Photo Journal & Trip Reports (Colorado)

Please enjoy these photo journals and trip reports from some of my outdoor photography adventures, starting with the most recent. You can subscribe to follow my latest blog posts (and any other blogs as well) by using a feed reader such as Inoreader or Feedly.

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Latest Photo Stream — Latest Photo Stream

Nowadays | Mostly Colorado

This "Photo Stream" is a repository of miscellaneous latest photos mostly from around where I live in Ridgway at the foot of the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado.

42 posts →

Aurora over the Sneffels Range — Aurora over the Sneffels Range

October 2024 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Leading up to October 10, 2024 a severe geomagnetic storm was forecasted after a strong solar flare erupted from the sun the previous day. The news was full of reports forecasting a KP8-level aurora that should be visible even as far south as the southern United States! With such an optimistic aurora forecast and good weather I decided spontaneously to hike and camp up high in the San Juan Mountains for a chance to view this incredibly rare event.

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Indian Summer in the San Juans — Indian Summer in the San Juans

October 10, 2024 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The aspen colors have been brilliant again this autumn season here in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. But so have the skies! For most of late September and early October the weather has been warm and dry, with relentless blue skies and no snow on the peaks...

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Sleepless with Longs Peak — Sleepless with Longs Peak

September 2024 | Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

In mid-September after visiting friends and running errands in Denver and Fort Collins, Claudia and I headed to Rocky Mountain National Park, where I had reserved some last minute wilderness camping permits for three nights...

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Sangres Seven Pass Loop — Sangres Seven Pass Loop

September 2024 | Sangre de Cristos, Colorado

Looking at a topographic map of Colorado, the Sangre de Cristo Range in southern Colorado is the easiest mountain range to recognize - a straight and solitary line of mountains stretching down the center of the southern portion of the state...

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Ragged Elks Trek — Ragged Elks Trek

September 2024 | Elk Mountains, Colorado

At the end of August and beginning of September, Claudia and I joined our friends Ann and Holly for an ambitious 5-day trek through the Elk Mountains, Ruby Range, and Ragged Mountains - a 50 mile traverse through some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in Colorado, between the towns of Aspen, Crested Butte, Marble, and Paonia...

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3 Days In the Grenadiers — 3 Days In the Grenadiers

August 2024 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

With a brief window of decent weather between monsoon storms, last week I ventured back into the Weminuche Wilderness for a quick but strenuous solo 3-day backpack trip through the rugged Grenadier Range via a series of high passes and lots of off-trail rock hopping...

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Threading the Needles — Threading the Needles

July 2024 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

At the end of July I ventured out for a 6-day solo backpack trek through the Needle Mountains, a remote and rugged sub-range of the greater San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado. This was the seventh trek I've done in this specific range (not counting other nearby trips within the Weminuche Wilderness), though it has actually been six years since my last visit...

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Wandering in Wildflowers — Wandering in Wildflowers

July 2024 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

This week my wife and I ventured into the mountains near Silverton, Colorado for a wonderful 3-day trek through the wildflowers! We shuttled cars and did a one-way trailhead to trailhead walk - another variation of a trek that we've done two previous variations of, and we also included two exploratory side hikes each evening...

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Down in the Narrows — Down in the Narrows

May 16, 2024 | Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is easily one of the most awe inspiring sights in Colorado. Carrying snowmelt down from a broad watershed of the West Elk, Elk, Sawatch, and San Juan Mountains, the Gunnison River roars through 2,000 sheer vertical feet of 1...

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Knowles/Mee Canyons Loop — Knowles/Mee Canyons Loop

April 23, 2024 | Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness, Colorado

Hungry for a desert adventure, in mid-April I headed to the canyons west of Grand Junction in the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness, an area I'd never visited before, for a 36-mile loop trek going down Knowles Canyon, along the Colorado River, then up Mee Canyon. This was a fantastic but strenuous trek through seriously awesome canyon country.

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Over the Rockies — Over the Rockies

April 3, 2024 | Colorado

Whenever we fly from Denver to Montrose (or vice versa) I always try to reserve a window seat on the north side of the plane since you get wonderful views looking right down at the Elk Mountains, Gore Range, and Front Range. The timing was great with this flight as we flew over the mountains right as the sun was setting! So of course I was snapping away with glee. It's always fun to see so many recognizable peaks and valleys from an aerial perspective.

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Waiting for Winter — Waiting for Winter

December 2023 | Ridgway, Colorado

Winter is off to a slow start here in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. We've gotten a few snow storms here and there, and the snowpack is gradually growing inch by inch in the mountains, but winter is taking its sweet time so far...

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Fall Colors in the San Juan Mountains — Fall Colors in the San Juan Mountains

October 2023 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

This October we had yet another glorious season of autumn colors here in the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado. Having just returned home from a long road trip to Idaho and California, I was content to hang around close to home so I mostly just visited some of my favorite aspen forests around the Sneffels Range area near Ridgway and Telluride...

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Paintbrush and Columbine — Paintbrush and Columbine

August 2023 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, what was shaping up to be an epic wildflower season in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado was a bit stunted by a month of hot sunny weather in July. Nevertheless, the residual moisture from the big winter snows and wet spring storms seem to have won out in many areas where glorious fields of wildflowers have sprung up in late July and early August...

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Above the Uncompahgre Gorge — Above the Uncompahgre Gorge

July 2023 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Last week in mid-July I did a pleasant 3-day solo backpack loop through the Uncompahgre Wilderness above and east of the town of Ouray, Colorado. This is a favorite trek I've done numerous times before but this time I varied my camping destinations and did a bit of exploring along the way, and I also had a notable encounter with the local wildlife!

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Sneffels Summertime — Sneffels Summertime

July 2023 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

At the beginning of July I spent a pleasant evening and morning on a high ridge in the Sneffels Range with a wonderful view facing my favorite mountain: Mount Sneffels.

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Sunrise on Wilson Peak — Sunrise on Wilson Peak

May 2023 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In late May during this spring of unusually stormy weather here in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, I finally had a clear weather window to go for a more ambitious high-altitude photo mission. I've had a particular photo idea of Wilson Peak in mind for several years and now would be a good time to go for that!

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Some Early Season Backpacking in Colorado — Some Early Season Backpacking in Colorado

May 2023 | Colorado

The weather this spring has been quite wet in the mountains of southwest Colorado with frequent rain and thunderstorms, almost like an early monsoon pattern. The unsettled weather has dissuaded me from attempting any high camps in the snow so far, but with a hankering for some backpacking I have been seeking out some lower elevation destinations this May for some quick backpack outings...

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Sliding into Spring — Sliding into Spring

April/May 2023 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

I'm a month late with this post, but I thought I'd share some snapshots from a few spring skiing days in late April/early May here in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. I didn't get out as much as I expected this spring, due in large part to unusually thunderstormy weather in May but also just generally being too busy on the computer (something I'm trying consciously to change in my life)...

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Winter Scenes around Ridgway — Winter Scenes around Ridgway

March 2023 | Ridgway, Colorado

The 2022/23 winter has been one to remember, with numerous "atmospheric river" events bringing record breaking or near-record snowfall throughout the West (particularly in California and Utah, which both shattered their all-time snowfall records with over 800-900" inches of snow in some places!)...

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Winter Skies over Sneffels — Winter Skies over Sneffels

November 2022 | Ridgway, Colorado

Earlier in the month I complained a bit about how strenuous my last backpack trip was. Turns out it was more strenuous than I initially thought, as I had badly strained my calf near the end of that trip...

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Aspen Immersion — Aspen Immersion

October 2022 | Colorado

Autumn really put on a show this year in Colorado, with snowy peaks and brilliant aspen colors. Most notably, the golden aspen colors were nearly two weeks late and lasted for longer into October than I ever remember happening before...

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Sultan Sunset — Sultan Sunset

September 2022 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In late September my wife Claudia and I spent a chilly but pleasant evening watching the sunset from the 13,368 ft. (4074 m) summit of Sultan Mountain, high above the town of Silverton in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado...

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High Hanging Fruit — High Hanging Fruit

August 2022 | Sneffels Range, Colorado

When I first moved to southwest Colorado in 2006 I had a good 5-10 year stretch when the San Juan Mountains were pretty much a blank canvas for me for planning grand backpack treks and discovering loads of unique scenes to photograph...

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Wild in the Gore Range — Wild in the Gore Range

August 2022 | Gore Range, Colorado

High above the bustling ski town of Vail and the drone of cars and trucks zooming along Interstate 70 rise the rugged mountains of the Gore Range, surrounded by civilization yet harboring some of the burliest peaks and wildest valleys in Colorado...

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Light in La Platas — Light in La Platas

July 2022 | La Plata Mountains, Colorado

La Plata Mountains are located just northwest of the town of Durango, Colorado, in the southwest corner of the greater San Juan Mountains. I guess it shows how vast the San Juans are that it's taken me 16 years to finally go visit La Platas! I've spied their rugged ridges off in the distance many times from the Weminuche Wilderness or the western San Juans, but for some reason I just never got around to driving down there...

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Home Light — Home Light

July 2022 | Ridgway, Colorado

During the first week of July, the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado have experienced a strong monsoon weather pattern, bringing many moments of extraordinary weather and light. Here are some photos taken over the course of just 5 days, all from my backyard!

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Chasing Sunsets in the Weminuche — Chasing Sunsets in the Weminuche

June/July 2022 | Weminuche Wilderness, Colorado

After a dry and extremely windy spring, this summer so far a strong monsoon weather pattern has settled in over the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, bringing much needed rain along with plenty of lightning and thunder...

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Winter in the San Juans — Winter in the San Juans

Winter 2022 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The 2021-22 winter season was extremely busy for me - but not with photography or snowboarding... my wife and I finished building our new house and finally moved in at the end of winter! With life settling back down I finally have a chance to post some photos from the few times I did manage to get out to photograph the mountains this winter...

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Autumn Overload — Autumn Overload

October 2021 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

As I write this in mid-October, snow is falling outside my window and only a few yellow leaves cling to the aspen forests above town. It has been a phenomenal fall season here in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, with vibrant aspen colors, lots of amazing light and clouds, and fresh snowfall frosting the mountaintops...

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Summer Stories from the San Juans — Summer Stories from the San Juans

July/August/September 2021 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

As summer fades to autumn, I thought I'd share some new photos and stories from the last three months of backpacking in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Including and continuing from my last blog post ("Monsoon Explorations in the Weminuche"), my backpacking adventures this summer have been mainly focused on exploring hidden nooks and crannies of these mountains and finding unique perspectives to photograph...

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Monsoon Explorations in the Weminuche — Monsoon Explorations in the Weminuche

June/July 2021 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In late June a record-breaking heat wave settled in over the southwestern United States. With a week of 95º heat in Ridgway and smoky skies from a huge wildfire in the nearby La Sal Mountains in southeast Utah, it was shaping up to be another dry and smoky summer here in the San Juan Mountains...

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Springtime in the San Juans — Springtime in the San Juans

May/June 2021 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Spring is quite possibly the most beautiful time of year around the lower elevations of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, with snow capped peaks rising above brilliant green aspens and wildflower-filled meadows...

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Journey Around the San Miguel Range — Journey Around the San Miguel Range

June 2021 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Recently I've had an itch to do an adventurous high-mileage trek - something with long hiking days to whip my winter beer belly into shape. With snow still clinging to the alpine basins in early June here in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, I knew the best place to trek would be something in the lower-elevation subalpine zone where the aspens are green as can be and the meadows are filled with flowers...

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Winter in the San Juans — Winter in the San Juans

Winter 2021 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The 2020-21 winter season in southwest Colorado got off to a slow start, with around 60% of average snowfall at the beginning of January. But in late January a potent southwest storm cycle dumped over 3 feet of much-needed powder in the San Juans, bringing us closer to average...

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2020 in the Rearview — 2020 in the Rearview

December 2020 | Colorado

I think we can all agree that 2020 was a bummer year for the record books. From struggling through an out-of-control global pandemic, to choking on wildfire smoke for months on end, to enduring the daily depredations of dumpster-fire politics -- almost every single day of 2020 seemed to serve up another steaming poo platter for us to digest...

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Into the Black Canyon — Into the Black Canyon

September-October 2020 | Colorado

With sheer walls towering over 2,000 vertical feet above the Gunnison River, there's no easy way to visit the bottom of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison; every possible hiking route is a steep, rugged scramble...

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A Sunset and a Lion — A Sunset and a Lion

October 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

By mid-October all the aspen leaves have fallen and the color is gone from the mountains. Nevertheless, on Thursday afternoon last week, with clear air and a sky full of high clouds I decided spontaneously to go for a big hike to watch the sunset from the top of a 13,500 foot peak high above the town of Telluride...

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Autumn Gold Rush in the San Juans — Autumn Gold Rush in the San Juans

September-October 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Walking through a grove of autumn aspens must be one of the most beautiful experiences that nature has to offer. Sunlight illuminates the golden leaves like a brilliant stained glass window in a cathedral of nature, like stepping into a colorful pointillist painting of Vincent van Gogh or Gustav Klimt...

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At Home in the San Juans — At Home in the San Juans

September 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In mid-September just a few days after getting back home to Ridgway, Colorado after my big trek around Glacier Peak in the Washington Cascades, I packed my backpack once more and headed up into the Sneffels Range for a quick overnight backpack trip...

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Around Capitol and Snowmass — Around Capitol and Snowmass

August 2020 | Elk Mountains, Colorado

At the beginning of August we ventured into the beautiful Elk Mountains near Aspen, Colorado, for a 5-day backpack trek in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness circumnavigating Capitol Peak and Snowmass Mountain...

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Columbines and Comets — Columbines and Comets

July 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In mid July I ventured up to a 13,000-foot ridge to photograph Comet NEOWISE above the Sneffels Range, in the San Juan Mountains above Ouray, Colorado. Here are some photos from that evening, along with some additional photos from later in July...

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Through the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness — Through the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness

July 2020 | Sawatch Range, Colorado

This last week, in mid-July, we ventured out into the Sawatch Range for a 4-day, 25-mile, one-way shuttle trek through the southern bulk of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness west of Buena Vista, Colorado...

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Across the San Miguel Range — Across the San Miguel Range

July 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Over the 4th of July weekend, Claudia and I headed out into the Lizard Head Wilderness near Telluride, Colorado, for an adventurous 3-day backpack trek across the San Miguel Range. A week ago I did a solo backpack trip there near Lizard Head Peak, which got me thinking about a longer one-way shuttle trek route directly across and over the bulk of the range, starting from Lizard Head Pass on the southeast end of the range and ending at Woods Lake on the northeast side...

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Lounging around Lizard Head — Lounging around Lizard Head

June 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Last week I went out on a solo 3-day backpack trip into the Lizard Head Wilderness, which encompasses the San Miguel Range of the San Juan Mountains near Telluride, Colorado. With the below average snowpack this last spring, the alpine summer is slightly ahead of schedule and already by late June the wildflowers are starting to pop out on the high tundra...

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Macey & Horn Lakes — Macey & Horn Lakes

June 2020 | Sangre de Cristos, Colorado

In mid-June we drove over to the Sangre de Cristo Range in south-central Colorado for four days of backpacking in some new (to us) valleys along the eastern side of the range. As usual in June, there was less snow in the Sangres compared to most other Colorado mountain ranges, and it was great to get out for our first real multi-day alpine lake type of backpack trip this summer...

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Gladstone High Camp — Gladstone High Camp

June 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Situated in the center of the San Miguel Range near Telluride, Colorado, Gladstone Peak (13,913 ft.) is overshadowed by its two popular neighboring fourteeners Wilson Peak and Mount Wilson. But Gladstone is an awesome peak with a dramatic pyramid shape, and in my opinion one of the more photogenic mountains of the San Juans...

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Early Summer in the San Juans — Early Summer in the San Juans

June 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Here in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado there's still snow lingering in the high peaks, as usual in June, so lately I've been doing a bunch of short backpack trips in the sub-alpine regions at or below treeline...

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Spring in the San Juans — Spring in the San Juans

May 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

May is always a glorious month in the mountains of Colorado, when the freshly budded aspen forests have a brilliant green glow and snow has mostly melted off the trails but still lingers in the high peaks...

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San Sophia High Camp — San Sophia High Camp

May 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

It's pretty rare to be able to camp up high in Colorado. In the summer the threat of thunderstorms above treeline is too terrifying, and in the winter it's just too damn cold. But in mid-May I had a perfect window of opportunity to hike up and camp at 13,200 feet up on a high ridgeline here in the Sneffels Range of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado...

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Rock, Rust, and Lichen — Rock, Rust, and Lichen

May 2020 | Ouray, Colorado

Rock textures photographed while hiking in the mountains around Ouray, Colorado.

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Canyons Close to Home — Canyons Close to Home

April 2020 | Southwest Colorado

Yearning for some closer-to-home adventure this spring, we ventured out for a few quick overnight backpack trips to explore some canyon and desert areas along the Dolores and Gunnison Rivers, both major river drainages of the San Juan Mountains where we live in southwest Colorado...

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2019-20 Winter in the San Juans — 2019-20 Winter in the San Juans

2019/2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Here is a collection (in chronological order) of my favorite photos taken during the 2019/20 winter here in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado.

From December through March, this was one of the best backcountry splitboarding seasons in memory here in the San Juans...

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A Hair-Raising New Years in Ouray — A Hair-Raising New Years in Ouray

January 1, 2020 | Ouray, Colorado

My last hours of 2019 ended with quite a hair-raising experience, and I have a crazy story to tell you from my outings last night to photograph the New Years fireworks.

I had an idea last night to snowshoe up to a cliff overlooking town to gain a unique perspective of the fireworks over the valley, so at 10:30pm I bundled up, strapped on my snowshoes and headlamp, and started trudging up through knee deep powder towards my destination...

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Autumn in the San Juans — Autumn in the San Juans

October 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The fall colors in the San Juan Mountains have been beautiful this season, though the persistent clear blue skies have put somewhat of a damper on the photographic potential. But it's always glorious to walk through colorful aspen groves regardless of the weather, and we did have a few short windows of more interesting skies and light to enjoy...

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Roaming the Uncompaghre Wilderness — Roaming the Uncompaghre Wilderness

August 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

During the first two weeks of August I revisited several of my favorite backpacking treks in the Uncompahgre Wilderness in the northern San Juan Mountains of Colorado, for a total of 8 days of hiking through a good portion of the wilderness...

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High Above Ouray — High Above Ouray

August 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Last night I camped up on a high ridgeline in the San Juan Mountains about 4,000 feet above Ouray, Colorado, and enjoyed a fantastic sunset and sunrise from my airy perch.

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Summer Green in the San Juans — Summer Green in the San Juans

July 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

After the enormous winter of 2018-2019 in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, by the end of July the snowpack has finally melted off enough to call it summertime in the alpine now. Last weekend we hiked a very pleasant three-day shuttle route through the vibrant green mountains west of Silverton...

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Late Early Summer in the San Juans — Late Early Summer in the San Juans

June-July 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Last year in the spring of 2018 I was talking about how that winter's meager snowpack had caused summer to arrive a full month early in May, and I was able to trek from Ouray to Telluride in mid-May when normally that would be a mid-June type of thing to do...

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Through and Around the Great Sand Dunes — Through and Around the Great Sand Dunes

June 2019 | Colorado

Eager to go backpacking while the mountains are still filled with snow, in early June we returned to the Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado to trek for three days all the way through the dunefield then back around them...

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Spring Skiing in the San Juans — Spring Skiing in the San Juans

April-June 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

If you've followed my blog for a while, you may wonder if I've given up on snowboarding since I haven't posted hardly any ski/snowboard photos this winter. Well, while I haven't been posting much, I have been out on the snow a lot this season, especially this spring!

2018-2019 was a winter to remember in Colorado, with roughly 160% of average snowpack by late winter...

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Starlight on Sneffels — Starlight on Sneffels

June 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The winter of 2018-2019 in the San Juan Mountains has been one for the records books, with about 600% of average snowpack at the start of June. With all this beautiful snow in the mountains this spring, lately I've been having some hairbrained photo mission ideas - one of which was to hike up Mt...

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A Snowy Sunrise in the San Juans — A Snowy Sunrise in the San Juans

May 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The exceptionally snowy winter in the San Juans keeps on going into May and our snowpack is currently 187% of average for this time of year! As I've been out splitboarding lately, I've been admiring all the peaks draped in thick snowpack, and thinking about how they'd look with colorful sunrise light...

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Mount Hayden Backcountry Lodge — Mount Hayden Backcountry Lodge

February 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

This weekend we had a wonderful stay at Eric Johnson's Mount Hayden Backcountry Lodge. Located in Richmond Basin in a remote corner of the San Juan Mountains between Ouray and Telluride, the lodge is surrounded by a powder playground of skiable terrain...

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Snowy Ice Lakes — Snowy Ice Lakes

October 2018 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

With fresh snow in the San Juan Mountains and dreams of winter I couldn't resist heading up high for a quick early season winter camp at Ice Lakes Basin near Silverton. I got a little more than I bargained for with two feet of fresh powder and knee-deep postholing through a snowstorm up there! In the morning I was treated to some fiery light for a few moments at sunrise, for a different kind of autumn color...

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8 Days in the Weminuche — 8 Days in the Weminuche

August 2018 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In mid-August Claudia and I backpacked for eight days into the Needle Mountains in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. This was I think the sixth or seventh time I've done a week-long trek in this particular range, but I was still able to find some new routes to take and new places to camp and photograph along with some old favorites...

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Through the Grenadier Range — Through the Grenadier Range

July 2018 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In late July we went on a 6-day backpack trek in and around the rugged Grenadier Range in the Weminuche Wilderness of the central San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Along the way we scrambled up several 13ers, hiked over numerous high passes, and visited some gorgeous remote alpine lakes...

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Hiking from Ouray to Telluride the Long Way — Hiking from Ouray to Telluride the Long Way

May 2018 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The towns of Ouray and Telluride in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado are only 10 miles apart as the crow flies, but are separated by the rugged Sneffels Range. In the summertime it's possible to hike, run, bike, or even drive 17 miles over 13,114 ft...

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Autumn Aspens on Kebler Pass — Autumn Aspens on Kebler Pass

October 2017 | Colorado

Kebler Pass is easily my favorite place to enjoy the aspens in Colorado, with the largest continuous mature aspen fields in the state and perhaps the world. This October was one of the stranger autumns transitions I've seen in Colorado; the aspens up on Kebler went from mostly green to peak gold in just a couple days, and a few days after that the color faded away...

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Highlights from 2 Months of Backpacking in Colorado — Highlights from 2 Months of Backpacking in Colorado

August/September 2017 | Colorado

For all of August and September 2017, my wife and I lived out of our truck and tent while traveling around and backpacking in our great state of Colorado. We did over a dozen backpacking trips in various mountain ranges throughout the state, including the Flat Tops, Gore Range, Sawatch Range, San Juans, Sangre de Cristos, and Indian Peaks...

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Autumn Backpacking in Northern Colorado — Autumn Backpacking in Northern Colorado

September 2017 | Colorado

In mid-to-late September we went on a bunch of short backpacking and camping trips in various central/north mountain ranges of Colorado, including the Sawatch Range, Gore Range, Indian Peaks, and Rocky Mountain National Park...

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Crestone Needle & Humboldt Peak — Crestone Needle & Humboldt Peak

September 2017 | Sangre de Cristos, Colorado

In late August/early September, we spent five days camped at South Colony Lakes in the Sangre de Cristo range in Colorado. Surrounded by three 14ers, including the rugged Crestone Needle towering directly overhead, this basin is supremely awesome -- one of the classic gems of Colorado...

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Sunflowers in the Great Sand Dunes — Sunflowers in the Great Sand Dunes

August 2017 | Colorado

While backpacking to South Zapata Lake for a night, we got a good view of the Great Sand Dunes and I could see vast fields of sunflowers all around and in the dunes. I took a mental note of where the largest sunflower fields were and the next day we hiked into the dunes towards these areas...

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Quick Tour through the San Juans — Quick Tour through the San Juans

August 2017 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In mid August we found ourselves drawn back to the San Juans like moths to a flame. We spent a few nights car camping up above Red Mountain Pass, drove eastward over four old mining road passes, then did a backpack trip intp Cataract Gulch near the 14er Sunshine Peak...

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Hanging Around Huron Peak — Hanging Around Huron Peak

August 2017 | Sawatch Range, Colorado

In mid-August we backpacked around the headwaters of the South Fork Clear Creek near Huron Peak in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness and Sawatch Range of Colorado. The last time I hiked in this area was back in 2008, but this time we hiked the long way in here from the south from Taylor Park and Texas Creek, via the Continental Divide Trail and a high pass above Lake Ann...

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Exploring the Holy Cross Wilderness — Exploring the Holy Cross Wilderness

August 2017 | Sawatch Range, Colorado

In early August we set out into the Holy Cross Wilderness (in the Sawatch Range of Colorado generally between Vail and Leadville) for a 3-night backpack trek. We spent our first night at the super popular Missouri Lakes then explored an off trail route over a high ridgeline to a remote and pristine lake where we spent the second day and night...

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Exploring Mount Powell — Exploring Mount Powell

August 2017 | Gore Range, Colorado

In early August we backpacked into the rugged north end of the Gore Range and Eagles Nest Wilderness for three nights. We hiked the Upper Piney River Trail for while, branched off on a faint boot trail then camped the first night in the high basin below Mount Powell and Kneeknocker Pass...

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Autumn Colors in Crested Butte — Autumn Colors in Crested Butte

September/October 2015 | Colorado

In September 2015 we made the move from Ouray to Crested Butte, and have been enjoying hiking the trails and savoring the golden autumn colors around here. Here's some photos!

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Wetterhorn Ski Mission — Wetterhorn Ski Mission

April 2015 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Wetterhorn Peak stands above its surrounding basins like an ancient crumbling volcano. Rising to 14,015 feet, the pyramidal fourteener is not only one of the most photogenic mountains in Colorado, but its steep eastern face holds a classic ski descent that I’ve been wanting to snowboard for years...

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Conundrum Hot Springs — Conundrum Hot Springs

September 2014 | Elk Mountains, Colorado

There are few things in life finer than soaking in natural hot springs, especially when those hot springs are situated at treeline in an alpine basin surrounded by high peaks and valley vistas! Such is the case at Conundrum Hot Springs, a remote but popular wild hot springs in the Elk Mountains between the towns of Aspen and Crested Butte in Colorado...

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Wildflower Wonderland — Wildflower Wonderland

July 2014 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Earlier this week Claudia and I backpacked for 5 days in the mountains west of Silverton, Colorado, following an improvised route that took us through numerous high alpine basins filled with endless fields of wildflowers...

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Mt. Lindsey & Lily Lake — Mt. Lindsey & Lily Lake

June 2014 | Sangre de Cristos, Colorado

With our San Juans still covered in quite a bit of snow up high, earlier this week we drove east for 3 nights of backpacking in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains where the snow is mostly gone and summer backpacking season is well underway...

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Great Sand Dunes Trek — Great Sand Dunes Trek

June 2014 | Colorado

The Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado are perhaps the most unique landscape in the Rockies, with 700-foot tall sand dunes nestled at the foot of 13,000-foot mountains. Winds that blow across the vast San Luis Valley carry sand grains which become trapped by the towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and the streams that flow out of the mountains keep the sand in one place, resulting in the tallest dunes of North America...

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2013-14 Winter in the San Juans — 2013-14 Winter in the San Juans

Winter 2013-14 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

A collection of my favorite photos from the winter season of 2013-2014 in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.

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Winter Camping above Ouray — Winter Camping above Ouray

February 2014 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

I headed out yesterday for a night of winter camping up on the “lower” Bridge of Heaven overlooking the town of Ouray, Colorado. I've winter camped up here once before five years previously, but this time I found a ridiculous spot to pitch my tent, right on the point of a precipitous rock outcropping! This airy perch provided a spectacular scene for tent photos, as well as an island of dry rock amongst the snow to cook and relax in ease...

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Powderfest at the Fowler/Hilliard Hut — Powderfest at the Fowler/Hilliard Hut

January 2014 | Gore Range, Colorado

It had been snowing for nearly three weeks straight in the northern mountains of Colorado. With the northwest storm flow forecasted to dump a few more heavy punches before finally clearing out, last week I checked the 10th Mtn...

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Winter Camping at Blue Lakes — Winter Camping at Blue Lakes

October 2013 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Hungry for an adventure, on Tuesday I hiked up to Blue Lakes in the Sneffels Range to camp out in the snow. Late autumn can be a good time for winter camping – kind of like “diet” winter camping since there’s less snow to deal with and usually less avalanche danger (*depending, of course)...

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Wetterhorn Peak — Wetterhorn Peak

June 2013 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Unlike other mountain ranges in Colorado, the San Juan Mountains have a volcanic history. Around 35 million years ago this region was home to several dozen stratovolcanoes, similar to those in the present day Pacific Northwest...

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Hiking Whitehouse Mountain — Hiking Whitehouse Mountain

June 2013 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In mid-June we did a quick backpack trip and climbed up Whitehouse Mountain in the Sneffels Range of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado.
Summer is in full swing in the mountains! Except for a few lingering patches, most of the snow is gone and the tundra has come alive with its vibrant green grasses and early summer wildflowers like these Spreading Globeflowers (I think that’s what they are called)...

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An Evening with Sneffels — An Evening with Sneffels

June 2013 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

On Saturday we ventured into the Sneffels Range in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado for a quick overnighter backpack trip. Taking advantage of a clear weather forecast, we camped all the way up at 12,900 feet on a high sub-peak of Sneffels...

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2012-13 Winter in Ouray — 2012-13 Winter in Ouray

Winter 2012-2013 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

A selection of skiing, landscape, and town photos in and around Ouray in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado during the 2012-2013 winter season.

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Ski Hut Tour in the Gore Range — Ski Hut Tour in the Gore Range

March 2013 | Gore Range, Colorado

Last week we spent four days and three nights on a 10th Mountain Division ski hut tour in the southern Gore Range of Colorado! The first leg of our trip took us to the Jackal Hut, which is perched on a high ridge with expansive views towards Leadville and the highest peaks of Colorado in the Sawatch Range...

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Colorado Fall Colors — Colorado Fall Colors

September 2012 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Photos of aspens and autumn color, mostly in the San Juan Mountains. This fall was a very colorful one, with the aspens showing off much oranger and redder colors than usual.

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Autumn on Stony Pass — Autumn on Stony Pass

September 2012 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Desiring a leisurely change of pace after our recent tiring backpacking treks, Claudia and I decided to go car camping this weekend up on Stony Pass in the San Juan Mountains east of Silverton, Colorado...

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The Lime Loop — The Lime Loop

September 2012 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Over Labor Day weekend some friends joined us for a strenuous 3-day loop trek in the Weminuche Wilderness, south of the area we hiked through last week. Our route took us over a high ridgeline with spectacular views of the Needle Mountains on the other side of the valley...

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The Wild Heart of the San Juans — The Wild Heart of the San Juans

August 2012 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Last week we went on another 7-day trek through the high peaks of the Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. During our backpacking trip we were treated not only to spectacular mountain vistas, but to some pretty cool wildlife encounters too!

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Dunes and Sangres — Dunes and Sangres

June 2012 | Sangre de Cristos, Colorado

This last weekend we went on a little road trip to the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado, followed by a couple nights of camping and hiking in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. We arrived at the dunes in the afternoon on Friday and started the hike into the dunes under a sky full of wild ominous clouds, along with sandblasting winds...

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Supermoon on Sneffels — Supermoon on Sneffels

May 2012 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

I’ve been itching for an adventure lately, so early this morning I hiked up Mt. Sneffels in the moonlight again! I left Ouray at 1:30am (ouch!) and started hiking into Yankee Boy Basin at 2:30am. The “supermoon” – aka, the full moon at its closest orbit to Earth – was incredibly bright, and I had no troubles finding my way without headlamp...

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Weminuche High Loop — Weminuche High Loop

August 2011 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In late August we did a 7-day loop trek in and around the Needle Mountains, the rugged heart of the Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. This was the fourth time I've done a week-long backpack trip in these mountains, and as usual we had some crazy weather during our trip, including lots of lightning, thunder, and several stunning sunrises and sunsets...

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Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop — Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop

July 2011 | Elk Mountains, Colorado

In late July we spent 6 days backpacking around the famous Maroon Bells in the Elk Mountains of Colorado. The photos pretty much tell the story so I won’t say too much else except that it was another great trek in Colorado!

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Wetterhorn / Uncompahgre Loop Trek — Wetterhorn / Uncompahgre Loop Trek

July 2011 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Last week Claudia and I went on a 5-day backpacking loop in the Uncompahgre Wilderness in the San Juan Mountains east of Ouray. Our route circumnavigated the fourteeners Wetterhorn and Uncompahgre Peaks and took us through a paradise of expansive green tundra, wildflowers, and peaks...

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A Night in the Great Sand Dunes — A Night in the Great Sand Dunes

June 2011 | Colorado

On Monday I headed to the Great Sand Dunes for a quick overnighter. I hiked in at about 10pm, slept on a dune for about 4 hours, then woke up around 3:30am to shoot the setting (nearly full) moon, followed by sunrise...

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Epic Spring Ski Season in Western Colorado — Epic Spring Ski Season in Western Colorado

May/June 2011 | Colorado

With record-breaking snowfalls in April, continuing well in May, the spring ski season in the San Juans was a memorable one. May surprised us with several long snow storms that brought mid-winter-esque powder days and smiles all around! Here is a collection of my favorite ski photos from May and June...

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Colorado Fall Colors — Colorado Fall Colors

September/October 2010 | Colorado

Photos of colorful aspens in the San Juans and Elk Mountains of Colorado, during the autumn of 2010.

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Capitol Peak — Capitol Peak

September 2010 | Elk Mountains, Colorado

In late September I spent four days doing various hikes around Capitol Peak, a rugged fourteener in the Elk Mountains of Colorado.

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Ouray/Uncompahgre Loop — Ouray/Uncompahgre Loop

August 2010 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

This last weekend we repeated one of my favorite backpacking loop routes in the San Juan Mountains - a big circle starting from near the town of Ouray, Colorado, hiking up 5,000 vertical feet to the expansive high rolling tundra of the Uncompahgre Wilderness, then back down into the town of Ouray via the Bridge of Heaven...

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Sunset Atop Mount Sneffels — Sunset Atop Mount Sneffels

August 2010 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

After climbing the southwest ridge route of Mt. Sneffels on an afternoon when the clouds weren't too threatening, we stayed up on the summit to watch and photograph the sunset. We then descended the normal route in the dark with headlamps and walked back to my truck where cold beers awaited...

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Weminuche Wilderness Trek — Weminuche Wilderness Trek

August 2010 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

During the second of week of this August 2010, Claudia and I went backpacking for 7 days in the Weminuche Wilderness, duplicating the same route that I did solo back in September 2007.

We had all kinds of crazy weather during the trek, ranging from torrential monsoons to perfect bluebird days...

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Beautiful Blue Lakes — Beautiful Blue Lakes

August 2010 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Photos from three days of summer camping at Blue Lakes, in the Sneffels Range of the San Juan Mountains, Colorado.

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Sunrise on Wetterhorn Peak — Sunrise on Wetterhorn Peak

July 2010 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

On Sunday I hiked into Wetterhorn Basin, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness east of Ridgway, Colorado. With all the stormy monsoon weather and fantastic sunsets we’ve been having in the San Juans lately, I had hopes of catching another great sunset in the mountains...

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Wandering in the Weminuche — Wandering in the Weminuche

July 2010 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

After another fun 4th of July in Ouray, I went on a 5-day backpacking loop in the Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. I left from the Beartown trailhead, hiked south along the Continental Divide Trail for a couple days until reaching the area of Flint Lakes and Rock Lake...

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Icy Ice Lakes Basin — Icy Ice Lakes Basin

November 2009 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The light snowfalls amounts in the San Juan Mountains this November provided a good opportunity for me to do a quick overnight backpacking trip to Ice Lakes Basin, near Silverton, Colorado. This spectacular basin is a popular location for summertime hiking, but not many people visit in the snow...

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Lightning Disco at Blue Lakes — Lightning Disco at Blue Lakes

September 2009 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

On Saturday I hiked up to Blue Lakes for a quick overnight backpacking trip in the Sneffels Range of southwest Colorado's San Juan Mountains. The alpine tundra has turned a beautiful array of autumn colors, and even a few aspens are starting to change...

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Bridge of Heaven Winter Camp — Bridge of Heaven Winter Camp

April 2009 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Over the last few days, a late season storm has come through the San Juans in Colorado, dumping almost 2 feet of snow. On Sunday, while still snowing hard outside the weather forecast called for a sunny clear Monday, so I headed out for a spur-of-the-moment winter backpacking trip, hoping to get a photo of the fresh snow smothering Ouray and the Uncompahgre Gorge...

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2009 Skiing & Snowboarding in the San Juans — 2009 Skiing & Snowboarding in the San Juans

Winter 2009 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

My favorite shots from our backcountry skiing and snowboarding adventures during the 2009 winter and spring, in the San Juan Mountains, near Ouray, Colorado.

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Great Sand Dunes Megaloop — Great Sand Dunes Megaloop

March 2009 | Colorado

In mid-March I was desperate for some wilderness action, so I headed out on a backpacking trip in the Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado. My initial plan was to do a simple three day hike up and back the Sand Ramp Trail along the eastern side of the dunes...

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Hideout Cabin — Hideout Cabin

January 2009 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

This weekend I joined some friends for a three day weekend up at their backcountry cabin in the San Juan Mountains south of Telluride, Colorado. The cabin’s a real gem, situated in a rugged San Juan setting surrounded by prime ski terrain...

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Weminuche Wilderness Loop — Weminuche Wilderness Loop

August 2008 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

For 7 days in August, I hiked a high loop route through the high and rugged Needle Mountains in the Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juans south of Silverton, Colorado. This trip had a couple unexpected events in store for me, but fortunately, Lady Luck was really by my side this time...

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Continental Divide Trail through the South San Juans — Continental Divide Trail through the South San Juans

August 2008 | South San Juan Mountains, Colorado

This last week I hiked the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) through the South San Juan Wilderness with two of my friends. It’s a 60+ mile trek from Cumbres Pass near Chama, New Mexico to Wolf Creek Pass near Pagosa Springs, Colorado...

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Cow Creek Bushwhack — Cow Creek Bushwhack

July 2008 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

During the last three days, I bushwhacked through the Cow Creek valley, a rugged and remote mountain valley in the Uncompahgre Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains east of Ridgway. My original plan was to hike through the valley and continue up to the high alpine zone, where I would hike a high loop route around to Wetterhorn Basin and then take a trail back to my truck...

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2 Sunrises on Mount Sneffels — 2 Sunrises on Mount Sneffels

June 2008 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

This June I made two early morning hikes high up in Yankee Boy Basin, a high mountain valley above Ouray, Colorado.
On Monday I woke up at 2am, drove up to Yankee Boy Basin, and hiked in the dark via headlamp up to the ridgeline of Cirque Mountain, a 13-thousand footer with a nice view of neighboring Mount Sneffels...

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2008 Skiing & Snowboarding in Colorado — 2008 Skiing & Snowboarding in Colorado

Winter/Spring 2008 | Colorado

The 2007-2008 snow season has been an epic one, with record breaking snowfalls in western Colorado. The town of Ouray (where I live) got over 21 feet of snow, more than twice the average, and the most in 60 years of records! The high mountains probably got twice that, if not more...

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Winter Camping in the West Needle Mountains — Winter Camping in the West Needle Mountains

March 2008 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Lured by a full moon and a forecast of clear skies, in late March I went backpacking for two nights in the West Needle Mountains in the San Juans near Silverton, Colorado. This area is incredibly photogenic; from my campsite on a 12,200 ft ridgeline, I enjoyed broad vistas of the Needle Mountains, the West Needles, and all the peaks of the Molas Pass area...

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Colorado Fall Colors — Colorado Fall Colors

September/October 2007 | Colorado

Autumn is probably the most spectacular season in the Colorado Rockies, as the vast fields of aspens turn bright yellow and orange under snowcapped mountain peaks. For the last several weeks, I've been searching for grand aspen vistas to photograph, mainly in the West Elk Mountains near Crested Butte, and San Juan Mountains around Telluride and Ouray...

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Weminuche Wilderness Trek — Weminuche Wilderness Trek

September 2007 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Over a span of 7 days in late August/early September, I hiked alone through a high route in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juans. The mountains here are perhaps the most rugged and remote in all of Colorado...

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Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop — Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop

July 2007 | Elk Mountains, Colorado

This popular hike in the Elk Mountains near Aspen is referred to as the Four Pass Loop. It is about 25 miles long, and passes over four high mountain passes, circumnavigating the famous Maroon Bells fourteeners...

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Spring Riding in the San Juans — Spring Riding in the San Juans

April/May 2007 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Instead of making separate trip reports for each spring backcountry hike and ski/snowboard trip that my friends and I do, I thought I'd just make a page with some of my favorite pictures from various hikes this spring in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado...

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Mount of the Holy Cross — Mount of the Holy Cross

October 2003 | Sawatch Range, Colorado

Notch Mountain, in the Sawatch Range just south of Vail, Colorado, has a perfect front-and-center view of Mount of the Holy Cross and its east facing cross couloir, made famous in 1873 by legendary wilderness photographer William H...

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