It’s been nearly two months since we got home, so it’s about time to be done processing and posting photos, and time to move on! Alrighty, I’m on it! 😉
These are a few lingering photos from the “East” side of Rocky Mountains National Park. It’s easy to see why the Estes Park side of the park gets a lot more visitors than the Grand Lake side. There are a lot more “destination” places on the east side than there are on the west side (so named due to their relationship to the Continental Divide).
When we arrived on the east side of the park, we stopped at the Fall River visitor center and asked a ranger for advice on some of the less traveled areas of the park, since while we wanted to see the highlights, we also wanted to see some quiet places. While he indicated that there weren’t many truly “un-busy” places there were a few.
Most of these photos are from the Bear Lake area and the Grand Basin area. We found, just like in most other parks, the farther we got from the parking lot the fewer people there were. So that’s probably the secret – assuming you can find a place to park, find a trail and go!
Here’s the story on the Aspen photo – a little embarrassing but here goes. I had been on a bit of a quest for photos of Aspen, and I had a vision of what I was looking for. I wanted a good motion blur shot, but I also wanted a shot that showed the trunks against the green background. Since we weren’t there in the fall for yellow leaves, that would have to do.
I saw this tree and knew that it could be what I was looking for. I took two shots with my camera, checked the LCD and was convinced that I had gotten what I wanted. We had been hearing thunder for a few minutes and it was just starting to rain, but at the last minute I took out my phone and took another shot of the tree.
As it turns out, I hadn’t checked the settings on my camera and forgot that I had adjusted it for slow water photos. The two camera photos were shot at 1/15 and 1/25 second and are a little soft, too soft for my standards – a rookie mistake! Fortunately my phone saved the day and I ended up with a pretty decent photo. I may even try to print it!
Great Photos Tom. I was on a motor coach tour in July and got to the park for an hour midday, so I wasn’t able to get good pictures.
Thanks, George. I’ve seen your parks photos online but hadn’t looked closely enough to know how you were traveling. A bus tour would give you plenty of time to watch the scenery go by, but an hour in a park like Rocky isn’t very fair!
Wonderful set of images, again. I made the trip up to Trail Ridge yesterday with my friend Joan. We left early so had little crowds and traffic. Most of the road construction is done so we did not have to deal with that. At the visitors center on top we climbed up “Huffer’s Hill” to the 12,005 foot marker. And, yes I was huffing. We stopped in Moraine Meadows for a picnic lunch of salad and smoked salmon. Always a good day up there.
I think you have a good sense of telling a photographic story of the places you visit. And, I love the aspen shot, by the way. 🙂
Now, I need to make a drive up to Mt. Evans before it too cold.
Huffers Hill was still covered with snow when we were there, but that didn’t stop some people from going. Overall it sounds like a nice way to spend the day.
I hope you carried an adequate supply of salt water taffy. 😉
You’re right about the “secret”, Tom. It always amazes me that very few people seem to venture beyond the parking areas and paved walkways in these places. It doesn’t require too much walking to get away from the crowd. And as Monte says, early is always better. Not to mention the bonus of better light…….
I remember Bear Lake. We spent a lot of time there “visiting” with a chipmunk family (at least they looked like chipmunks).
As usual, to photograph a lot of places at the best time means giving up sleep or a meal. Sometimes even I won’t do that! But the sacrifice is often rewarded.
You may recall that Bear Lake is one of those popular places with very limited parking and a shuttle bus service. Definitely worth the aggravation to visit. Quite often there is a very good reason why a place is popular!
Beautiful photos, Tom. It’s hard to beat Rocky Mountain scenery for it’s beauty. Planning your next trip, yet? 🙂
I could spend a lot more time out there and never get tired of it, Brooks. No specific plans for a return to Colorado, but you know that we seldom return home without plans in place for the next adventure! We’ve got a few more outings in store for this year before going on “baby watch” in January. 😉
Congratulations and life will change in January for you guys too…Grandparents!
Beautiful photos, Tom. I’ve spent a short amount of time in Colorado, and would certainly like to go back to explore. As for the “rookie mistake”, we all make them, sometimes forgetting to change settings, replace a memory card (but that’s never happened to me, you understand!!!), or take the lens cap off before attempting to frame a scene … ummm, I’ve heard that other people do that! LOL
Wonderful shots, Tom. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to this park and my wife has never been. Maybe there’s a road trip in my future.
Thanks, Ken. It was a first time for us, and while it was worth the wait I can’t help but wonder what took me so long!