From two weeks ago today in the wake of a light snowfall that had fallen the night before. It was a cold and clear morning and a perfect one to spend at my favorite wildlife refuge. The big boy had yet to rise for the morning judging by the snow on his coat, instead opting to just lay under a bare tree. Off in the distance, a snow-covered mountain dominated the horizon. The sun was just starting to illuminate the landscape and all of the elements made for a pretty scene.
Sunrise turns the sky and landscape red and orange, lights up Mount Meeker and Longs Peak
Holy moly what a view this was – and one where I initially thought I missed the show. As I headed to my photo destination Saturday, it became clear that sunrise was going to be a good one. Unfortunately, by the time I got off the highway and found a spot with a decent foreground, the show to the east was over. I was frustrated but as I turned around and looked west, I realized the best was right behind me. A layer of clouds was above and low clouds had descended on the mountain valleys in the distance. Mount Meeker stood proudly in the alpenglow with Longs Peak’s summit being lit up and coming out from behind Meeker’s shadow. Colored by sunrise, the entire scene was just amazing!
Top Shots 2023 – Landscapes
From the Great Plains to the rarified air of 14ers, I was priviledged over my past photo year to see some extraordinary sights. Here are my personal top 25 landscapes. I hope you enjoy the view – I know I did when I took them!
Reflections on a calm pond in winter
Kind of a pretty scene I came across while hiking back to my truck last Friday. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning with crisp temperatures, no wind and clear, blue skies above. The calm conditions offered up near perfect reflections of trees on the opposite bank and in the distance, the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. I’ll take all the views like this I can!
The storm cometh
Well, it cometh for the mountains and foothills, not for those of us at lower elevations along the Front Range. We did have a chilly, blustery day but at least the sun was out more than expected.
As I looked to the west, the storm clouds over the high country got my attention. This spot, in particular, I thought was way cool with a snow squall seeming to dump on part of the foothills.
Setting moon over the Great Plains
A beautiful, fall morning two weekends ago. Temperatures were mild, conditions were calm and the view awesome. The waning gibbous moon was slowly working its way down to the horizon and to the west, the Colorado Front Range foothills, the Boulder Flatirons and, of course, the Rocky Mountains were looking nice. I can’t get enough of views like this.
Stunning mountain views along Italian Creek
A very pretty scene from our recent visit to this area near Taylor Park, Colorado. It was a rough ride in our side-by-side but a beautiful one and well worth it. As you emerge above timberline, you are greeted with this stunning view. Our ride was far from over but this required a stop and made for a nice break before heading even higher.
From the late 1800s up until the 1970s, the area was very active with mining. There was some gold found but more plentiful was silver and lead. The Star Mine, not far from the spot this picture was taken, operated from 1890 to 1971 and was one of the leading mines in the area and in fact was the longest-lived mine in Colorado.
Snowpack lingers into summer in the Colorado high country
A pretty scene taken on the way up Mount Evans over the 4th of July weekend. The sun was just getting high enough to illuminate the landscape on a chilly, blustery morning. The amount of snow still present was quite notable. While the mountains did receive a very healthy dose of snow over the winter (thankfully), the relatively cool and wet spring and early summer has slowed the melt.
Stream of dreams
One of my favorite places to make a photo stop, Chicago Creek on the road up to Mount Evans. This year the water was running quite fast as the lingering snowpack continues to melt. The forest itself was bright green as all of the winter snow and spring rains have made things grow like crazy. A slow shutter speed on my camera allowed the blurring of the rushing waters, making for a cool scene.
Corno Grande in Gran Sasso and Laga Mountains National Park
The “great horn” at 9,554 feet high was an imposing figure as we crossed this national park in central Italy. We were immediately drawn to it as it was just one of those mountains that you could not ignore.
It stood far taller than the surrounding terrain and indeed is the tallest peak on the Italian peninsula and is home to Europe’s southernmost glacier, the Calderone glacier. We spent a great deal of time just watching the mountain and the interaction with the clouds that surrounded it, constantly providing a different scene from minute to minute.