Visited Horsetooth Reservoir down in Fort Collins, CO this weekend and found the lake beginning to melt with the warm sunshine. The occasional sightseer ventured down to the water’s edge to see if any rocks could break the ice. Most of them simply clattered across the surface.
A lazy evening fishing on Lake Hartwell, SC circa 2011 with my dad. I didn’t recall from this day if we caught anything, but I do remember being so taken with the sky’s gradient of colors, the gentle slap of water against the underside of the boat and it being so peaceful. It was quiet on the water as the final few boats trolled along with only their electric motors barely humming, searching for hits near the bank. Impressive how just a photo can remind you of so many details from so long ago.
Departing the hotel in Snowmass, we took an indirect path back so that we could hit a few sights along the way. One of these was to drive Independence Pass, which ultimately tops out at over 12,000ft. Fair warning – the speed limit nearly the entire way is between 25-35mph for good reason. This drive is not for the faint of heart.
The views are breathtaking. This is truly God’s Country here; totally protected and preserved and just amazing. The contrasting peaks, summer snow, warm sunshine and shallow creeks and rivers seemed right out of a magazine. The roads are very narrow and you will be turning your wheel to take hairpin after hairpin but with a little backbone, it’s absolutely worth it. Pull over as many times as you like to take photos and thank the universe someone had the good sense years ago to set this land aside to be what it is today.
Once we exited Independence Pass, we briefly stopped by a place called Twin Lakes as we started back east. Due to time constraints and needing to get home, we couldn’t explore here but it was a great view here from the side of the road at least.
While this is another similar lake view, this is actually Dillon Reservoir by Frisco also in Colorado. Another location I’d noticed on the map but had never seen in person before. It was just a few miles off the main highway to get to this spot. This wasn’t the spot I wanted to shoot from though. An impromptu wedding had taken over the overlook where we hiked to. It was an elderly couple tying the knot with maybe 10 family members present and was just about the sweetest moment I’ve seen and worth pausing a respectable distance away to witness their vows and silently wish them well before I left.
Somehow that moment seemed the perfect way to end our trip as we motored on back towards Denver then Fort Collins.
Early morning (4 a.m. wake-up call) had wheels on the road by 4:30 a.m. driving towards the Maroon Bells 45 minutes away from where we were staying in Snowmass Village. This was the very first look of the Bells entering into the gatehouse area to the park (there is a fee to drive in and park). This is just after 5 a.m., stopped in the middle of the road with my headlights on without a soul around.
The shot of the morning sun bathing the Bells and the lakeside valley below is “the” essential picture to get. And one can usually find a good handful of serious photographer always setting up and getting this shot any given morning.
Being the animal lover that I am, I was fascinated by the photo of geese floating about in the reflection of the peaks as we waited for the sun. Needless to say, the geese have it good in this particular lake.
Seeing the moon still hanging over one side of the lake, high above, was an interesting contrast with the sun rising quickly behind me.
I’m still learning the finer art of light control and struggled a bit to keep focus on the peaks but still avoid washing out the Bells themselves with the bright sun and snow reflection. This shot ironically was the best one of the bunch for this vantage point and it was taken with my iPhone.
I was enthralled by the lake itself. It was perfectly clear and the reflection of the trees on the mountains beside it was serene. My next trip back here (hopefully in the fall or winter) would definitely include more focus on these views.
On leaving the park, I turned around to take one last look, and even though it’s not the usual composition, it’s my favorite shot of the Bells.
After a hearty breakfast in Aspen and a nearly 3 hour rest while the hottest part of the day passed, the next stop was back to Glenwood Springs.
A quick trip to Linwood Cemetery include a chance to see the final resting places of Doc Holliday and Kid Curry.
The end of the evening held a 45 minute trip through the Kings Row Caverns at the Glenwood Adventure Park. A 10 minute gondola ride took us up to the park which sites on the top of a hill.
The caverns (there were 2 tours that can be chosen from or taken one after another) were really interesting. Just long enough to make it worth your tickets but not so long that you get anxious for being underground.
The varying shades of rock and sediment were endless. I was torn between simply listening to the tour guide and looking with my own eyes and remembering to take pictures. Truly fascinating and was so much more than just these three photos convey.
It was a very, very long day with other stops and driving between locations, but worth it. I snagged this shot when we pulled to the side of the road to photograph a particular mountain in the other direction, but I found the valley so peaceful and with so much detail, I couldn’t help but focus in that direction.
Wandering on wheels around Horsetooth Reservoir
Memorial Day morning found me awake way too early and not having a single plan for the day. I pointed my SUV west and started driving just to see where the streets would take me. I noticed a single road on my vehicle’s mapping screen that seemed to run into the mountains, so I aimed for it. I realized I was headed towards Horsetooth Reservoir.
Eagerly, my Toyota Highlander began to climb. The drive was slow due to a holiday runner’s race. And after touring around a bit, the lakeside vistas opened up and all that is Horsetooth was evident.
I drove around the lake, on into the mountains behind the reservoir and back again. Totally worth the decision to see where my wheels would take me on a whim.
Now to buy a kayak.
It’s a crying shame to move to one of the most beautiful places in the United States and not immediately spend every available opportunity venturing out to explore. Thus I found myself, several months after setting up shop here in Colorado, not having yet driven into the mountains to do any sight-seeing.
So I opened up Google maps, looked at surrounding towns within easy driving distance, and settled on Nederland, Colorado.
After a roughly 45 minute drive northwest through the foothills and up into the mountains via more than a few gut-twisting turns and twists, I rolled into town.
It was far too brisk a day to comfortably get out and walk the downtown area (or anywhere outside the warm confines of my SUV), so the photography was mainly kept to the views of Barker Reservoir.
It took a bit of time to be able to navigate to the top of the mountain roads open to public traffic in order to find an clear view from which to snap a picture or two.
A bit further down near the reservoir itself, it was obvious that despite the bright sunshine and blue skies, the strong winds and chilly temperatures had kept the waters frozen over.
It really doesn’t do the view here justice, but I attempted to capture a panoramic shot with my iPhone from atop the small cliff above the water’s edge.
I look forward to driving back soon to this beautiful place. The start of many new adventures to come!
Life by Lens and Laptop 