The last few weeks in Rocky Mountain National Park have been a teeter totter of conditions when it comes to the weather and transition between winter and spring like conditions. Sunny warm days have been followed by blizzards, snow and ice. All in all typical spring weather for Rocky Mountain National Park. But throughout all the crazy weather that constitutes spring in Rocky Mountain National Park there are definite signs that conditions are quickly moving towards late spring and early summer.
While I love winter in Colorado, this is a welcome change for me. The transition is now palatable in the air. The snow has melted from all the meadows and parks at the lower elevations of RMNP, and the mid level locations are quickly following suit and the melting off rapidly. The rivers are starting to flow at a healthy clip and lakes like Sprague Lake, Bierstadt Lake and Dream Lake are ice free or nearly ice free. The continental divide is still covered with a healthy snowpack but photographing Rocky’s high peaks reflecting in lakes below is now possible again in many locations.
I took the opportunity this morning to get out and hike up to Bierstadt Lake this morning to take advantage of it’s recently thawed lake surface. It didn’t hurt that much of the Bierstadt Lake trailhead is now snow free with only the upper half of the trail around the lake still covered in snow. Bierstadt Lake in my opinion has one of the best viewpoints of the continental divide in all of Rocky Mountain National Park. While Taylor, Otis, Hallett, Flattop and Notchtop are still covered with a healthy snow pack early in the season it makes for a tremendous location to photograph at sunrise.
I was fortunate enough to hit what I call the Rocky trifecta this morning when I hiked up to Bierstadt Lake. The Rocky trifecta being of course beautiful clouds over the peaks, a windless and still morning allowing for a reflection, and a cloud free horizon to the east allowing for stunning and vibrant first light on the peaks of the divide. In Rocky Mountain National Park it can be a challenge to get two out of three of the ideal conditions to work in ones favor. Anytime you nail all three you likely are going to be walking away with an image to add to your portfolio.
From hear on out, conditions should only improve. I fully expect it to snow in Rocky Mountain National Park a few more times this season, but momentum has now shifted and any snow will be mostly short lived. When Trail Ridge Road reopens for the season in a few weeks it will be officially summer season in Rocky and I for one cant wait.
Just as a reminder to those reading this. I will again be offering photo tours in Rocky Mountain National Park for the 2016 season. Feel free to visit the link at the top of the web page or email me for more information regarding photography tours and open dates in Rocky Mountain National Park.