I’ve added over 130 photos of Colorado to the website, although the photos aren’t new, strictly speaking: these pictures of Colorado were on my old website, but most have been re-scanned and touched up to get them looking even better.
The photos are from a variety of areas, covering alpine mountains and lakes to backpacking to fall colors, but come from four main locations: Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Holy Cross Wilderness (White River National Forest), Sangre de Cristo Wilderness (San Isabel National Forest), and the aspen groves of Gunnison National Forest near Kebler Pass.
Morning light on Pike's Peak and Gateway Rocks, Garden of the Gods Park, Colorado Springs, Colorado
We lived in Colorado Springs for a short time, and I spent many mornings among the towering red-rock formations of Garden of the Gods. The area here is still mostly prairie, with grasslands and a few pinyon and juniper trees. The Midwest stretches out to the east; to the west looms Pike’s Peak and the front range of the Colorado Rockies.
Morning alpenglow on mountains, Missouri Lakes Basin, Holy Cross Wilderness, White River National Forest, Colorado
In Holy Cross Wilderness, we backpacked a loop stopping at both Fancy Lake and the Missouri Lakes Basin. High alpine lakes and stunted trees sat near the treeline, and the morning light on the mountains was spectacular.
Dog and backpacker on the edge of Phantom Terrace, Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, San Isabel National Forest, Colorado
We made another backpacking trip in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, hiking along Phantom Terrace in a dense fog. Not for the faint of heart. Luckily, I didn’t actually count the contour lines of the cliff until after we were over the pass; knowing the fog hid a ~1000’ drop might have made my legs a little shaky. Holly, our golden retriever — doggy backpacks loaded with dog food and treats — was just fine, of course.
Autumn grove of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and bracken fern, Gunnison National Forest, Colorado
I was able to photograph aspen fall colors in several spots, but our main trip was to the aspen groves of Kebler Pass in Gunnison National Forest, near Crested Butte. Kebler Pass is one of the main go-to photo locations for fall colors in Colorado, and it can be a little crowded with leaf-peepers (and photographers) on weekends. But the golden filtered light in the autumn aspen groves is worth the trip, camera or not.
