Winter is coming

Every Autumn we like to spend a couple of days in Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. This October's trip we hit our first sight of snow this season, and found a face in the mountains.

Face looking skyward. Can you see it?

Valley below, snow above

Autumn and Winter meet at Sprague Lake

Rocky Mountain National Park

It's hard to beat a stay in Estes Park at Murphy's River Lodge and a day exploring Rocky Mountain National Park. This year is particularly green with all the rain and snow we've had. Beautiful place. Have a great Independence Day!

The view from Murphy's River Lodge

Glacial valley

The western side of Long's Peak

Shadowman

Typical Colorado Weather

Here's what one can count on in Colorado; random weather with no apparent reason. After a beautiful, warm, sunny afternoon... I hope all the crops made it through unscathed.

This

And this

Led to this

And 30 minutes later.... 

As if nothing happened.

Welcome to Colorado. I hope you've got full coverage on that car and roof.

Colorado Ice Fog

A photo of the last little bit of winter hanging around in Colorado. This was taken a few weeks ago after our last snow. Probably the last one of the season. I'm glad to be looking back at this winter, it seemed like a long one. I took the shot with my aged old Nikon CoolPix 5400. It isn't very hi-res, but it is a good camera.

Colorado Lunar Eclipse - 4/15/2014

Here are a few photographs of the Lunar Eclipse from early this morning as seen from Northern Colorado. I shot these with my old Nikon 5400. It is times like this that I wish I had a higher-end DSLR camera with a good zoom. That said the old Nikon does a pretty good job given it's technological limitations.

Minutes before the full  Lunar Eclipse

Nightscape as the moon goes into the Earth's shadow.

Nightscape ten minutes after full eclipse

The Moon and Mars - 20 minutes into the event. Spica is the star very "close" to the moon. Mars is visible to the upper right at it's closest point to Earth this year. 

Wishing for higher resolution.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Layers of landscape back as seen from the edge of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. We had a good trip through, Ouray, Telluride, and Purgatory. This was taken with my old Nikon 5400. The Black Canyon is a nice stop on a long drive.

The Pawnee Grasslands

Pawnee National Grasslands is a wilderness area in Northeastern Colorado. Wide open views abound to the extent that the curvature of the Earth seems apparent. It offers some good campsites and a camping experience that is a little different.  A small area for OHV use is available as well as areas for target shooting. There is also the Lee and Dorothy Rhodes Farm Implement Museum to browse through.

 A macro taken near the campground.

Winter Snow Storm Last Night

Sometimes the Colorado streets try to keep us from driving on them. 

Yea, good luck tarmac.

Midnight snow shots from indoors. 8 second exposures at F 2.8 on my old Nikon 5400. 

No I'm not braving the cold for a digital photo.

A Life of Pretty Lights, Zach Schell? 

Wind and snow blasting down the northern prairie.

Alpine Flowers

I'm taking a break from the cars this week. The sun is out this morning, and I'm thinking about the cycle and the coming Spring. Given that mindset, here's a shot taken in early summer at the top of Trail Ridge Road (the highest continuous road in the U.S.A.) in Rocky Mountain National Park outside of Estes Park, Colorado.
It was an attempt at showing massive depth of field. I suppose it could have been better but I still like it. Digital cameras don't always "cut it" in my opinion.

Colorado Sunset Overload

I like to take pictures of sunsets. I know everyone has too many; I'm no exception. Here are some of my favorites taken from Windsor, Colorado over the past 7 years. The prominent mountains in the distance are Longs Peak and Meeker Peak.

Touring Jack's Gulch campground and trails via mountain bike

We went camping up the Poudre River Canyon, outside of Fort Collins, a few weeks ago. Here is some HD GoPro Hero mountain bike footage from the trip. Yea, the old Klein Attitude makes for a bumpy camera mount... I may need to figure something else out for that one of these days. Either way, it's fun to play with! Soundtrack is "Arc Like and Brave" (c) Pete Deichmann, Performance credits; Pete Deichmann- guitars, Pete McNeal - Drums

 

 

Picketwire Canyon Lands and La Junta Colorado

Some images from a bike tour to the Picketwire Dinosaur Tracks. We rode in on our Klein and Cannondale mountain bikes; it can be walked as well. If you take this ride bring plenty of water; it is arid and hot! Throw in a couple of Clif Bars too.

Picketwire is a colloquialism of the Purgatoire Canyon Lands and River that runs through the area.

Colorado Sunrise Overload

Why are sunrise pictures rare? Too friggin' early... These are some of my favorite, insomnia-driven shots. Taken in Windsor, Colorado out on the plains.

 

Belmar Park in Bloom

Here are a few shots from a walk around Belmar Park in Lakewood, Colorado.

Green everywhere. Wildflowers, some flowers from a cultiavated garden, and a few old gems hidden away...

I don't know what the name of these are, but they are striking against the green in the background.

Always working, even when it is 99 degrees.

Wow ! A genuine Ford Model A, sitting quietly behind locked doors in an old barn.

Ford Model A

A hard-working old Case tractor locked up and waiting to go to work again someday.

Usagi san ! ( Mister Rabbit )

A beautiful Tiger Lily, only a few days left before it is gone for the year.

This must be what Lakewood looked like years ago when it was mostly rural.

A good place to take a rest on a hot summer day.