sprague lake nature trail

While my parents were out here for a visit, I took them up to Sprague Lake (8700 feet) in Rocky Mountain National Park. Sprague is a very popular spot due to its easily accessible location just off Bear Lake Road and the splendid view of the Continental Divide from its eastern shore.

The Sprague Lake Nature Trail is a level, ½ mile path that circles the lake. Although I had previously been to the lake probably half a dozen times, I have to admit that last week with my parents was the first time I’d hiked the whole way around the lake. On each of my previous visits, I’d just leave the parking lot, head around the lake over to the eastern shore by the small stream & observation deck, take my photos, & then skeedaddle. But I’m glad we did the entire loop last Thursday since there are also some juicy views of Hallett & the other peaks from farther around the trail. The photo of my parents at the top of this post is from a vantage point at the extreme eastern tip of the lake, the farthest point on the trail from the parking lot.

We were there late morning, so not the best time of day to be taking photos, & there was just enough breeze rippling the water to frustrate any good reflection shots, & there was ugly, gray overcast smeared across the sky above the snow-capped peaks, but I kept reminding myself that I wasn’t making this visit for photographic purposes, but rather to share one of my favorite places with my parents. Sprague Lake and Bear Lake (where I took my parents last summer) are both ideal spots in Rocky Mountain National Park to take folks who are visiting from lower altitudes and who aren’t up to longer hikes. Both sites feature level, well-maintained paths that circle picturesque lakes with incredible views of surrounding peaks. The entire trail at Sprague also has the added benefit of being wheelchair-accessible.

For landscape photographers, Sprague is definitely a morning location. At sunrise, the mountain peaks of the Continental Divide, photographed from the eastern shore of the lake, can light up with some fantastic alpenglow if conditions are right. Although I’ve spent some lovely mornings at Sprague, I’ve never been able to get a really nice reflection there, so that particular shot is still on my RMNP photo wish list. I’m not sure any of my future trips to this great lake can top last week, though… because even though that visit to Sprague with my mom & dad wasn’t ‘officially’ for photographic purposes, that shot I got of them on the bench is one of the most special images I’ve ever captured & is a photo I’ll always treasure.

Thanks for reading about stuff I’ve photographed. ~ Rich

bridal veil falls hike

My trusty Rocky Mountain National Park: The Complete Hiking Guide says that spring is the best time to hike up to Bridal Veil Falls because “snowmelt creates a gushing torrent that is unequalled in other seasons.” And I’m sure that’s true if you’re just strictly talking about the falls… but the hike itself will be much prettier in either early summer (after the numerous aspens along the trail have started to leaf) or fall (when those same aspens are changing color). So with that little disclaimer out of the way…


The 3.1 mile hike to Bridal Veil Falls starts off from the Cow Creek Trailhead in the northeast section of RMNP. To get there, take MacGregor Avenue out of Estes Park and stay on it as it turns to Devils Gulch Road. After driving for almost 3 ½ miles, watch for the well-marked entrance to McGraw Ranch Road on the left. This dirt road will wind around and up & down for 2.2 miles until you reach the Continental Divide Research Learning Center at the old McGraw Ranch site. You’ll need to park out alongside the road, and there’s only room for a dozen or fifteen vehicles. The hike begins here at the trailhead at an elevation of 7,820 feet and climbs to 8,880 feet at the waterfall.

Once you walk past the large barn & other buildings that make up the research facility, the wide trail (above) heads out through lovely meadows alongside meandering Cow Creek. Lumpy Ridge will be off to your left and wooded, granite outcrops loom above you to the right. The trail continues to parallel Cow Creek, but it quickly narrows as it heads up into stands of aspen & conifer trees (below).

Two miles of hiking will bring you to a trail junction (below). The main trail will go off to the left, but you’ll want to bear right and head northwest to Bridal Veil Falls. The trail begins to get noticeably steeper from this point, but it’s nothing a seasoned hiker like you can’t handle with ease. Quite a bit of the tangled forest along this section was looking rather drab when I hiked it yesterday, but- like I said at the top of the post- I’m sure it’d be much prettier after the trees have started to leaf or in the fall when the numerous aspens along the trail are changing.

You’ll cross a few small footbridges as you continue making your way up toward the falls.

The trail steepens considerably as the rugged canyon you’re heading up begins to narrow and you approach the waterfall. As you huff & puff a bit up the final, rocky stretch and finally reach your destination, you’ll find that the quarters around the base of the falls are kinda tight & you’ll understand why most photos you see of the cascade are from the same basic vantage point there on the east side of the creek.


Supposedly, if you cross the creek over to the west bank, you can then make your way up above the falls and you’ll find a picturesque scene as the creek plummets down some granite steps before reaching the dropoff for the falls. I’m usually up for stuff like that, but the lively amount of runoff/mist pouring over the falls and the height of the water in the creek meant I’d get pretty well soaked trying it, so I passed. I imagine it’d be a much easier proposition in summer, once less water is tumbling over the falls & the creek isn’t so rambunctious.

I arrived at the falls about an hour & a half after sunrise and had a tough time with the contrast difference between the sunlit trees up above the cliff wall and the shadowed waterfall & creek in the gorge below. I also, of course, wanted to get that “flowing,” silky-effect with the water. So what I finally ended-up doing is using two exposures- one exposed for the trees above and another for the falls & creek below- and in the Editor of Photoshop Elements, I dragged one image (the one exposed for the shadows) onto the other (the one exposed for the highlights) as if I were creating a new layer. Then I used the Eraser tool to rub out the “bad” trees on the top image and reveal the correctly exposed trees on the image below. This took a bit of fiddling around, but I finally messed around with it enough that a half-way decent image emerged. If I were going to do this again, I’d probably arrive a bit later in the day when the sun would be higher in the sky, or just choose a cloudy day to do the hike… either way, the entire scene would be more evenly lit.

Thanks for reading about stuff I’ve photographed. ~ Rich

sugarloaf mountain hike

My wife had asked me if we could do an “easy hike” together, so this past weekend we did 8,917-foot Sugarloaf Mountain. I had done this hike once before (in April, 2008), so I knew this short, yet rewarding hike near Boulder would fit her definition of “easy.”

To get to the trailhead, take Canyon Blvd west out of Boulder (CO 119) for a little over 5 miles to Sugarloaf Rd. Sugarloaf Rd will be on your right, about a mile past the tunnel. Take Sugarloaf Rd for almost 5 miles to Sugarloaf Mountain Rd (on your right). Follow this dirt road up to a large parking area that is just beyond the last house at the top of the road. There are no signs at the parking area to tell you that you’re at the right place, but if the road takes a sharp bend to the left (west) and there are no more houses, then you’ve passed the trailhead and are on a popular Jeep road & mountain biking circuit, the Switzerland Trail. The trail begins on the east side of the parking area.

This hike is 2 miles round-trip, with an elevation gain of about 480 feet. The trail is a bit rocky, especially near the top, so be careful of your footing lest you twist an ankle. Along the open, southern flank of Sugarloaf, you’ll see some charcoaled trees alongside the trail that are evidence of a forest fire that swept over the mountain a number of years ago.

Once you reach the summit, you’re treated to a magnificent 360-degree view of the surrounding area. The plains stretch out past Boulder to the east… to the north are Mt Meeker & Longs Peak up in Rocky Mountain National Park… just to the west are the Indian Peaks and the Continental Divide… and looking south you can see Mt Evans. For such a short hike, you sure can’t beat the views. I read that Sugarloaf’s summit is an excellent place to watch a multitude of fireworks displays on the Fourth of July, and I believe it since you have a bird’s eye view of every community in the Denver-area. This would also be a good place to bring visitors who might not be acclimated to the altitude, but still want to do an easy summit hike with marvelous views.

Thanks for reading about stuff I’ve photographed. ~ Rich

royal arch hike

I did an early morning hike today up to Royal Arch above Chautauqua Park, which is just outside Boulder, Colorado. This was my third time to do this hike, although the first time really doesn’t count since it was a DNF (Did Not Finish- I slipped on some ice on the way up and dislocated a finger.) I made it up to the arch safe & sound on the second try, but that was before I got my wide angle lens, so I’d been wanting to re-do this hike with it. A wide angle lens is pretty much a must if you want to get a decent shot of the arch because once you get up there, it is VERY tight quarters. But more on that in a bit.

You start this 3.2 mile (round-trip) hike from popular Chautauqua Park (see the shot at the top of the post), which is a short ways west out Baseline Road in Boulder. From the parking lot, head south for .7 mile on Bluebell Road, which is a nice closed access road that makes for easy hiking to start your adventure (see two photos below).

At the top of Bluebell Road, you’ll come to the Bluebell Shelter (below), which as you can see would be a nice place for a picnic while you watch rock climbers on the Third Flatiron. The trailhead for the Royal Arch Trail is just on the other side of the shelter. Once you start up the trail, prepare for some exercise! On this hike, you’ll gain a healthy 1,270 ft in a little over a mile and a half.

You start off hiking through a pretty ponderosa pine forest, but then enter a steep, narrow canyon on the west side of a ridge (see two photos below). The trail switchbacks steeply, with steps cut out of the dirt & rock, and will definitely get your pulse pounding. Just keep telling yourself that when you get up to the arch, it’ll all have been worth it.

The trail climbs up to Sentinel Pass (below), which is really just a notch in the top of the ridge you’ve been ascending. It may not look like much, but you’ll appreciate having a flat spot to take a short break and catch your breath. On the other side of Sentinel Pass, the trail descends precipitously before levelling out for a bit, but don’t get too comfortable because then it's time for the final, steep climb up to Royal Arch.

As you approach the bottom of the arch, you’ll find this north side of the arch to be a jumbled mess of boulders, brush, and a few scraggly trees. It’s hard to find a spot to get a good shot on this side of the arch, and it doesn’t get any easier as you climb through the arch to its southern side. Here you have maybe ten feet of uncomfortable wiggle room on top of a couple of boulders, but don’t try to back up any farther for a shot or you’ll quite literally fall off a cliff. This is why I said at the top of the post that a wide angle lens is a must if you want to get a decent shot once you’re up here at the arch.

For the first photo below, of the south side of the arch, I ooched back on one of the rocks as far as I could without falling off the back, then took two shots of the arch (top & bottom) and prayed they’d stitch together nicely for a vertical panorama. The black & white image below that is from the north side of the arch, after I’d scrambled up on top of a boulder or two to get that viewpoint.

The hike out is mostly downhill (except for that short section seen in the photo below where you’ll have to climb back up to Sentinel Pass), so it seems much easier, although your quads will let you know you’re just working different muscles than on the hike in. This is a strenuous hike, especially if your lugging your camera gear & tripod, but once you’re up there, Royal Arch is undeniably cool and you’re also treated to some neat bird’s eye views of Boulder from the south side of the arch. Third time’s a charm for me, though, so I don’t think I’ll be doing this grueling trail again, but I hope you enjoy the experience & get some great shots when you decide to head up to Royal Arch!

Thanks for reading about stuff I’ve photographed. ~ Rich

tree & clouds

You know how sometimes you stumble across a spot and think that it just might make for an interesting photograph, if only… if only you could catch some beautiful light… if only the sky were more dramatic… if only you could return in spring or winter or fall or summer.

Well, I stumbled across this particular spot above the Doudy Draw Trail (just south of Boulder, Colorado) while I was looking for new ways to photograph the Flatirons. If you look to the north while standing on this hilltop, you do get a panoramic view of the Flatirons and you can also see into Eldorado Canyon to the west… but if you turn and look eastward, the vista you see in the image above presents itself.

While exploring the hilltop, I came across this tough little tree and the wonderful view of the rolling plains behind it, and I knew that under the right conditions I could come away with an attractive landscape photo.

I think the appeal of this scene for me is found in its simplicity. I find the wee gnarled tree, in its own solitary way, to be graceful & noble. I think the open, rolling plains behind the tree are enchanting, perhaps because they are so very different from the iconic Colorado landscape shots of rocky ridgelines and snowy mountaintops. Don’t get me wrong— the mountains here in Colorado are breathtaking and I enjoy being up among them, but the plains of eastern Colorado offer a different, more unfettered aesthetic. Maybe it’s just that big, big sky.

Anyway, after finding this spot, I found myself returning again and again, trying to catch some great clouds. I’m not sure why, but I just felt in my gut that what this scene needed to make a cool photo was some great clouds. In the past year, I’ve probably been back up to this hilltop five times (fortunately, the trail is only about twenty-five minutes away & then a short ten minute hike to this spot), but I never managed to catch a sky I was pleased with. Then this past Sunday, after church & lunch, I was sitting down to watch the hockey playoff game between Pittsburgh & Montreal (Let’s go, Pens!), but the dramatic clouds had been distracting me all day and I knew that if I didn’t grab camera & tripod and make a quick visit to “my tree” (as I’d come to think of it), I would regret it. So...

When I pulled into the parking lot at the trailhead, I knew this particular trip was going to be the one when my patience was rewarded. I huffed & puffed my way up the hillside, made my way over to the by-now familiar spot, and set up the shot. Tree to the right using the rule-of-thirds… make sure you get the rocks in the left side of the frame… set the auto-bracketing for the HDR… check the aperture… oh man, are those drops of rain I feel?!? You’ve got to be kidding me. Please, please, please, just hold off for three minutes.

Needless to say, the rain held off for those three minutes. In fact, I got off three different shots, then packed everything up and headed back to the car. About thirty seconds after I climbed in the Mini, it started to rain in earnest.

After waiting so long to get some cool shots at this spot, I'm very happy with the ones I came away with last Sunday. And I'm kinda proud of myself since this is really the first time I've staked out a spot for so long, waiting to get "the shot" I'd envisioned in my mind. I guess I'll have to find a new spot to obsess over now :-)

Thanks for reading about stuff I’ve photographed. ~Rich

saturday morning down in 'the springs'

I headed out the door at 6am this morning, planning on hitting either Plan A: Rocky Mountain National Park (if the weather over the mountains looked okay) or Plan B: (if the weather over the mountains didn’t look okay) Garden of the Gods & the Air Force Academy. I loaded my gear into the Mini, drove down the street, and I could see a solid bank of cloud behind the Flatirons, so… Plan B: I hopped on I-25 and headed south for Colorado Springs. As I came down the highway into Denver, I could see Pikes Peak off in the distance, lit up with some lovely morning alpenglow, and it didn’t look as if there was a cloud in the sky down toward ‘The Springs’ (as the locals call Colorado Springs).

It being much too long since I’d been out shooting, I was glad to see the weather was going to cooperate on this little excursion and as I drove steadily southward, I became more and more excited. My main goal for the day was getting a certain shot of Pikes Peak through the natural window in the Siamese Twins at Garden of the Gods. I’d tried for that particular image twice before, but was foiled once by weather and the other time by some less-than-stellar photography on my part.

My excitement lasted until about 7:15am, when I rolled down the hill toward the entrance to the Garden and saw that there was a police barricade set up and the park was closed because of some “Take 5 in the Garden of the Gods” 5k/5mi race going on today. Dang. Seriously?!?

I pulled off the road and sat & thought for a minute. I knew there was a “back” entrance to the park since I had gone out of the Garden that way once before, but I had never gone into the park that way and wasn’t sure about my ability to successfully find it, but I was willing to give it a go. After only one wrong turn, I made it to that entrance and headed up past Balanced Rock, only to find another police car & barricade across the road. Dang.

Okay, let’s see… if I remembered correctly, the trailhead for the Siamese Twins wasn’t all that far down the road from Balanced Rock, so I parked the Mini and decided to just hike in from that parking area (Balanced Rock). So that’s what I did. I waved at the nice policeman as I walked by him, walked up a hill, down a hill, and came to the trailhead in short order. Then it was just a matter of hiking up to the Twins and getting my shot. The race might have actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise since I had the spot to myself and could take all the time I wanted to experiment with different lenses, apertures, compositions, etc.

Once back at the Mini, I made my way back out to I-25 and headed north for the Air Force Academy. I had actually been there once before, probably twenty years ago, on a cross-country drive and visit to ‘The Springs’ with my grandparents. There are umpteen bazillion superb shots out there of the cadet chapel, so I wasn’t expecting to get anything original, but- like I always say- it’s all about the experience, and so I was just looking forward to seeing it through my own viewfinder. I was surprised at how deserted the place was, which (again) was a blessing since I was free to wander around the ‘plaza’ there by the chapel, without worrying about tourist-induced stress or being rushed along. If you are interested in military aviation, there are some neat sculptures located in the plaza. I was there kind of late in the morning and the sun was high enough to be giving me fits, so—in pursuit of better light— I think I’ll probably be making another visit here sometime in the future.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable outing. It felt so good to be out shooting again and I’m pleased to finally have my shot of Pikes Peak through the natural window in the Siamese Twins. If you’re ever in Colorado Springs, it goes without saying that Garden of the Gods is a must-stop during your visit. And, unlike almost any other place you’ll go in Colorado, admission to the park is free! (The park was given to the city of Colorado Springs in 1909 by the children of railroad magnate Charles Elliot Perkins, in fulfillment of his wish that it be kept forever open and free to the public. As a result, this amazing park can be enjoyed free of charge. Nice!) Entrance to the Air Force Academy is also free.

Thanks for reading about stuff I've photographed! ~Rich