Subtle Signs Of Spring

Colorful skies rise above Moraine Park on a spring morning in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Big Thompson River has finally begun to thaw out allowing for images of moving water and reflections after a long winter freeze. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 24-70mm F4 IS L
Colorful skies rise above Moraine Park on a spring morning in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Big Thompson River has finally begun to thaw out allowing for images of moving water and reflections after a long winter freeze. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 24-70mm F4 IS L
Baseball’s opening day has come and gone. Without a doubt baseball’s opening day is a measuring stick for the end of winter. With the start of baseball spring fever really starts to kick in and speaking for myself, it’s a time to move on from the colder months and look forward to one of my favorite times of the year.

Sure we have a few more months to go before summer is in full swing in Rocky Mountain National Park. There is no doubt we are going to have more snow in Rocky Mountain National Park, and there’s a good chance it could be a big dump of snow or two. Even so, the pendulum has swung and the thaw has arrived in Rocky.

The signs can now be seen everywhere. Mountain bluebirds have returned to the meadows, bull elk are sprouting new sets of antlers and water is transforming from solid back to liquid form and flowing freely through the meadows and parks at lower elevations. Sure there’s still a long way to go before shorts and flip flops but its a start.

Sunrise looking to both east and west along the banks of the Big Thompson river was spectacular. Looking east towards Estes Park the sky was filled with red. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 17mm TS-E L
Sunrise looking to both east and west along the banks of the Big Thompson river was spectacular. Looking east towards Estes Park the sky was filled with red. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 17mm TS-E L

With the spring melt off now on it’s way, photographic opportunities in the park which have not been possible since early fall abound. Crusty winter snow and ice has melted away from the banks of Fall River and the Big Thompson river. Warmer weather this week should also go a long way towards unthawing some of the lakes and ponds which still are quite frozen.

It’s a great feeling hearing the sound of water bumbling and trickling over rocks and boulders again, no longer muffled and frozen in ice. The signs of spring are beginning to gain momentum and emerge from their long winter slumber.

I took the opportunity to explore Horseshoe and Moraine Park this past week. Weather was spring like with a combination of snow, sun and wind and not necessarily in that order. Along the banks of the Big Thompson river I was lucky enough to be party to a beautiful spring sunrise.

With the skies colored in magenta and red, the flowing waters of the Big Thompson were a perfect compliment to the spring sunrise over Rocky Mountain National Park. In only a few more weeks I expect some of the lakes to really start to thaw. I’ll be there, hopefully mother nature cooperates with a few more sunrises like this one.

Windy Companion

A large wave cloud has formed over the eastern section of Rocky Mountain National Park. With sunrise on the way, this lenticular cloud put on a spectacular light show over Horseshoe Park and Deer Mountain. Wind caused the wave cloud to form over the foothills, but without the pesky windy conditions, a colorful sunrise like this one would not have been possible. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II
A large wave cloud has formed over the eastern section of Rocky Mountain National Park. With sunrise on the way, this lenticular cloud put on a spectacular light show over Horseshoe Park and Deer Mountain. Wind caused the wave cloud to form over the foothills, but without the pesky windy conditions, a colorful sunrise like this one would not have been possible. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 24mm TS-E F3.5 L II
One of the bigger hindrances to photography in Rocky Mountain National Park can be the wind. As far as I can tell the wind might be Rocky Mountain National Park’s most frequent visitor. Having wind as your companion in Rocky is likely, so its necessary to learn to deal with the likelihood you will encounter wind on any excursion to the park, especially in the winter and spring months.

While more often than not the wind will scuttle opportunities for photography by raking the surface of a smooth lake, shaking the leaves on a aspen tree or worse tipping over your camera and tripod. Wind also can create a few opportunities for photography as well. These opportunities come from the wind causing lenticular or wave clouds to form over the park.

I had just this opportunity occur last week over Horseshoe Park. Weather in Rocky Mountain National Park the past month has made photography difficult and challenging. Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park have seen their fair share of windy, cloudy and snowy days. Calm mornings with little in the way of wind and snow have been a rarity of late.

With the wind blowing at a pretty good clip out of the west and off the continental divide, a perfect wave cloud formed along the eastern edge of Rocky and extended east over the foothills. For photography wave clouds are great. The shape of the cloud is always different and because the tend to extend east from the foothills only a few dozen miles or so, the horizon often remains free of clouds allowing for sunrise to illuminate the underbelly of the lenticular cloud thus making for a brilliant and colorful sunrise.

It’s very rare to have a wave cloud form over Rocky Mountain National Park and not have it coincide with high winds in the park itself and this day was no different. It was quite breezy in the park but not to the point that makes standing in the open difficult. Finding a spot that was somewhat sheltered while giving me a good vantage point to the east would be ideal.

A short hike up Old Fall River road to one of the first switchbacks gives a nice view to the east looking back over Horseshoe Park towards Deer Mountain. This spot at the mouth of Hanging Valley would also offer some shelter from the wind. Frankly, I’m also not sure how possible it will be to access this location in the coming months. Because of the flooding damage, this location will likely be difficult to access once the spring runoff gains momentum as the Roaring Fork river has now run around the road bridge and nearby trail bridges have all been washed out. One will have to be somewhat creative to access this area once the water in the Roaring Fork river really starts moving to cross safely.

So with the wind blowing in my face, I hiked west along Old Fall River road until I reached the first switchback. The coloring of the sky to the east foretold of a spectacular sunrise yet to unfold. The wind was strong, but there was enough of a break between gusts to setup on the rocky outcrop overlooking Horseshoe Park. Within minutes the sky began its colorful procession towards sunrise. The wind continued while I photographed, but with a light show like this one unfolding before me it was easy to ignore the sways and gusts down the valley and instead revel in the sunrise.

The Cats Meow

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
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
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.
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.
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’

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
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

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
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

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
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.

No Aversion To The Inversion

Weather plays of huge role in the success of your landscape photography. Unique conditions such as an inversion can take locations that normally my not be optimal for landscape photography, and instead transform the landscape into something magical. From near the top of Flagstaff Mountain, and low hanging inversion caused c cloud layer to form, thus filling Boulder Canyon and the area over Lost Gulch with clouds at sunrise. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS L
Weather plays of huge role in the success of your landscape photography. Unique conditions such as an inversion can take locations that normally my not be optimal for landscape photography, and instead transform the landscape into something magical. From near the top of Flagstaff Mountain, and low hanging inversion caused c cloud layer to form, thus filling Boulder Canyon and the area over Lost Gulch with clouds at sunrise. Technical Details: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS L
One of my favorite weather events occurred over Boulder again this week. A cold air inversion settled over town on Saturday night after some light snow making for some great photography opportunities over Boulder at sunrise on Sunday morning.

For me, if I even think there is a remote chance that conditions might be right for an inversion I’m going to be up in the foothills trying to get above the cloud deck before sunrise. The factor in all of this of course is how high up does one need to go before they break on through the cloud deck.

Depending on the conditions, the cloud deck may only be 1000 or so feet above the ground. The cloud deck might also be 10,000 ft above the ground making it impossible to get above.

Typically I’ll be on the look out for the potential for an inversion when the following type of weather is occurring in the area. Rain or snow is forecast through the night. Weather reports indicate that the precipitation is supposed to cease and clear out before sunrise. Usually, I’ll just look at the predicted hourly conditions on one of the weather sites. If those hourly conditions show the precipitation ending and clearing conditions taking hold soon after the precipitation stops, I’ll make sure I’m ready to go in the morning.

Conditions that indicate clearing is going to occur quickly do not guarantee that low hanging clouds or an inversion will still be hanging around early in the morning however. Here in Colorado, I would say eighty percent of the time one is going to wake to find the skies indeed devoid of any cloud cover at all.

What I’ll do when I even think the conditions may cause the inversion to linger through the night and be around in the morning when the sun rises is to get up at least two hours before sunrise. I’ll walk the dog and while doing that scan the sky to assess the atmospheric conditions. It’s important to note that conditions can and do change rapidly. Numerous times I’ve walked the dog in completely clouded over conditions that had me pumped up and ready to go only to have crystal clear skies thirty minutes later when I get back to my house.

Looking east towards Realization Point, a lone tree stands above the cloudline peering into the abyss as sunrise paints the clouds in warm pastels. Technical Detail: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 IS L
Looking east towards Realization Point, a lone tree stands above the cloudline peering into the abyss as sunrise paints the clouds in warm pastels. Technical Detail: Canon EOS 1Ds III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 IS L

But when I go through my morning routine, if the clouds are still present and the conditions in the sky don’t appear to be clearing, then I know I have a decent shot of having some interesting conditions when the sun does crest the horizon.

So on Sunday morning things were looking pretty good when I headed out the door. Photographing an inversion has you crossing your fingers the entire time while you scan the sky every few minutes. On one hand you don’t want the clouds to dissipate before sunrise, and the other your hoping the clouds stick around but that you can get high enough up to get above them.

One of the best places to go when their is an inversion in town is to head up Flagstaff Road. Climbing the 2000 ft above town up Flagstaff Mountain gives you the best chance of getting above the clouds while out the same time being right smack dab in the middle of some of the most beautiful natural areas around Boulder. As I climbed past the three mile marker on Flagstaff, things were looking a little bleak. I did not have much more road to go and I was still not yet above the cloud cover. Finally, just above Realization Point, I spied the moon in the sky to the south of me and I was above the clouds and the inversion.

I hustled through the woods over to an area that overlooked Boulder Canyon and the Lost Gulch area. The clouds were only a hundred feet or so below me but I could see Sugarloaf Mountain and the ridge along Four Mile to the north. All at once high clouds above the low hanging fog started to turn pink and it was game on.

Luckily for me, the elements all came together and stayed together long enough for me to capture a beautiful sunrise over Lost Gulch. Images that would not have nearly same impact if not for the weather conditions present on Sunday morning.

15 Minutes Of Perfection

In photography quality of light is always more import the quantity of light. You only need brief moments of light combined with respites  in the wind to have a chance to capture the landscape in all its glory. The conditions did not look promising at all when I first arrived at Rocky Mountain National Park. Surprisingly the wind stopped and the color in the sky exploded over Otis, Hallet and Flattop Mountain. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS
In photography quality of light is always more import the quantity of light. You only need brief moments of light combined with respites in the wind to have a chance to capture the landscape in all its glory. The conditions did not look promising at all when I first arrived at Rocky Mountain National Park. Surprisingly the wind stopped and the color in the sky exploded over Otis, Hallet and Flattop Mountain. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS
Fans of 1980’s TV will recall with great affection the famous line Colonel John ‘Hannibal’ Smith used to spout near the end of each episode of the ‘A-Team’. While puffing away on his stogie, teeth clenched, having just fired off thousands of rounds of ammo, destroyed dozens of vehicles, and buildings all without causing any bodily harm or injury to his foe’s he would state ‘I love it when a plan comes together’. Oh to be as cool as George Peppard, or even more importantly just as prepared.

Some days, the photography gods smile down on you and you’ve got to love it when it feels like the plan has all come together for you. We spend hundreds of hours a year in the field searching for those timeless moments. So much so that some would argue our obsession tests the bounds of our mental health, making us feel much more like ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock than the confident character of Hannibal.

Winter seems more prone to test the bounds of one’s sanity and photography grit. Winter has its rewards for sure, but it can test one’s patience and leave them wondering why they even bothered to get up long before dawn to be in the field. Winter in Rocky Mountain National Park can go so far as to toy with one’s emotions and endurance. Violent winds, cold temperatures, snow, blowing snow, clouded over sunrises or cloudless mornings will put any photographer through the crucible if they spend enough time in Rocky during the winter season.

Most of the time my approach to photographing Rocky Mountain National Park in winter is to get out in the field preferably in a scenic location and hope for the best. There are just too many variables in play to simply check the weather forecast and assume those conditions are what you will find at 9000 ft or more above sea level.

Many times I arrive at Rocky and find the conditions much more severe than anticipated. I cant help but think to myself there is no way I’m coming away with any new images this day. I’ve learned the hard way not to listen to little voice inside my head tempting me not to leave the comfy confines of my vehicle. So what if it’s near white out conditions and the trees are nearly toppling over from the wind, there has to be something I can photograph.

The short but sweet lighting conditions helped paint Hallet Peak in stunning light while the winds raked over her summit. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 L
The short but sweet lighting conditions helped paint Hallet Peak in stunning light while the winds raked over her summit. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 L

Last week I had just such an experience. The winds were howling on the plains and as I climbed up through the foothills long before dawn they only strengthened in intensity. Snow and gravel pelted my windshield and my truck bounced around with each gust. I thought to myself in a sarcastic tone, this should be awesome.

I plodded along towards Rocky anyway. A bad day in the park is pretty much better than a good day anywhere else so I figured I would at least drive around and check the conditions.

There were clear skies to the east so there would at least be sun in the morning. When I arrived clouds and snow were being blown over the continental divide and all the high peaks were obscured by clouds. The wind was howling something fierce. I started driving up Trail Ridge Road towards Many Park’s Curve so that I could survey the conditions from a higher vantage point. As I was driving towards Many Park’s, dismayed at my chances of shooting this morning a funny thing happened. I caught a glimpse of Longs Peak. Surveying the continental divide, all the peaks were now in view and no longer obscured by clouds.

I stopped my truck and did a double take. 10 minutes ago when I drove through the parks entrance, there was no chance the conditions would let up and improve. Or so I had assumed. Amazingly, not only could I now see the high peaks, but the wind had almost completely stopped. I now had 40 minutes or so to find a location before the sun would rise.

I quickly turned around and headed up Bear Lake Road. Dream Lake might be nice but I would not have enough time to get up to Dream before sunrise. I settled on the small meadow just west of the Storm Pass trailhead. One gets a commanding view of the divide and the willows would provide some nice color along the bottom of the frame.

Sunrise turned out to be spectacular. One of the most colorful sunrises I have witnessed in Rocky. Amazingly the wind abated for 15 minutes or so at sunrise, contrary to what normally happens at sunrise. Finally the wind started picking up in intensity again and the clouds obscured the light. But those 15 minutes where more than enough to capture the beauty of the sunrise this morning.

Boulder Hoarfrost

It does not get anymore exciting than this for me. I love photographing when the weather is overcast, foggy or snowing. Hoarfrost is one of my favorite conditions to photograph the landscape in, but it is also very rare. I was lucky enough to be able to capitalize on just such conditions over Boulder this week. These two trees were covered with hoarfrost when I photographed them in the marshy wetlands just east of the Bobolink trailhead. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 70-200 F4 IS L
It does not get anymore exciting than this for me. I love photographing when the weather is overcast, foggy or snowing. Hoarfrost is one of my favorite conditions to photograph the landscape in, but it is also very rare. I was lucky enough to be able to capitalize on just such conditions over Boulder this week. These two trees were covered with hoarfrost when I photographed them in the marshy wetlands just east of the Bobolink trailhead. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 70-200 F4 IS L

The streak of interesting and turbulent weather in and around Boulder continued this week. While I’m counting the days down until summer, the weather conditions on the Front Range are certainly making for very enticing opportunities for winter photography. The combination of lots of snow and cold temperatures are certainly keeping everybody on their toes.

The transitioning weather brought with it another one of my favorite conditions to photograph in, hoarfrost. It’s a fairly rare occurrence for hoarfrost to form on the tree’s and grasses here in Boulder, but when it does occur it quickly transforms the landscape into something straight out of a dream.

Another of my favorite go to locations in and around Boulder is Flagstaff Mountain. This grove of Ponderosa Pines perched on top of Flagstaff Mountain are a favorite subject of mine, especially when frosted over. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 24-105mm F4 IS L
Another of my favorite go to locations in and around Boulder is Flagstaff Mountain. This grove of Ponderosa Pines perched on top of Flagstaff Mountain are a favorite subject of mine, especially when frosted over. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 24-105mm F4 IS L

Hoarfrost occurs when the relative humidity of the air is greater than 100%. Combine this heavily saturated air with cold temperatures and objects such as trees and grasses below freezing and hoarfrost will form on branches, leaves and blades of grasses coating everything a pristine covering of white ice.

Hoarfrost can make even mundane, overlooked locations shine. The fog encompassing the landscape makes the white tree’s and grasses stand out like ghosts. The fog also helps to conceal and cover over signs of man that may have normally acted as a distraction to the image.

The tree’s in the marshy wetlands just east of the Bobolink trailhead cried out to be photographed while covered in the white frosting as did the Ponderosa Pines on Flagstaff Mountain. Hoarfrost is both rare and fleeting. It only takes a short period of sun or warming temperatures and it’s gone. So when the landscape is covered with hoarfrost, enjoy the beauty but have your camera at the ready.

Bad Weather = Great Photographs

Weather is the most important factor in landscape photography. Dramatic conditions improve ones chances for dramatic imagery. A cold air inversion over Boulder setup a dramatic sunrise over the Flatiron formations. Clouds hide the eastern plains of Colorado while the trees and mountains glow in the pre-dawn light. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS L
Weather is the most important factor in landscape photography. Dramatic conditions improve ones chances for dramatic imagery. A cold air inversion over Boulder setup a dramatic sunrise over the Flatiron formations. Clouds hide the eastern plains of Colorado while the trees and mountains glow in the pre-dawn light. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm F4 IS L

The weather around here started changing in a big way last Monday. While January ended up being the third snowiest month on record for the Boulder area, we had a good stretch of warm days and cloudless skies. Great weather for just about everything except landscape photography. But as January transitioned into February, the conditions along the Front Range became more unsettled. In other words, unsettled weather is just what I had been hoping for.

I spent the better part of last week splitting my time between Rocky Mountain National Park and the Boulder area. Both locations are favorite of mine and because I photograph in these areas so often I have a pretty good sense of where to be to optimize my chances of capturing dramatic imagery in conditions favorable for landscape photography.

Prior to the change in the weather last week we either had cloudy morning with no breaks in the sun, or clear bluebird skies with no clouds. That whipsawed pretty quickly last week with cold temperatures and a couple of weather fronts moving through the state.

On Saturday, the snow and inversion waffled around 7500 ft or so moving above and below the town of Estes Park. Here the Twin Sisters peak their head above the clouds as the early morning sky lights up over Rocky Mountain National Park. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 IS L
On Saturday, the snow and inversion waffled around 7500 ft or so moving above and below the town of Estes Park. Here the Twin Sisters peak their head above the clouds as the early morning sky lights up over Rocky Mountain National Park. Technical Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-300mm F4-5.6 IS L

The cool temperatures and upsloping winds managed to form a nice inversion on both Saturday and Sunday morning. Saturday the inversion and cloud line sat at about 7500 ft above sea level which meant the eastern slopes of Rocky Mountain National Park were in prime position to potentially yield dramatic conditions of fog and clouds at sunrise. By Sunday morning, the inversion had moved down to around 6000 ft or so meaning the area around Boulder was now the most promising area to photograph.

There was no way I was going to miss sunrise on Saturday and Sunday with some of my favorite weather conditions prevailing over Rocky Mountain National Park and the Boulder area. As is always the case when photographing in these conditions, one has to be ready to move quickly and be prepared to find differing locations to accommodate the conditions and the lighting. There is also a pretty good chance you will just end up getting skunked by the conditions. Staying at home of course will guarantee you of that outcome.

So after a few weeks of less than stellar sunrises and mild and clear weather the conditions greatly improved for creating images. As the saying goes amongst photographers, bad weather equals great photographs.