Evening Finale-Sunset Panorama from Crested Butte

    Dorothy Peak, Avery Peak, Crested Butte, and Gothic Mountain are lit by sunlight streaming through glowing clouds at sunset in this panoramic springtime scene looking down the East River Valley outside of Crested Butte, Colorado.
    Dorothy Peak, Avery Peak, Crested Butte, and Gothic Mountain are lit by sunlight streaming through glowing clouds at sunset in this panoramic springtime scene looking down the East River Valley outside of Crested Butte, Colorado.

    I was looking back at my images from the past springs, while planning for this year, when I ran across this this panoramic series of a dramatic sunset outside of Crested Butte, Colorado. I remember it well. I was camped not more than a couple of hundred yards from this location.

    As sunset drew near, I packed up my gear and headed out into the meadow to find my spot to shoot from. There were only spotty clouds in the sky, but soon they began to build. It all happened quickly and soon the sky was filled with clouds. Rays from the setting sun somehow managed to shine through and light up all the peaks. This was one of those shots you only get a couple of times in your lifetime and I was grateful to be in the right place at the right time.

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    Standing in Gold-Colorful Aspen Grove in Colorado

    Aspen trunks are surrounded by golden thimbleberry plants at the peak of autumn color along Notch Mountain Road in central Colorado.
    Aspen trunks are surrounded by golden thimbleberry plants at the peak of autumn color along Notch Mountain Road in central Colorado.

    I was so busy last fall that I barely had any time to get out to shoot fall color in Colorado. Fortunately, I managed to take a side trip on my way back home from a business trip up to Minturn late in September. The colors along Highway 24 were just too good to ignore so I pulled off on Notch Mountain Road and climbed a short way up the road. As I rounded a bend, this magnificent aspen grove caught my eye. The golden undergrowth covered the hillside and made for a dreamy scene that I just had to capture. At least I came away with one image from the fall!

    Click on the image to view it larger in the galleries. Fine art prints are available.

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    Golden Grove-Colorado Aspen Forest Panorama

    Autumn sunshine streams through an aspen grove illuminating the forest floor carpeted in golden undergrowth in the San Isabel National Forest outside of Buena Vista, Colorado.
    Autumn sunshine streams through an aspen grove illuminating the forest floor carpeted in golden undergrowth in the San Isabel National Forest outside of Buena Vista, Colorado.

    There is a large aspen grove that sits on top of a ridge down the valley from my home outside of Buena Vista. It is so large that in the fall, I can keep tabs on the changing colors by just looking out my window. That makes it easy for me to tell when it is time to take the forty-five minute drive over there. (more…)

    Autumn Color Splash-Vibrant Colorado Aspen Panorama

    A panoramic view of a vibrant grove of golden and orange aspen trees along Last Dollar Road outside of Ridgway in southwestern Colorado.
    A panoramic view of a vibrant grove of golden and orange aspen trees along Last Dollar Road outside of Ridgway in southwestern Colorado.

    I was so busy this past summer participating in art shows around Colorado that I barely got a chance to get out to take any pictures. It was driving me crazy, especially since I had picked up a new camera late in June. I finally got a chance to get out and do some shooting in September. (more…)

    Autumn Diversity-Snow and Fall Colors in Northwest Colorado

    An early snowfall hangs on pine trees and blankets the ground below a hillside covered with aspen trees in a variety of autumn colors in the Routt National Forest outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
    An early snowfall hangs on pine trees and blankets the ground below a hillside covered with aspen trees in a variety of autumn colors in the Routt National Forest outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

    The snow set in just as the fall colors were reaching their peak this fall while I was up in Steamboat Springs shooting with good friend and fellow photographer Rod Hanna. We had to spend a day waiting out the storm and were anxious to get out and see if the leaves were left hanging on the aspen trees. (more…)

    Rainbow Road-Snowy Road through Multicolored Aspens

    A road winds through a snowy stand of multicolored aspens high up along County Road 8 in the Flat Top Mountains in northwestern Colorado.
    A road winds through a snowy stand of multicolored aspens high up along County Road 8 in the Flat Top Mountains in northwestern Colorado.

    The fall colors were definitely a mixed bag in Colorado this year. I spent quite a bit of time up in the northwest after my good friend and fellow photographer Rod Hanna convinced me that I needed to come up there to see the conditions myself. Rod has lived in Steamboat Springs for many years and knows the area well. I was fortunate to have him spend quite a bit of time showing me around. (more…)

    Surrounded by a Rainbow-Multicolored Aspen Grove

    A stand of pine and fir trees is surrounded by aspens with various stages of vibrant fall foliage outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
    A stand of pine and fir trees is surrounded by aspens with various stages of vibrant fall foliage outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

    Fall in the Rockies usually brings a variety of weather. One day you can be out shooting in short sleeves and the next you need to put on a winter coat. The forecast during my first visit to the Steamboat Springs area called for a storm moving in at the end of the week. And that it did indeed. (more…)

    In Golden Pond-Autumn Reflection on Crosho Lake

    The snow-topped tip of a submerged stump protrudes from Crosho Lake amid a rainbow of colors reflected from a hillside of golden aspens in the Routt National Forest in northwest Colorado.
    The snow-topped tip of a submerged stump protrudes from Crosho Lake amid a rainbow of colors reflected from a hillside of golden aspens in the Routt National Forest in northwest Colorado.

    The early fall snowstorm dumped a lot of snow along the road to Crosho Lake. After shooting the panorama of Flat Top Mountain that I posted yesterday, we figured we had made it that far up the road, why not continue on up to the lake. The dirt road was a little sloppy from the melting snow, but after a few miles we were able to park fairly close to the lake and hike to the edge. (more…)

    Shades of Autumn-Aspen Grove in Northwest Colorado

    A stand of multi-colored aspens glow in autumn sunlight on a mountainside in northwestern Colorado.
    A stand of multi-colored aspens glow in autumn sunlight on a mountainside in northwestern Colorado.

    If it weren’t for the fact that I geocode all of my images as soon as I get them downloaded, I don’t think I would be able to pinpoint exactly where all my images from this fall were taken. My good friend and fellow photographer Rod Hanna must have showed me every one of his favorite shooting locations. We revisited many of them to catch the view in different light or different stages of fall color. Occasionally (more…)