Windy days and November skies seemed like a good title for this blog post as its reflective of what conditions photographers can expect to find right now in Rocky. Winter weather has been difficult to find so far this season but winter winds and the spectacular skies they create have remained consistent.
Trying to stay motivated during the shoulder or brown season in Rocky Mountain National Park is always a tad difficult. Frozen lakes and streams, brown grasses and really pesky high winds most mornings test even the most hardened photographers.
The saving grace this time of year and the thing that gets me out of bed early in the morning is the explosive and colorful skies we often see at sunrise. All those annoying high winds also create some of the coolest lenticular clouds in the skies over Rocky Mountain National Park. Trail Ridge Road might be closed, access to much of RMNP may be difficult but sunrises this time of year rarely disappoint.
Photographing in Rocky during the week of Thanksgiving and specifically on Thanksgiving Day has been both a tradition and a constant for me. I’ve spent many a Thanksgiving morning in the park with some of my best friends in Colorado, some of them whom we lost along the way. While conditions may not always be the most ideal, this time of year can yield not only amazing sunrises and sunsets, but a comforting reminder of all the friends we spent time with along the way.
So with a heaviness this holiday season can bring thinking of those who are no longer with us, getting out in the field and photographing these beautiful sunrises, wind be darned, is always healing. While I’ll always miss those friends and family members who are no longer able to join me to witness these spectacular November sunrises, they will always be on my mind when the skies explode with color and the November winds push hard on my back.