Flat Tops
It had been several years since I visited the Flat Tops and I was excited to again visit the area for its unique geology, dark skies, and numerous lakes. This time we approached from the east and after several switchbacks reached the only tricky part of the planned clockwise loop, the Devil's Causeway. At about 3 ft wide at the narrowest section, the causeway sharply drops away from both sides of the pathway. For those who do not like heights, it is best just keep focus on your footsteps, although the views were spectacular!
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Mt. Massive
An alpine start to enjoy sunrise on a 14er required getting to the trailhead for Mt. Massive by 3:30 am. The nearly full moon helped illuminate the trail and the many avalanche paths that were still melting away from the record spring snowfall. As we reached 13,000 ft we realized that we would not reach the summit before sunrise so we found a great viewpoint looking south towards Mt. Elbert. The subtle colors in the alpine glow were quickly overwhelmed by the strengthening sun, but not before we captured the first light.
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Longs Peak Milky Way
The best way to avoid the crowds in Rocky Mountain National Park is to visit in the offseason and at off hours. I wanted to capture the alignment of the Milky Way with Longs Peak while snow was still present so May was a good month to spend in the park under the stars. After reaching an almost empty parking lot I hiked up to my viewpoint that just managed to clear any foreground trees. I began this single long take at 10:30 pm and packed up after sunrise at 6:30 am. After the Moon set below the horizon, the Milky Way and Jupiter advanced across the night sky and provided me a good reason to skip sleeping. The bright glow at the horizon is light pollution from Boulder and Denver.
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Chasm Lake and Storm Pass
Every season offers a new perspective in the mountains. Spring is highlighted by the return of wildflowers and access to alpine trails, summer provides camping opportunities by aquamarine lakes that perfectly reflect granite peaks, and fall gives one last burst of color. But winter brings snow. From making snowballs and snow angels to skiing, I find that winter can be the most playful season. There is nothing like waking up early for a trail run through snow with friends!
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Buchanan - Pawnee Loop
The trail runs keep getting longer! Beginning at Long Lake in the Brainard Lake Recreational Area, we began our 26 mile loop by ascending Buchanan Pass (11,837’), our first crossing of the Continental Divide for the day. Snow had mostly receded, but this loop has taken time to clear for quick passage. Cruising through wildflowers and past waterfalls makes the western section of the Buchanan Pass Trail one of the most enjoyable areas of the Front Range.
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Maps!
I only began traveling recently to locations where photographing the landscape was the primary goal of the trip. I have had many cameras accompany me over the years wherever I explored, and I also logged my location to quantify how long and difficult a trek was with a watch or other device. I wanted to have both my images and this information combined for a more complete summary of the trip, so I determined a way to integrate Mapbox into my Squarespace website.
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Heart Lake and Rogers Pass
I have frequently visited East Portal for backcountry skiing, but it has been several years since I explored the James Peak Wilderness in the summer. The wildflowers continue to extend across the alpine slopes that were covered in snow just a few weeks ago.
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King Lake and Devil's Thumb Lake Loop
One of my favorite loops in the Indian Peaks is connecting King Lake and Devil’s Thumb Lake via the High Lonesome Trail. We chose to run the loop in the clockwise direction, ascending through trees from the Hessie Trailhead and reaching a partially ice filled lake.
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Summit Lake
The mountains are quickly melting out in the high country! Mt. Evans is one of the more popular 14ers due to a paved road to the summit, but there are many alternative trails to explore.
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