Photo Journal & Trip Reports (September)

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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Smoked out of the Winds — Smoked out of the Winds

September 2025 | Wind River Range, Wyoming

In early September we set out on a planned 6-day backpack trek in the Wind River Range of Wyoming. After three days of camping amongst rugged granite peaks and lovely alpine lakes, we had to retreat unexpectedly when the mountains became inundated with wildfire smoke from the Dollar Lake Fire on the northwest end of the range. Here are some photos and stories from this unique and surreal trek!

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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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The One and Only Yosemite — The One and Only Yosemite

September 2023 | Yosemite National Park, California

In my previous post I spoke about how Claudia and I were on a "highlights tour" of the Sierra during our 3 week road trip along the Sierra Nevada range in California this September. Well, what better way to cap off a Sierra highlights tour than to visit the most famous highlight of them all - Yosemite National Park! No backpacking or even any particular plans this time; just a few nights at one of the campgrounds and a couple days to mosey around with all the other tourists...

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Roaming the Ritter Range — Roaming the Ritter Range

September 2023 | Ansel Adams Wilderness, California

In mid-September after our 7-day trek near Bishop, Claudia and I drove up to Mammoth for a few days of rest and restaurants, then headed out on another backpack trip in the eastern Sierra - this time a 4-day jaunt along the base of the Ritter Range in the Ansel Adams Wilderness...

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Evolution Loop — Evolution Loop

September 2023 | John Muir Wilderness, California

In early September Claudia and I continued our Sierra highlights tour, driving down from Tahoe to Bishop along the foot of the rugged and impressive peaks of the Eastern Sierra. We loaded up our backpacks for the longest trek of our summer road trip: a 7-day, 54-mile route through the John Muir Wilderness in the Eastern Sierra from North Lake to South Lake - a near-loop that would take us through Evolution Basin, an area which we've heard numerous people describe as the heart of the Sierra and one of the favorite highlights of the John Muir Trial and Pacific Crest Trail...

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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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Wildkogel — Wildkogel

September 2022 | Austria

After our 8-day trek through the Hohe Tauern in Austria, we still had two days to kill before heading to Munich for our flight back home. What to do? We thought about squeezing in another short hut trek, but the logistics would have been hectic and besides we knew we'd be too tired anyways after our big trek...

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Hut to Hut in the Hohe Tauern — Hut to Hut in the Hohe Tauern

September 2022 | Austria

In early September we headed south to Alps for an 8-day hut-to-hut trek through the Hohe Tauern National Park in Austria. A north to south crossing of the Hohe Tauern range, our route started from near the town of Kaprun, took us right past Grossglockner (the tallest mountain in Austria), and ended in the town of Mörtschach – while staying at alpine huts for seven nights along the way.

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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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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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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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2 Weeks in Grand Staircase Escalante — 2 Weeks in Grand Staircase Escalante

September 2019 | Escalante, Utah

In the second half of September Claudia, her father Gundolf, and I spent two weeks in one of our favorite canyon areas of southern Utah - Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument*...

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Wind River West Side Trek — Wind River West Side Trek

September 2019 | Wind River Range, Wyoming

In early September I backpacked for 10 days in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. This was my fourth long backpack trip in these fantastic mountains, but this time I did a one-way shuttle trek along the western side of the range through the Bridger Wilderness starting from the Elkhart Park trailhead and ending at Big Sandy to the south...

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Hut Tour around Grindelwald — Hut Tour around Grindelwald

September 2018 | Switzerland

In mid-September after our treks in the Bernina Range and Val Masino in southeast Switzerland and north Italy, Claudia and I traveled north to the famous Jungfrau region near Interlaken in Switzerland...

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Val Masino — Val Masino

September 2018 | Bernina Range, Italy

Eight days into our trek around the Bernina Range, we took a little train and bus detour and visited Val Masino in Italy on the southern end of the same greater range. The mountains around here are sometimes referred to as the Val Masino Alps, or the backside of the Bergell or Bregaglia Range...

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Around the Bernina Range — Around the Bernina Range

September 2018 | Switzerland/Italy

In early September we flew to Zurich, Switzerland, took a train to St. Moritz, then embarked on a 9-day trek around the Bernina Range in the Rhaetian Alps. Named after the tallest peak in the range, Piz Bernina, the Bernina Range is a rugged and heavily glaciated mountain range along the border of southeast Switzerland and Italy...

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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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Autumn in the Wasatch — Autumn in the Wasatch

September 2016 | Wasatch Range, Utah

Here are some photos from yesterday up near Guardsman Pass at the head of the Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Range of Utah. With a fresh snowfall smothering the golden aspens, along with a mystical foggy atmosphere, the photography conditions were just about as dreamy as can be!

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Mount Robson & Berg Lake — Mount Robson & Berg Lake

September 2016 | BC, Canada

The trek to Berg Lake and Mount Robson is one of the most famous backpacking treks in the Canadian Rockies, and one that was high on our backpacking wish list. But when we drove through Jasper on our way north in July, we were disappointed to discover that the backcountry permits there were 100% reserved...

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Backpacking in the Tombstones — Backpacking in the Tombstones

September 2016 | Yukon, Canada

The Tombstone Range is a small but spiky mountain range located in the northern Yukon in Canada, almost up by the Arctic Circle. I have been dreaming of visiting and photographing these remote mountains since I first saw some photos of them almost 20 years ago...

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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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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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Tough Luck in the Pyrenees — Tough Luck in the Pyrenees

September 2013 | France/Spain

On the first day of September Claudia and I started walking into the Pyrenees, the great mountain range that forms a natural border between France and Spain. Our plan was to trek along the Pyrenean Haute Route as far eastward through the range as we could in the next three weeks, staying in mountain huts and occasional small towns along the way...

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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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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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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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Sunset on Timpanogos — Sunset on Timpanogos

September 2008 | Wasatch Range, Utah

This last weekend I was up in Utah and took advantage of a full moon to hike Mount Timpanogos and watch the sunset from the 11,749 foot summit.

Timpanogos, or "Timp" for short, is one of Utah's most famous and beloved mountains, towering 7,000 feet over the city of Provo...

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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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