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Author Topic: Mountains in Colorado Early September 09  (Read 5130 times)

daleeman

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Mountains in Colorado Early September 09
« on: July 08, 2009, 01:46:12 pm »

I will be traveling to just outside Denver (Greenwood Village) the first weekend of September 2009. Will be able to stay Friday and Saturday out by the mountains before flying out on September 6th. Can anyone suggest wonderful places to photograph while I am out there? I imagine I will be 2 weeks or so too early for Fall Colors, but I am not certain about that at all.

So any ideas about great landscapes, ghost towns, perfect sunrises and sets along with fall color times in places and elevations. I love to walk and hike, but can no longer make the 20+ mile hikes into the perfect areas as I used to when I was 23. I’m still 27 in my head, but my body is twice that old and a Tachihara field camera and a Hassy see to get heavier every year.

Lee
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Darren

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Mountains in Colorado Early September 09
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2009, 10:27:06 pm »

Lee,

You are correct about being early for fall colors. For that information, I have much of what you would need here. That won't be of any use for you on this trip, however.

As for other places you can check out in that amount of time, you're still in luck. Easily the best closest location from Denver is Mt. Evans, which is about a 1 hour, 45-minute drive to the summit. The upper section of the road will close two days after you leave. This location is great at sunrise and sunset, and is one of the finest places in the country for mountain goats as well.

The next popular answer would undoubtedly be Rocky Mountain National Park, though it is my least favorite area in the state given all the people who flock there and think that it's the best thing in the state. Still, like anywhere, it's quiet during the photographer's working times. Trail Ridge Road would probably be the best choice, though there are the ever-popular Sprague, Bear and Dream lakes. The trails will crowd up shortly after sunrise.

The last hot spot I'll give is the Great Sand Dunes, which is a 3.5-hour drive. All photographers love shooting sand dunes, and there aren't any better spots on the continent for that. You enter a totally different world once you start walking out on them.

These three locations would be my top three suggestions that gives you plenty of diversity to choose from and will give you some solid pictures to bring home. Given the landscape possibilities at those locations, I'd probably suggest forgetting about ghost towns during your short stay, but if that's still a top priority, this site will be your best resource for you to pick from.

Have a great trip out and enjoy your stay!
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daleeman

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Mountains in Colorado Early September 09
« Reply #2 on: August 06, 2009, 06:37:47 am »

Quote from: Darren
Lee,

You are correct about being early for fall colors. For that information, I have much of what you would need here. That won't be of any use for you on this trip, however.

As for other places you can check out in that amount of time, you're still in luck. Easily the best closest location from Denver is Mt. Evans, which is about a 1 hour, 45-minute drive to the summit. The upper section of the road will close two days after you leave. This location is great at sunrise and sunset, and is one of the finest places in the country for mountain goats as well.

The next popular answer would undoubtedly be Rocky Mountain National Park, though it is my least favorite area in the state given all the people who flock there and think that it's the best thing in the state. Still, like anywhere, it's quiet during the photographer's working times. Trail Ridge Road would probably be the best choice, though there are the ever-popular Sprague, Bear and Dream lakes. The trails will crowd up shortly after sunrise.

The last hot spot I'll give is the Great Sand Dunes, which is a 3.5-hour drive. All photographers love shooting sand dunes, and there aren't any better spots on the continent for that. You enter a totally different world once you start walking out on them.

These three locations would be my top three suggestions that gives you plenty of diversity to choose from and will give you some solid pictures to bring home. Given the landscape possibilities at those locations, I'd probably suggest forgetting about ghost towns during your short stay, but if that's still a top priority, this site will be your best resource for you to pick from.

Have a great trip out and enjoy your stay!

Darren,
Thanks for the info. I am still looking forward to going to the class out there (Adobe Premiere CS4, I do video productions for work) and being able to do some time in the mountains with the still cameras is a BIG PLUS. Thanks for the sites. I've seen the ghost towns site before and hopfully I can stop in some without a few spandex clad bear and basket shoppers. Give me chills just thinking about it.

The sand dunes look like a nice stop. I'll do some research on that to see about a good map and figure up how the sun tracks over it. The narrows with the author standing in it at the web site looks inviting. I have not had too many slot canyon opportunities like antelope canyon, but would like too.

I have a new to me old 40mm Hassy lens that I hope to take. It had a cla in December and I have not had a lot of time to shoot with it. I hope to soot a new film, Kodak Ektar 100 ISO 120 film. Have you had any experience tih it?

If you think of anything else let me know.

Thanks
Lee
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Luis Argerich

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Mountains in Colorado Early September 09
« Reply #3 on: August 06, 2009, 10:54:20 am »

Without going far from Denver there are so many nice circuits.

One tour that I really love is to go from Boulder to Nederland, the road is amazing with some small waterfalls, beautiful landscapes, a lake & dam, etc. Once in Nederland you can get up to the Eldora ski resort if you want (10 minutes). Then you can go down the other way and visit Central City and Blackhawk, now caisno towns with a very ghostly look, old buildings, etc. From there straight to Golden, another nice place with nice houses, landscapes, the Coors Factory tour (if you like a beer) and then back to Denver. Beautiful ride with many stops for landscapes if you want.

Just one of many circuits!

daleeman

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Mountains in Colorado Early September 09
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2009, 08:41:00 am »

Quote from: luigis
Without going far from Denver there are so many nice circuits.

One tour that I really love is to go from Boulder to Nederland, the road is amazing with some small waterfalls, beautiful landscapes, a lake & dam, etc. Once in Nederland you can get up to the Eldora ski resort if you want (10 minutes). Then you can go down the other way and visit Central City and Blackhawk, now caisno towns with a very ghostly look, old buildings, etc. From there straight to Golden, another nice place with nice houses, landscapes, the Coors Factory tour (if you like a beer) and then back to Denver. Beautiful ride with many stops for landscapes if you want.

Just one of many circuits!
Nice route. Rt 119 looks like a nice run. So as amazed as I am with the internet, I have to wonder what the rail cars in Nederland is all about? I searched on Google for images of Nederland and was just amazed at what these rail cars were about? Tourist traps?

I wonder too how close you can get to the old mining facilities I found at:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DG

Man that is some URL.

The EPA has an image of Dream lake by Golden Co.:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DN

Seems like Golden is moved into all modern times. Was that your experience too? I ma take this route then go on into Park and Lake counties one day.

Thanks for the sugestions. Have any images you could share?

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Craig Lamson

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Mountains in Colorado Early September 09
« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2009, 09:00:54 am »

Quote from: daleeman
Nice route. Rt 119 looks like a nice run. So as amazed as I am with the internet, I have to wonder what the rail cars in Nederland is all about? I searched on Google for images of Nederland and was just amazed at what these rail cars were about? Tourist traps?

I wonder too how close you can get to the old mining facilities I found at:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DG

Man that is some URL.

The EPA has an image of Dream lake by Golden Co.:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DN

Seems like Golden is moved into all modern times. Was that your experience too? I ma take this route then go on into Park and Lake counties one day.

Thanks for the sugestions. Have any images you could share?

Another great drive is from Morrison (Red Rock Park) HWY 74 to Evergreen, I-70 to HWY 6 to HWY 119 and on to Nederland, HWY72 to Estes Park (Rocky Mountain National Park).

Dream lake is up the trail from Bear lake in RMNP an is perhaps one of the easiest hikes around to get to a high mountain lake.  

I had just one day in May to make this route and though the weather was less than ideal and I only had my wifes 450d, I got a few decent shots.  I've been to Colorado many times on photo trips
but this was just a quick trip to visit family.  

A quick webpage with some of the images from my day.  Note that there are a few images from the Littleton Museum at the end...

http://www.craiglamson.com/colorado/index.htm
« Last Edit: August 07, 2009, 09:02:09 am by infocusinc »
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Luis Argerich

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Mountains in Colorado Early September 09
« Reply #6 on: August 07, 2009, 10:26:45 am »

Quote from: daleeman
Nice route. Rt 119 looks like a nice run. So as amazed as I am with the internet, I have to wonder what the rail cars in Nederland is all about? I searched on Google for images of Nederland and was just amazed at what these rail cars were about? Tourist traps?

I wonder too how close you can get to the old mining facilities I found at:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DG

Man that is some URL.

The EPA has an image of Dream lake by Golden Co.:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DN

Seems like Golden is moved into all modern times. Was that your experience too? I ma take this route then go on into Park and Lake counties one day.

Thanks for the sugestions. Have any images you could share?

Yes, Golden is a modern city now but still keeps the air of the far west in the architecture and the landscape it has some very nice views around. (if you like knives you have the spyderco factory there too)
Not sure about the train wagons in nederland, besides those there isn't much up there but the views are amazing and whatever road you take to explore a little will give you several good images. It has a supermarket to get some supplies if you get tired from walking around. Usually I stopped up there to get some food or drinks, then go up to Eldora for some pics, then back again, explore around and then downhill towards CentralCity and Blackhawk, that road has also some impressive views.
In landscape terms I think the boulder-nederland canyon route is great for intimate landscapes, rocks, small waterfalls, wild flowers, and then it opes to big vistas in the lake area. The road from nederland to Blackhawk and Central City is more vista oriented with open spaces.

Good luck in your trip, the Denver area is so nice I'm sure you will get wonderful pictures!

Hank

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Mountains in Colorado Early September 09
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2009, 10:29:26 am »

It's hard to beat Rocky Mountain National Park at that time of year.  It's roughly 2 hours north of Denver.  There is lots of useful info about shooting around Denver and other locations here.
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reburns

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Mountains in Colorado Early September 09
« Reply #8 on: August 07, 2009, 10:53:29 am »

Launching just beyond Nederland are some potential photo ops, such as Caribou or possibly the old Hesse township.  The railcar I know of in Nederland is a cool coffee shop, but otherwise it's just a small bedroom community.  The working train line runs thro Rollinsville and thru Moffat tunnel a little ways south on that Hwy119.  Eldorado canyon is another photo op that runs not far NW of Denver and is just a few minutes from me in case you want further collaboration.  You'd have to have a better eye than mine to slow down in Boulder canyon enroute to Nederland. Outside Minturn the coolest bridge in Colorado is part of Hwy 24.

But can't go wrong hitting the Sand Dunes.  Can also visit the "alligator farm" nearby.
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Wayne Fox

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Mountains in Colorado Early September 09
« Reply #9 on: August 07, 2009, 08:09:52 pm »

Quote from: Darren
Lee,

You are correct about being early for fall colors. For that information, I have much of what you would need here. That won't be of any use for you on this trip, however.

Thanks for that write up.  Very helpful.
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miketelemark

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Mountains in Colorado Early September 09
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2009, 11:22:10 pm »

I live in Colorado, and I second the vote to go up to Mt Evans.  I've seen fall color in the highest aspens up there around Labor Day,  The tundra above treeline will be red and gold and quite beautiful.  Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mtn NP will get you into the golden tundra as well.   You could also go for a beautiful hike up to Isabelle Lake in the Indian Peaks wilderness which is a bit close than Trail Ridge Road.   Lastly, you could drive up to Loveland Pass and hike up either of the crestline ridges and you will have a wonderfull Alpine experience for minimal effort.  Peak fall color in Colorado's high country is typically around Sept 22, but this has been an unusual summer weather wise and you might get lucky and end up with an early fall.  Have a great time!

Michael Anderson
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