Colorado and nearby

[PhotoPops]

Southern Wyoming is pretty good for ski areas that are not too crowded. You can check out white pines resort near Pinedale(about 6 hours from denver). Also check out the resorts around the Snowy Range in Southern Wyoming(about 4 hourds drive from Denver).

In Wyoming everyone heads to Jackson Hole resort so places like White Pines are very nice. There are never any lift lines and you get a lot of fresh powder and can usually find untracked terrain. They have some good advanced terrain but most of it is geared towards the Blue riders. These places are fun and offer some challenges and are much less expensive. Keep in mind though most Blue rated terrains in Wyoming would be considered Black Diamonds in the Eastern states. Jackson Hole's blue slopes are more like a Double Black dimaond at a New York resort(seriously).

If you want the best terrain and fresh powder Jackson Hole next to Grand Teton Park(9 hours drive from Denver) is the place but its expensive and crowded. The plus side is its getting more touristy and these folks tend to stick to the bunny slopes -the crowds on the blue and black diamonds are often sparse. The downside is the constant avalanches and you ride paranoid.  Jackson hole has some wicked steep chutes and back country riding - totally different style terrain than your usual places like Vail and Aspen. Jackson also has Grand Targhee resort and SnowKing mountain. Snowking is great for night skiing and lift lines are usually sparse. Targhee is best for powder and snowkat skiing trips and pure back country riding.

Jackson hole is also a few miles from Yellowstone and you will get much better photo opps in general in terms of wildlife.
Also the photography in Wyoming is much more accessbile in Wyoming.

The problem with photography in Colorado is its packed this time of year and hard to get around the mountains with all the traffic.

I would say spend a day or 2 at the smaller resorts in Wyoming that I mentioned and make your way up to Jackson and the tetons. You will have the best of both worls(skiing and photography).

[PhotoPops]

Also..the drive up from Denver will give you lots of photo opps..The Snowy Range in Southern Wyoming is pretty good and the spectacular in Winter

It is pretty much true about the trail ratings though...there is definately an East vs West difference(accept for some resorts in VT and NH). A lot of it is the specific terrain unique to the rockies. Most folks who have only skied at places like Peak n Peak or Holiday Valley in NY might head out and think the terrain on a blue slope on the rockies is equivealnt to the blue terrain they are used to in NY.

I have seen a lot of folks end up quickly over their heads when they get beyond the first hundred yards of trail and the terrrain suddenly changes quickly from the predictable straightaway 'snow covered parking lots' with lifts they are used to out East.

The snow is different as well. Out East once January hits its more like spring corn snow with all the thaws and freezes they get throughout the season. In the Rockies its mostly groomed powder and most folks show up with the wrong ski and don't get to enjoy it all.

On the opposite side it can be kind of funny to watch seasoned folks from the Rockies who have never skied out East slide and fumble around like a newbie when they ski on the hardpacked icy terrain out east.

[magic9988]

Rocky Mountain National Park is 1 1/2 hours away. You can't go wrong there.

Rocky Mountain National Park Photos


Mike Barton

http://www.mikebartonphoto.com

[Madness]

I'll be on a three week skiing tour of Colorado in early march, staying in Denver most of the time and driving around wherever the snow takes me.

Since nobody is fit enough  to tear up the powder every day for three weeks I'll be taking some days off and preferably do some landscape photography to round off the report for a ski mag I lined up.

Where should I go if it doesn't take more than 1 day to drive in one direction from Denver?

Arches? Mesa Verde? Monument valley? Paria? Coyote Buttes? Yellowstone? - I haven't got the slightest idea how far away those are

We've been in Colorado (eastern part) one summer a few years back driving up some mountain roads I imagine will be covered in at least 3m of pure powder so that's probably out of reach.

I've also been at the 7 Falls, Garden Of Gods etc and I might do a short day trip down there but besides that...what's there to see in winter that does not require a snowmobile to reach (cos I'm on a bit of tight budget)?

PS If you know of any internationaly unknown ski resorts that are fun for a few hours I'm all ears...

thanks

[Madness]

So a blue slope in the Rockies is like a red one in the Alps to confuse things even more? Or is it red = red, blue = blue?
(blue in the alps is where your crosscountry skiing technique is what gets you moving or you could pray for a tail wind, a red one would be a perfect carving slope)

Black seems to be black wherever you look at it, shaped like a diamond or not  

thanks for the suggestions

[blangton]

Since you are looking for some landscape photographic information on Colorado, check out the Colorado Nature Photographer's forum at the following URL:

Colorado Nature Photographers

A great group of folks always looking to help out (and even join) a traveling photographer headed to their neck of the woods.  My wife and I went on a 10 day shoot there this last fall and found a great deal of helpful information from their members.  We even hooked up with a couple for a personal tour of some great spots.

Good luck and have a great trip!

Bill