The Cats Meow

March 26, 2014

Sunrise from the summit of Flagstaff mountain was something to behold. Snow had fallen on Boulder and the Flatirons coating them in white. Low clouds from an inversion hung over the eastern plains of Colorado covering Boulder and Denver and allowing for this view of the Flatirons at sunrise. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS L

Light snow had fallen all through the day and into the evening over Boulder. The foothills were coated with fresh snow and the pines had a frosty glow to them. The clouds hadn’t cleared by the time I awoke in early in the morning though the forecast called for clear and sunny skies after sunrise. The fresh snow and lingering cloud cover were promising signs that sunrise could indeed be a good one for photography this morning.

The conditions looked favorable for another inversion. Though the entire area around Boulder was covered in low lying clouds experience was telling me it was likely to be a low cloud deck with clear or clearing skies once one got above the layer of clouds. I figured I’d do what I do most mornings when conditions are similar and take a drive up Flagstaff Mountain to see how high I needed to go to get above the clouds.

The clouds from the inversion rested just below the summit of Flagstaff mountain. Hiking to the summit allowed just enough altitude to get above the cloud line and photograph sunrise. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 24-70mm F4 IS L

Two and a half miles up Flagstaff Mountain the clouds broke and I was able to get above the low lying layer of clouds over Boulder. The Moon shone brightly in the sky and illuminated the frost covered pines along the flanks of Flagstaff and Green mountains. Simply put the conditions were breathtaking.

I’ve been having great luck photographing some beautiful landscapes around Boulder this winter due to frequent conditions favorable for inversions. Taking the break in the cloud layer into consideration, a hike to the summit of Flagstaff mountain seemed like as good as anyplace to photograph sunrise this morning. So I parked my truck half way up the mountain and started hiking towards the summit of Flagstaff in the fog.

Hiking through the snow and fog in the pre-dawn hours with a partial moon lighting my was magical. Soon I was above the cloud line and nearing the summit of Flagstaff. The Ponderosa Pines where covered with snow and hoar frost and the fresh untracked crystalline snow shimmered and sparkled. As I hiked continued my hike towards the summit, a section of trail appeared different than any other I had just hiked.

Here's the muddied location where it all went down. The mountain lion took the deer down right at this location, then dragged the deer up the hillside. the drag marks can be seen on the left side of the photo. Blood and the outline of the deer's head can also be seen just above below the drag marks. — Here’s the muddied location where it all went down. The mountain lion took the deer down right at this location, then dragged the deer up the hillside. the drag marks can be seen on the left side of the photo. Blood and the outline of the deer’s head can also be seen just above below the drag marks.

The fresh snow had covered the trail completely. No other footprints could be seen and it was apparent I was the first person who had hiked up through this section of since the snow had stopped falling late the previous night. Something was odd about this section of trail below the summit. The trail was muddied and soft in this section. There was mud splatter all over the otherwise pristine snow. I did not give it much thought other than to think somebody had decided to ride their mountain bike through this section of trail which is typically closed to bikes.

A few paces up from the muddied section of trail an interesting track in the snow caught my eye. Upon inspection there were quite a few of these large animal prints in the fresh snow. This was not a coyote, deer or bear print but that of a mountain lion. I followed the tracks as they meandered through a meadow and towards the summit of the mountain. With sunrise quickly approaching I broke off following the tracks to go find a locations to photograph from. I figured after sunrise I could take my time and study the tracks in more detail when the sun was out.

Sunrise was brilliant and beautiful from the summit of Flagstaff. The low layer of clouds caused by the inversion made for great conditions to photograph both the Flatirons as well as sunrise over the eastern plains of Colorado. Wrapping up, I packed up my camera and headed back down the mountain to explore and investigate the fresh mountain lion tracks I had picked up on my up the mountain.

I picked up the tracks just behind the nature center on the summit of Flagstaff. Following them down through the trees and into the meadow just below the summit until I was back on the trail. The sun was shining brightly now and the fog had burned off so it was much easier to inspect my surroundings. The tracks appeared to stop at the portion of the trail that was muddy, the same area I had thought someone had ridden a bike through on my way up to the summit earlier in the morning.

I stopped and surveyed my surroundings some more in the daylight. Just off to the side of the muddied portion of the trail I could see a large patch of blood on the fresh snow. Looking more closely, my senses peaked I surveyed the hillside along the side of the trail. Inspecting the hillside I could see that something was dragged through the snow. It looked much like a hillside does after someone makes a first pass on a snow sled. The drag marks, peppered with streaks of blood here and there led into a group of Ponderosa Pines.

Just up the hill 15-20 yards from the trail the Mountain lion ate the mule deer then cached the remaining portion under pine needles and cones.

My heart beating a little faster, my senses more attuned to the sounds and sights around me it became clear what had happened on this muddy portion of the trail. I was standing more or less on top of a fresh mountain lion kill that had occurred only a short time before I had hiked on through on my way to photograph sunrise from the summit of the mountain.

With freshly fallen snow coating the ground it was easy to see exactly what had unfolded at this location only a short while prior to my arrival. The mountain lion waited for its prey on the hillside along the trail. The unsuspecting mule deer likely never realized there was a cat lying in wait until it was too late. The deadly efficiency of the lion was evident.

While the trail itself was muddied where the mountain lion took the deer down, there appeared to be little sign of a chase, struggle or resistance once the mountain lion had gripped onto the deer’s neck with its powerful bite. After dispatching the deer, the cougar dragged the deer up the side of the hill, 20 yards or less from the trail, ate a portion of it’s meal and then buried and cached the rest of the deer under pine needles, cones and duff for safe keeping.

Finding the mountain lions cache pile on the hillside with the mule deer’s two hind legs protruding from the pile was unnerving. Here I was standing over a mountain lions fresh kill having walked right through the area in the dark and fog only a short time after this had all taken place.

As is always the case when in the presence of a large predator, my senses were now heightened and alert. My eyes scanned every shadow and rock and tree on the hillside to see if the cat was watching me from the brush. The photographer in me wanted to stick around and see if I could photograph the mountain lion or at least catch a glimpse of this elusive animal. I decided it was best if I moved on back down the mountain and my dog Jackson seemed more than happy to move on from the area as well. I had a great morning photographing sunrise from the summit of Flagstaff mountain and there was no need to push my luck or more importantly disturb or stress the lion. I had my share of adventure and excitement for the morning and one I will remember for a long time.

One of the many Mountain lion tracks I found near the trail and kill site. I followed the Mountain lion tracks which after leaving the deer headed over the summit, and back over to the westside of Flagstaff mountain. At that point I figured there was no reason to follow them any longer and headed back down the mountain.

Tips For Photographing Rocky During The ‘Tweener Season’

March 19, 2014

Photographing Rocky Mountain National Park during the transitional season from winter to spring can be a frustrating experience. More often than not it will feel more like winter than spring in Rocky. Partially thawing streams make for a good subject even on cloudy and drab days. Here I was able to find a small area of Glacier Creek that had thawed enough to photograph water moving under and around the snowpack. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 24-70mm F4 IS L

With the calendar rolling past St. Patrick’s day spring is nearly here. Spring conjures up images of warmer weather, greening grass and chirping birds. While we can already see signs of spring beginning in the lower elevations of the Front Range, were entering another ‘tweener’ season in Rocky Mountain National Park that can lower ones motivation and cause photographers to find other ways to spend their time in the field.

While finding interesting subjects to photograph between seasons can be difficult, here are a few tips for keeping it fresh and interesting in between the spring melt off and summer in Rocky Mountain National Park.

1. Pay attention to thawing streams and lakes. Water will add a dimension and depth to your image. After a long cold winter, moving water can be hard to come by. By mid March the streams should be starting to thaw in areas which are exposed to the sun allowing for photographers to advantage of reflections or foreground subjects. Lakes may also allow for reflections or interesting subjects for leading lines. Don’t expect to find any of the lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park thawed an open this time of year. Check the inlets and outlets of lakes at various altitudes. Moving water will cause the inlets and outlets to thaw and run first. Use extreme caution this time of year when working around water and ice. Poor judgment and a misstep can cost you more than just your camera equipment.

2. Look for interesting skies at sunrise and sunset. This applies to photographing Rocky Mountain National Park anytime of year but I believe its even more applicable during the ‘tweener’ season. Dramatic lighting can turn a so-so landscape from blasé to spectacular easily. Dirty snow, leafless trees and partially frozen landscapes are quickly transformed into beautiful, vibrant scenes with dramatic and colorful skies above.

3. Continue to embrace your winter mojo. Why does one need to embrace winter when we are talking about landscape photography as we transition to spring?. Simple really, spring in Rocky Mountain National Park has lots of stops and starts. Spring in Rocky is much more likely to provide winter like conditions than those of the summer so it’s important to keep your mindset open to photographing in snowy conditions. Some of my best winter/snow images have been made during the spring season. March and April are some of our snowiest months so your certainly going to have the opportunity to photograph the landscape covered in white, so you might as well take advantage of it.

So while many have cabin fever setting in or are dreaming of heading to warmer locations south of Rocky Mountain National Park, the ‘tweener’ season still presents plenty of opportunities for photographers to make dynamic images in the park. Like always, keep and open mind, come prepared and most importantly make sure you get out in the field to create images.

Hold On

March 12, 2014

A beautiful winter sunrise unfolds over Glacier Gorge and Longs Peak. Snow has covered the pines as the first rays of light illuminate the sky above Longs Peak and Otis Peak. A few hours earlier, the entire sky was covered with clouds. The skies quickly began to clear at sunrise but enough clouds hung over Longs Peak and Glacier Gorge to compliment the fresh snow. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS

As landscape photographers we find ourselves constantly chasing both the light and the weather. These two ingredients are at the heart of what makes a successful, dynamic landscape image. The trick is of course attempting to take advantage of these conditions when it may be favorable to do so. That of course is much harder said then done. Like a golfer sinking a 40 foot birdie put on the eighteenth hole after an awful round of golf, nailing a shot in dynamic weather and light quickly makes us forget past failed attempts and has us searching again for that next image.

Weather is dynamic on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. It’s constantly in flux, especially as we move towards spring. Weather changes happen quickly here in Colorado and in ways that can be both helpful to your photography or a detriment.

It’s not uncommon to have the skies clouded over and snow still falling only a few hours before sunrise, to then find the skies at sunrise cloudless and clear with only fresh snow on the pines and granite to attest to latest storm. While this is great for skiing, snowshoeing, and other outdoor activities it doesn’t jive well with the bad weather equals good photographs meme.

Many a time it’s a race to see if the clouds can hang on just long enough to add color to the skies above the peaks. Clouds add interest and bring an important element and dimension to an image, so whenever possible having clouds in the photograph is a benefit. But when one of our quick moving storms starts moving out the skies can clear in a very short period of time.

This was the case after our last storm. Snow fell at a good clip the day the before. Weather forecasts indicated that the snow that was falling hard on Friday, would indeed move out quickly with clear skies predicted for sunrise Saturday morning. Of course the weather forecasts interpretation of clear skies can be different than a photographers so there is a possibility that some of the clouds and fog from the storm could linger around the high peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park for sunrise.

When I left my house on Saturday morning on my way to Rocky the skies were completely clouded over. By the time I arrived at entrance to the park, the skies had started to clear considerably and there were now large breaks in the cloud cover with the stars shining above. After parking my vehicle at Bear Lake and throwing on snowshoes for the hike up towards Dream Lake, the skies had cleared even more that when I had arrived at the entrance. It was becoming obvious that the cloud were quickly on their way out and the race was going to be on to see if any would stick around long enough to make sunrise.

I hurried up the trail through the virgin powder towards Dream Lake, all the while watching the sky and clouds hoping they would hang on long enough. The conditions were perfect and a beautiful sunrise with colorful clouds over Longs Peak would be the icing on the cake.

By the time I reached the ridge just below Dream Lake which gives a commanding view of Glacier Gorge and Longs Peak there were only a few clouds still hanging over and around Longs Peak. Hold on is all I could think as I setup my camera and tripod. A few more minutes and the sun would be up. Hold on just long enough the clouds did making for a beautiful late winter scene over Rocky Mountain National Park and another great morning in Rocky.

Rinse And Repeat

March 5, 2014March 5, 2014

Unsettled weather continued this week over Rocky Mountain National Park and the Front Range of Colorado. Even with our unsettled and snowy weather, signs of spring are slowly starting to show. Mill Creek has thawed enough to flow through these frozen and snow covered willows near Hollowell Park. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 L

Another winter storm, another weekend of interesting conditions here on the northern Front Range of Colorado. With our current weather pattern and the timing of storms hitting the state, winter is taking on a groundhog day like feel to it. Rinse and repeat is the order of the day with the current weather pattern. No complaints from me as the current setup is working out quite nicely when it comes to photography along the Front Range.

Snowy weather continued over Rocky Mountain National Park Friday night into Saturday night. It’s seems all it has been doing in Rocky for the last month or so is either snowing, or the wind is howling, or a combination of both has been occurring. Even so, it still sets of good opportunities for photography if you can find a window between the snow and heavy winds.

Cold air inversions have been commonplace the last month or so over Boulder. After a storm moves out, clouds and cold air remains over the plains and valley's. An expedition up Flagstaff Mountain gets one above the clouds for sunrise views like these. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 17mm TS-E F4 — Cold air inversions have been commonplace the last month or so over Boulder. After a storm moves out, clouds and cold air remains over the plains and valley’s. An expedition up Flagstaff Mountain gets one above the clouds for sunrise views like these. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 17mm TS-E F4

As harsh as the conditions have been in Rocky Mountain National Park the last month or so, spring is definitely creeping into the air. Streams are starting to thaw in pockets, the birds are getting a little nosier each morning and every now again one can catch a whiff of that organic, earthen smell that tells you things are starting to thaw. Even the snow takes on a different quality as the temperatures increase slightly and the flakes grow larger with moisture.

As has been the pattern the last month or so. These storms that move over Colorado with moisture from the Pacific, pull down cold arctic air as they move through the state. As the storms have moved out, the cold air remains settled in the valley’s and low spots of the Front Range. This pattern has been perfect for allowing for cold air inversions over the lower valley’s and plains after the snow has moved out.

That being the case, an expedition up Flagstaff Mountain just west of Boulder has been the perfect spot for taking advantages of the inversion by getting up above the cold layer of air entrenched below. Having an inversion setup over the foothills west of Boulder allows for many images that one normally could not photograph. The cloud cover caused by the inversion covers the city like a blanket covering all the man made objects below and beneath the cloud cover.

So I’ll take the rinse and repeat aspect of the last few weeks. Sure I cant wait for summer to settle in, but the repetitive conditions have really made for some fun expeditions and allowed me to create images that ordinarily may not be possible. As for this weekends forecast?, stay tuned as it’s again looking snowy and unsettled.