2018 Rocky Mountain National Park Fall Color Update

Autumn has arrived in Rocky Mountain National Park. At this point it appears we are going to be a little ahead of schedule on the turning of the leaves. I photographed these aspens at peak along the Bierstadt Moraine last week. Many areas of Rocky Mountain National Park are at peak or quickly nearing peak. Technical Details: Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 AF-VR lens

Just wanted to give my readers a quick update on the current fall color situation in Rocky Mountain National Park as I’ve been questions daily on how things look. What I will say in a broad generalization is the following based on my observations being out in the field everyday the past week.

I believe we are running five to seven days ahead of what the normal timing is for fall color in RMNP. Whether this is because of a warm and dry summer, or because of all the smoke and haze over the park much of the late summer triggering the plants in to thinking there is less sunlight I’m not sure. At this point what seems obvious is that we are certainly running ahead of schedule and that the warm and very windy week we just had is not helping in extending fall color any.

First things first, the autumn color in Rocky Mountain National Park is nearing or just past peak in many areas now. Bear Lake was at peak on Friday, September 14th I would say. This is about 5 days earlier then when peak typically occurs at Bear Lake. While the leaves are at peak, the winds have done a number on many of the aspen trees around Bear Lake. You will stay be able to photograph fall color this week at Bear Lake but its going to be slightly past peak and depending on how strong the winds are, there may not be much left by the end of the week.

The Bierstadt Moraine is currently about 50-60% turned. Many of the trees are showing the stress from the drier summer and while there are nice patches of yellow and orange, there are also some areas that have just turned brown. This week, Bierstadt might be one’s best overall location for autumn color.

As for other areas of Rocky, I would say the mid level elevations will be at peak this week with the lower levels starting to show decent color in the ground cover as well as some of the trees. The Boulder Brook area of the park is only about half turned and should be good over the next week or more as this area does well even after the leaves have fallen as they cover the forest floor.

The elk rut is also well underway and if your timing is good you should be able to find some good groups of bull’s with their harems in Moraine, Horseshoe and the Kawunneche Valley. I do think the warm weather has caused the rutting activity to slow quickly after sunrise and I would also say I’m still observing a fair amount of elk activity in higher elevations of the park stll.

Now is really a great time to get out in Rocky and take advantage of the fall color and autumn elk rut. I think overall color this year is going to be on the fair to marginal side but there is plenty of opportunities to find subjects to photograph if you look. At the current pace, I would expect most fall color in Rocky Mountain National Park to be well past peak by the first week of October.

Spring’s Arrived

This time of year in Rocky Mountain National Park is one of my favorite. Winter starts to lose her grip on the park and each day as the snow melts and the temperatures rise access to the park improves. While Trail Ridge Road is not ope for the season just yet, it is open to Rainbow Curve. This allowed me to hike up above Forest Canyon to catch this view of Terra Tomah mountain as the sun lights her flanks and fog fills Forest Canyon below. Technical Details: Nikon D850,Tamron 100-400mm F 4.5-6.3 DI VC lens

Spring has arrived in Rocky Mountain National Park and summer wont be far of it’s heels. As I write this we are a little over a week away from Memorial Day which is the traditional unofficial start of the summer season here.

Both winter and spring here have been for the most part mild and more or less seasonal. Snowpack is at about 90% of average so we are a little behind but not much off the mark. We had some good late season snows as well as some good rain in the lower elevations the first few weeks of May so things are starting to green up nicely in the meadows and lower elevations of the park. Pasque Flowers and now Mountain Ball Cactus are blooming and more of the traditional wildflowers will begin appearing in the next few weeks in the lower elevations of Rocky.

Trail Ridge Road has not yet opened for the season but barring any crazy weather should open right before Memorial Day weekend. Trail Ridge Road has been open above Many Parks Curve where it is closed for the winter season all the way to Rainbow Curve for the last two weeks. Having Trail Ridge Road open to Rainbow Curve just above 10,800 ft allows the more adventurous to hike up the plower road and get above timberline with a little more ease and a lot less people than during the summer season when the road is open.

Ponds and lakes are really starting to open up as well. Many of the lakes around 10,000 ft are starting to open up large sections of ice on their surface. Lakes below 10,000 ft are ice off and good for photographing reflections on calm days. Lots of spots of hard packed snow on trails above 9500 ft but lower elevations like Lumpy Ridge Moraine and Horseshoe Park are great for hiking right now with the usual muddy spots.

Overall, Rocky is in great shape and becoming more accessible each day. While there will still be snow and ice around until late June and early July in the highest reaches of the park, access is already great and only getting better. This is one of my favorite times of years and as always I’m looking forward with great anticipation at getting out into the park and exploring new areas as well as visiting old stalwarts.

Motivation

It’s mornings like this one from today in Rocky Mountain National Park that keep me motivated. I may not always have something deep to say about each image but my love of Rocky Mountain National Park and wild places is what keeps me heading out regardless of the times or conditions. Technical Details: Nikon D850, Tamron 100-400mm F 4.5-6.3 DI VC lens

I get asked often what motivates me to get up five, six or seven days a week to head out at an ungodly hour of the morning for most people and head out into nature ready photograph whatever is in store that particular day. It’s a good question without an easy answer.

Head over to social media, podcasts or other photographers blog and this subject comes up often with some photographers while others never discuss it at all. Some photographers feel strongly that if your motivations behind your photography and the reasons you connect with nature and discussed openly than you are discrediting your imagery and craft. While sharing your images with other is important too many that is not enough.

Photographers on the opposite side of the argument may feel the need to share and detail all their personal feelings and motivations each time the create and share and image is necessary. In the modern age of ever shrinking privacy and autonomy, sharing one’s personal feelings, beliefs and motivations each day beyond the image itself may not only make them uncomfortable but may leave them feeling narcissistic and overly self important.

Where do I fall in the discussion? Not to be a cop-out but I would say I fall somewhere in the middle. We as nature and landscape photographers get to witness untold beauty on an almost daily basis. For many the beauty of the light, landscape, journey and discovery is what drives and motivates us to keep returning and communing with the landscape and light. This certainly motivates me but so does the entire process motivate me.

I enjoy waking early long before most. I take great satisfaction in working out after I wake so that I can stay trail ready whether I’m hiking or not. I taking the dog on a walk in the neighborhood at 2:30 AM so I can survey the sky and conditions before I drive to my location. I love my hour long drive from my home in Erie up to Estes Park in the dead of night so I can think quietly, listen to bad music or have long conversations with myself about who knows what. Most importantly I love that I have the freedom to do not only what I love doing, but have locations such as Rocky Mountain National Park that have been preserved, protected and kept open to the public so that I can for the most part, still freely access large swaths of wilderness. Lastly and most importantly I enjoy the entire process. From start to finish each day each step along the way exciting or boring I enjoy. The minute I stop enjoying the entire process is the minute I stop taking photos. I doubt many other photographers would find my routine and process enjoyable like I do.

With that said, some days I’m motivated to write something thoughtful and engaging, and other days I may feel the image stands alone with little need or desire to delve deeper on sharing the personal intricacies that go into my love and motivation behind my craft.

In the world of art there is certainly not a need to conform to what others are doing. In fact conformity is looked down upon and discouraged. No two artists or photographers will travel the same paths nor will they ever arrive at the same destination. We should not only appreciate the difference between individuals, but embrace it.

Being original should be a goal, but it should not be the be the only goal. The goal should be staying true to yourself but remembering to enjoy and love both the experience and process while championing in a responsible manner the subjects you photograph.

As a final thought on motivation, I see many photographers today railing about photographing original compositions and shooting locations or subjects that are rarely photographed. When posting their original composition they often choose to preface it with a quote from an author or historical figure. It’s probably a quote you’ve seen many times before on the internet, in books, calendars and other forms of media. I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for these quotes and often find them interesting and amusing. But in the interest of originality, is it ok to post a never before photographed composition while recycling somebody else’s writing? If we are going to tout the importance of originality shouldn’t the quote used to describe the photograph be held to the same standard as the image and also be original?. Just a thought.

Luck In A Fog

Sometimes just staying put in one location is your best bet. I almost bailed this morning on Rocky Mountain National Park in an attempt to get to the right altitude so I could take advantage of the inversion or fog layer that had formed east of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. I stayed put and ended up near Many Parks. Cant say I have any complaints of this sunrise view of McGregor Mountain, Lumpy Ridge and a fogged in Horseshoe Park. Technical Details: Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8 ED AF lens

Today was one of those mornings that when I wake up I’m not sure where I’m going to photograph or what the conditions are going to be like. I have a pretty standard routine each morning before I head out the door and into the field. I spend about an hour working out and then it’s time to walk my dog.

Not only are both of these activities beneficial for photography, but walking Jackson long before sunrise gives me time to survey the conditions before heading out. Sleeping in sounds great and all but honestly I don’t enjoy waking up and just heading out in the dark thinking I know what the conditions will be like. Getting a little time outside to survey the clouds and the conditions has saved my bacon a few times. Sometimes I think I know where the best light is going to be in the morning only to head out with the dog and then change my plans based on what I’m seeing.

I wont be able to get up to Rocky Mountain National Park tomorrow morning so I was pretty intent on heading back up to the park this morning regardless of the conditions. That being said while out with the dog I could see that the skies down here near Boulder were pretty clear. There were signs of some clouds or fog north of me towards Longmont. This intrigued me a bit because with the cold temperatures and fog to the north it appeared and inversion or fog layer was going to setup somewhere.

The trick with these inversion or fog layers is guessing at what elevation they are going to stop at. Photographing in the fog is great, but getting above the inversion layer is even better. Problem is thats not always easy, especially in the winter with most of the high roads like Trail Ridge Road closed for the season.

Back to my office before heading out for one last look at the various web cams I check out as well as my favorite weather site. The Estes Park web cams revealed that it was snowing in both Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. This sealed it for me. Clear skies or snowy landscapes?. I figured I take the snow landscapes and maybe get lucky if the clouds and fog layer I saw to the north somehow made it up to the park.

When I arrived in Rocky Mountain National Park I headed to my spot just inside the entrance that I like to stop out to check out the situation for the morning. I could see the fog layer had now built considerably but was still east of Estes Park and likely halted somewhere in the 6000 ft elevation range. In my head I was thinking sticking lower down in the foothills outside of Boulder might be the best. Still I had a nagging feeling that I should stick around Rocky and see if the inversion kept moving up the hill. It’s easy to want to go for what you think is the safe bet, but it also pays sometimes to just pick a spot and stick with it.

This morning sticking with Rocky paid off in spades. About 45 minutes before sunrise I could see the inversion layers had started to make its way into Rocky Mountain National Park and into Moraine Park. At this point I decided to head up to Many Parks Curve to see if I could stay ahead and above the inversion. Thankfully, the inversion layer made it to a level just below Many Parks Curve. With the high peaks covered in clouds and snow, Many Parks Curve was the place to be at this morning in Rocky.

Rocky Happenings And Updates

Winter so far in Rocky Mountain National Park may have been on the mild side, but as always the case RMNP has some of the most spectacular sunrises anywhere. Horseshoe Park maybe on the dry side but looking back towards Deer Mountain during this beautiful January sunrise makes photographing Rocky Mountain National Park worthwhile regardless of snow. Technical Details: Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8 AF FL ED lens
It’s been a little quiet around here on the blog the past few months. While I’ve been busy posting to my social media feeds on Facebook and Twitter most days I’ve somewhat neglected updating my blog for which I apologize. Having recently moved into a new house it’s taken more effort than I’d care to admit just to be able to get time out in the field in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Good news is that I’m finally settled in and I’m quickly getting myself back on track and back into my routine which some would say borders on obsessive compulsive.

Overall, conditions along the Front Range of Colorado this winter have been fairly bland. In fact we’ve not had much weather to speak of since October and this winter so far has been mild and dry. Rocky Mountain National Park has had some snow, but i’m keeping my fingers crossed that the weather pattern shifts as we head towards spring and we get a good run of storms and moisture to not only make for dramatic conditions for us photographers, but also to increase the snowpack and keep the park from drying out.

Besides the mild winter we have been experiencing so far, a few other notable items have been happening in Rocky. We’ve already had one government shut down this year in which contrary to past years funding shut downs did not close Rocky completely. Many services were limited for the few days the federal government shut down but Rocky was able to operate on a limited basis with the exception of being able to plow snow which lead to the park being closed one day due to dangerous road conditions.

Another hot button issue has been the proposed increased entry fee for 2018. While the final decision has not yet been made, daily entrance fee’s at Rocky Mountain National Park along with over a dozen other popular National Park’s look to be increasing dramatically. Rocky’s proposed daily entrance fee would increase from $20 a day to $70 a day. While the overall trend in visitation to Rocky Mountain National Park continues to increase (with a less than 2% decrease in 2017) these newly proposed increase in daily fee’s are striking most as excessive.

These increase in fee’s are likely to have an impact on my guiding and photography tour services in Rocky Mountain National Park as well. Not only will participants in my tour services have to pay additional fee’s to enter the park, there is another proposed fee to holders of Commercial Use Agreement guide passes or CUA’s of $170 a tour. This proposal is also still being discussed but if you combine the cost of my photography tour services, a $70 entry fee along with another $170 fee for guiding each client or group in the park, the cost of my services my become prohibitive to many of my participants.

Currently, I’m keeping an eye on how these shakes out and at this point are still booking photography tours for 2018. I’ve renewed my CUA pass for 2018 but if these fee’s do come into effect and greatly affect my photography tour services and guiding, I may no longer be able to offer those services in 2019.

Lastly, I plan on doing a better job in 2018 keeping my blog updated. Keeping my social media feeds updated on Twitter and Facebook while effective, take away time from posting on my blog. I only have time to update so many feeds and blog posts and currently my social media feeds have been winning that battle. With Facebook’s new policy changes regarding business accounts being more or less hidden unless one pays to advertise on the site, I’d like to continue to shift my content and energy back to keeping this site updated. I’ll still be updating Twitter and Facebook as often as I have in the past, but I’m going to prioritize keeping my site updated with my content.

So while its been a quiet season in Rocky so far, there have been many a beautiful winter sunrises (Rocky has some of the best). I’ll be out and about in the field as often as I can get out and I’ll keep all of you updated on the new fee proposals and what the final outcome is along with how it will impact my photography tour services in RMNP.

Adios Autumn

We’ve made it through another fast paced but beautiful autumn season here in Rocky Mountain National Park. Fall color and autumn are quickly making their exit from Rocky but the past fall season while beautiful, varied and always too short has given photographers lots of great opportunities. While the overall color this year was average at best, the weather conditions in the park during the fall season made for some spectacular shooting conditions for photographers. Scenes like this one of snow and autumn aspen trees in Horseshoe Park were common as snow graced the park often this fall. Technical Details: Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8 ED AF VR FL lens

Autumn in Rocky Mountain National Park is one of my favorite times of year. I look forward to the fall season in Rocky all year only to find it both arrives and departs much more quickly than I am ever comfortable with. It’s a spectacular time of year to visit RMNP and its also and amazing time of year to photograph the park. The autumn hues, golden aspens and elk rut make it a very popular place to be once mid September rolls around. Even with autumn being one of my most favorite times of year to get out in the field, the harried pace of the season in Rocky can make the autumn seem like a blur.

No two fall seasons in Rocky are ever alike. The colors are different each year, the location of the best and most vibrant color are different each year, the timing of peak colors in areas of the park are different each year and the total duration of the autumn season is different each year. Some autumn seasons linger on and on with little to no early season snow or windstorms to expedite the end of autumn.

Some years it’s just the opposite. For one reason or another the fall color may never really pop. Snow and high winds may also rake across the park quickly stripping the trees of their leaves as well as making access to locations more difficult. As is always the case when dealing with mother nature, you just don’t know and there’s not much you can do even if you do know.

This makes it important to take advantage of the conditions whenever they are favorable. If there is one thing I’ve learned in photographing fall in Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park it’s get the shot while you can. Waiting for better conditions or planning on coming back at a later date is often a fools folly. I’ve personally missed a few opportunities thinking I’ll come back to a location a little later only to have wind, snow or weather decide otherwise.

Autumn season is Rocky has pretty much wrapped up for the year. We’ve had a very dynamic fall season in RMNP and one that offered many great opportunities for photographers even if I would rate the color this season as average to below average. Weather was the story this season along with snow dropped on the park almost once a week since the colors began changing. While the snow and cool autumn hampered some of the fall color, it did allow for some really neat opportunities to photograph the clash of the seasons.

Overall the season was both short and awesome. The frenetic pace of autumn and the need to maximize your time in the field with your subjects while the getting was good takes precedent over sleep, rest and contemplation. Now with the season waining the pace can slow and we can begin looking forward to winter in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Bring On Fall

Fall color season is Rocky Mountain National Park is well underway. We are just about to enter primtime as it pretains to photographing the glorious autumn colors that grace RMNP each September and October. I photographed this color grove of aspens trees on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park late last week. Now’s as good a time as any to get out an photograph the fall colors of Rocky. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM C

How quickly time seems to fly. Seems like only a few weeks ago I was lamenting a late spring blizzard in Rocky that dumped 3 feet of snow on the park while awaiting summer. While that late season May blizzard dropped a load of snow on Rocky it was only a temporary obstacle to the oncoming summer season in the park and all the glorious beauty that comes along with the thaw out of the high country. Now here I am lamenting the fact that summer is already on its way out and the autumn season and fall colors that grace Rocky Mountain National Park each season are quickly nearing their peak.

Of course lamenting is not really the right word as the transition from summer to fall in Rocky leads us into my favorite time of the year in the park as well as one of the most fruitful times for any photographer visiting Rocky. The only issue most photographers have with the fall season is that like the summer seasons its too short so one needs to take advantage of every opportunity as you may or may not got a second chance with the fleeting and frenetic nature of autumn in RMNP.

As of this writing, many area of Rocky are just starting to dawn their fall colors. There are some areas of Rocky Mountain National Park that are currently at peak but for the most part the color show will really start unfolding starting this week.

A few area of aspens on the west side of Rocky are at peak. Those include the groves near the west entrance of the park at Grand Lake, and the hillsides below the Never Summer Mountains. The tundra grasses have taken on their red hue and many of the small ground plants and brush near timberline are now peaking.

On the east side of Rocky the autumn colors are just starting to look good at the higher elevations. The areas around Bear Lake which tend to peak right around the 20th of September (give or take a few days on either side) now are showing color. The Bierstadt Moraine is showing hints of color though we have at least 10 days to go before peak. The area around Boulder Brook is starting to get some nice color but should remain fruitful for the next two weeks.

As a reminder the fall color in Rocky Mountain National Park tends to peak in the higher elevations first and then will move its ways down to the lower elevations which include the meadows and parks. One can easily photograph fall color in Rocky from about September 15th all the way through mid to late October depending on temperatures, snowstorms, and cold temperatures so its important to keep an eye on the weather and remain flexible.

So get outside and enjoy the autumn season in Rocky Mountain National Park because like summer, it wont last long and its only a matter of time before the snow starts flying and accessing some locations in RMNP become a lot more difficult.

Good Morning Notchtop

Photographing sunrise on Notchtop Mountain from the area around Lake Helene is always a thrilling experience in Rocky Mountain National Park. Last week I guided a client up to this area for a beautiful sunrise in one of Rocky’s most special areas. Technical Details:Nikon D810, Nikkor 14-24mm F2.8 AF ED

Notchtop Mountain is one of Rocky’s most iconic features. While Notchtop can be seen from portions of Trail Ridge Road and Bear Lake Road it takes a little more effort to view and photography it up close and personal. The best way to view and photography Notchtop is to hike the moderate three plus miles to the area around Lake Helene from the Bear Lake trailhead.

This area around Lake Helene is filled with potential for photographers. Besides the spectacular views of Notchtop Mountain from Lake Helene, there are many other beautiful more secluded locations to photography both Notchtop Mountain, Grace Falls and the Odessa Gorge.

I often recommend this hike to photography tour clients who are both fit and looking to explore off the beaten path. It’s a great destination in Rocky Mountain National Park for sunrise and most of the time you will be the only photographer within miles. Last week I lead a client up to the area near Marigold Ponds for a beautiful sunrise shoot. As always the area did not disappoint and Notchtop looked glorious as the sunlight and high cirrus clouds filtered onto the dramatic face of the peak.

Goodbye July

A great July morning over Hanging Valley from atop Trail Ridge Road at sunrise. I’m a sucker for inversions and fog and if these conditions exisit in Rocky, there is a very good chance I’ll be out photographing them. This morning in late July there was just a small break in the cloud cover which allowed the sun to peak over the fog and clouds. It was actually raining as I made this image and the light lasted only a few minutes before it was gone for the day. But as I always say ‘just give me a minute of light like this and I’m good for the day’. Even with all the great conditions this July its hard to believe we are already into August. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8 ED AF

As is always seems to be the case here in Rocky, summer is progressing at a pace much more quickly than I am comfortable with. Summer always takes awhile to take hold here in the mountains and once it does it can feel like a mad scramble to try and take advantage of each day to the fullest extent. Add on days when the weather just does not want to cooperate and a busy schedule guiding clients in the field and summer really begins to fly by.

I always figure one can catch up on sleep and socializing when the first snow starts to fall but summer in Rocky Mountain National Park is about maximizing your time in the field and taking advantage of these beautiful days when the high country is easily accessible and the conditions for us photographers are prime.

This time of year I’m out in the field five to six days a week either shooting for my own portfolio or guiding other photographers around Rocky Mountain National Park. When you are lucky enough to get out that often you get to experience and observe Rocky on an acute basis. The weather conditions ebb and flow and often we have a few days laced together with great sunrise and sunsets with stretches of less interesting or more bland conditions. Less interesting conditions in Rocky being clear blue sky days with few or no clouds to add additional elements to one’s photographs.

July started off on the tame side. Many of the higher elevations in the park had lots of snow remaining even into the start of the month. Conditions were fairly tame to start the month of July but as the month ramped up and the monsoonal flow began to strengthen, the conditions got much more interesting. The back end of July blessed us with some great sunrise and sunset conditions, a good amount of rain showers and some a few nice mornings of fog and inversions.

All in all no complaints for me regarding July. I was lucky enough to get some great conditions for photography as were many of my clients I had in the field this month. The only thing I can complain about is that July in Rocky Mountain National Park is just too darn short, and unfortunately that holds true for August as well.

Dog Days Of Summer

This image just about perfectly surmises the current summer conditions in Rocky Mountain National Park in July. A small amount of snow still clings to some of the slopes but the alpine tundra has turned green while some haze from far off wildflowers warms first light bathing Longs Peak. Technical Details: Nikon D810, Nikkor 24-70mm AF ED G

A quick rundown on the current conditions in Rocky Mountain National Park for all of you heading out to Rocky to explore and photograph the park. Rocky is now entering primetime as far as summer photography is concerned. Most of the snow has now melted, runoff has slowed and both the meadows and alpine tundra have now turned green. Wildflowers can be found at all elevations of Rocky now and with a few exceptions ice is off all but the highest of the lakes in the park. In my opinion we are now entering the best time of year for photography in Rocky.

While the park is busy, heading out on the trails to get away from the roadside visitors will help increase your chance of finding some unique compositions along with the likely probability that you will be all by your lonesome when photographing. Besides dealing with the crowds at some of the roadside attractions and iconic locations such as Dream Lake, there are a few other minor issues affecting access and photography in the park right now.

As is typical this time of year, wildfires across the western United States may cause some haze from the smoke depending the wind direction. The smoke may slightly affect sunlight late in the day and early in the morning but it can also add color and mood to images.

While much of the snow has melted off the last four weeks, the creeks and streams in Rocky are still running at a very brisk pace. For photographers this can make photographing some of the water features and waterfalls in the park difficult. Spray and mist from the water can make it difficult to keep your lens elements clean. Photographers all have different opinions on the speed that they like to photograph water. That being said, my personal opinion is that many of the waterfalls in the park are still running a little to fast. Each day most of these water features are slowing down and experiencing less runoff. Give it a week or so and most of the streams and waterfalls should be nearing a perfect pace for photography.

So overall Rocky Mountain National Park is just about perfect right now for photographers. Access is great, wildflowers are blooming, lakes are open and free of ice as are most hiking trails and the streams and waterfalls are getting better each day to photograph. If your heading out here to RMNP it’s darn near perfect right now.