by professional photographer David Kingham, who did a great job scouting out a scenic campsite spot between Lower Blue Lake and Middle Blue Lake. The climb was tough carrying a 33 pound backpack, especially after climbing above the lower Lake of the three Blue Lakes. However, it was worth the effort. When the sun shines on the water, it really brings out the the turquoise colors caused by the rich minerals in this basin. The colors of the water remind of some lakes that I have seen in Glacier National Park or in the Canadian Rockies around Banff and Lake Louise.
David picked a location where we could photograph either the Lower or Middle of the Blue Lakes with only a short walk for the sunrise and sunset of those 2 nights we were there. This picture was taken just before sunset as we were looking down from the where the middle Blue Lake empties into this beautiful mountain stream.
For a couple of days during the 3rd week of July, it was time to attend a workshop in Crested Butte, hosted by John Fielder. John is not only great at promoting the beauty of Colorado, but is a talented photographer and quite possibly the most well known of the Colorado Landscape photographers. I have admired his work for a number of years and it was great to meet him in person. For a evening session, he would drive us up a 4 wheel drive road to a place locally known as "Paradise Divide", where there is a scenic pond at an elevation of 11,250 feet. We were fortunate to be here on such a calm evening where the water was so still. It made for great reflections in the water!
The following morning we would make the short drive just outside Crested Butte to Peanut Lake for a great sunrise!
After leaving the Crested Butte workshop, I would move on to the Aspen area and climb up to Electric Pass, at an elevation of over 13,000 feet. This is the 2nd highest hike I have taken. It is amazing to see that a few rather large wildflowers can grow at this elevation.
Weekend Workshop With Tim ErnstI have rested up from a extensive weekend workshop with Tim Ernst. Tim is well known as a pioneer in Arkansas landscape photography. Our workshop was headquartered at Harmony Mountain Retreat, south of Jasper. Our group of 6 participants all seemed to have a great time enjoying the best of what Arkansas has to offer in the spring time. Our first day in the field was a cool, overcast day with occasional light rain...ideal for shooting waterfalls. Also, the water levels were just about right for all the places we visited. Our first stop was to Falling Water Falls, located on Falling Water Creek. This scene has become an Arkansas classic. Our 2nd destination was to 6-Finger Falls, downstream of Falling Water Falls on Falling Water Creek.
We then crossed the creek with our legs knee deep in cold water. A short walk on the other side of the creek is Fuzzybutt Falls, which I think is among one of the most picturesque small waterfalls in the state.
I had been to all the above destinations before, but it was still nice to return to these great spots. Later that day, we visited a place I had not visited before, Big Creek. This tributary of the Buffalo River might be now most well known for being close to the large hog farm that is produced much controversy in the last few years. Thankfully, we were UPSTREAM from that hog farm, where the water is still pristine. There are some spots where the stream is full of pools and boulders. The picture below might be my favorite from this trip, as this spot as been photographed very little.
However, there was still great stuff to explore further upstream, including spring fed streams that pour out of caves. There are only a few places in Arkansas where a stream comes out from a cave. Places like Lost Valley and Blanchard Springs come to mind. They have been visited heavily. However, the hike to Big Creek Cave didn't become open to the public until just a few years ago. Here are a couple of the caves located near Big Creek.
Just downstream of one of these caves is a beautiful stream with moss covered rocks. So gorgeous!
The next day was much warmer and sunnier. Therefore, not good for photographing waterfalls. So we focused on some nice viewpoints instead. We visited Hawksbill Crag, which has arguably become the most photographed natural feature in Arkansas. Tim Ernst and his publications have a lot to do with that. On sunny weekends in the spring and fall, Hawksbill Crag can become rather crowded, a little too crowded for my tastes. Thankfully, we arrived there just before the crowds arrive and I was able to photograph the rock outcrop without any people on it. The trees were so green!
We also visited another great rock outcrop called Sam's Throne to watch the sunset.
Our final morning included a rare treat. Tim Ernst received permission to access a unique spot called Tea Table Rocks at Home Valley Bluff. It is important for me to say that you have to cross private land to get to this spot in the Ozark National Forest. I had seen a couple of other photos of this place, and glad I was able to visit, as I may never be able to visit Tea Table Rocks again. I love the view from here!
It was great to spend time with Tim, as I have enjoyed his work ever since I was a kid. His hiking guides and picture books have had a large influence for my love of the Ozarks of Arkansas. |
