Falling For Helene Again

A stunning sunrise takes place over Notchtop Mountain as seen from Lake Helene last week. With the fall colors peaking around the lake and the moon setting just above the notch in ‘Notchtop’, the best time of the year is upon us here in Rocky Mountain National Park. Technical Details: Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor 14-24mm F2.8 S lens

Lake Helene, a spectacular lake located at the base of Notchtop Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. A great place to hike to or take a break on one of the longer circuit hikes in RMNP. Helene is also a great spot for autumn colors in Rocky Mountain National Park is you are interested in photographing something other than Colorado’s golden aspen trees.

I hiked in to Lake Helene early last week hoping for both a good sunrise as well as a chance to reconnoiter the area around Lake Helene to see how the autumn colors where coming along. The willows and underbrush around Lake Helene tend to display some of the earliest signs of autumn in Rocky.

Clouds reflect on the surface of a calm Lake Helene as the grasses along the shore line change from the vibrant greens of summer to the gold of autumn. Technical Details: Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 IS VR lens

After bumping finding my friend and fellow photographer Erik Stensland already setup along the shoreline, I found a spot myself and waited for sunrise. The weather forecast looked promising and the winds were calm at Lake Helene which can be a rarity, especially as we move out of summer towards fall.

There were some high clouds floating over Notchtop Mountain before sunrise, but there appeared to be less than forecast. As is often the case in Rocky Mountain National Park, one needs to stay patient as a lot of the action in the skies, both good and bad will happen right before sunrise. 90% of the time, the clouds you’re chasing may dissipate just before the sun rises. But that other 10% of the time you may get lucky and have a bunch of clouds show up just before the skies explode with color.

More colorful displays of autumn color at Lake Helene in RMNP. Yellwos, reds and oranges all standout with the clouds and blue skies reflecting in the smooth waters of Lake Helene last week. Technical Details: Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor 24-120mm F4 IS VR lens

This morning last week was just one of those types of mornings. The winds stayed mostly calm and a bunch of low hanging clouds moved in over Lake Helene and Notchtop Mountain just as the sun was coming up. Pair that with the moon setting almost between the notch in Notchtop Mountain and it was a memorable morning.

After shooting the breeze with Erik for a few minutes, I took in the spectacular fall colors along the shores of Helene. Reds, oranges and yellows all could be found. So while the higher elevations of Rocky Mountain National Park are looking great, the aspens and elk rut are now rounding into shape. In other words, the most exciting time of year for photographers in Rocky Mountain National Park is upon us.