roxborough state park

I visited Roxborough State Park this past Saturday (June 19th). This was my third visit to this scenic park. Roxborough is well worth visiting multiple times, especially for photographers. Local landscape photographer John Fielder (recipient of the Sierra Club’s Ansel Adams award) considers Roxborough “the most beautiful park in the Colorado State Parks system.” Besides being one of our most beautiful & most accessible state parks (it is only about fifteen miles southwest of Denver), Roxborough is also a Colorado Natural Area and a National Natural Landmark. All of this should tell you that Roxborough is a special place.

The main attraction at Roxborough is the park’s spectacular geologic setting. The tilted sandstone rocks are part of the Lyons and Fountain geologic formations & are similar to what you will find at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Garden of the Gods. Wildlife watching is also a popular pasttime at Roxborough. You’re almost guaranteed to see mule deer during your visit. This past Saturday morning, as I passed by the visitor center, a ranger told me I might want to make noise as I walked the trails because there’d been a couple of recent mountain lion sightings in the park, as well as sightings of a mother black bear and her two cubs. Wouldn’t you know it, but my bear bell was on my other pack, so I whistled while I walked around on the lovely, tree-lined dirt trails.

For photographing the colorful sandstone formations, you’ll want to be at Roxborough as early as possible in the morning, but since the gate doesn’t open until 7 am, you won’t be able to shoot at sunrise in the summer… unless you check the www.parks.state.co.us website for one of the park’s periodic 5 am openings.

If you head north from the parking lots & visitor center on the Fountain Valley Trail, you’ll come upon two must-stop spots for photography. The first is the Fountain Valley Overlook (below)…

The second spot, the Lyons Overlook (below), will be a bit farther up the trail…

At the Lyons Overlook, I made my way over to a rocky outcrop that is just a stone’s throw south of the “official” viewing platform. There’s a great view from up there, but I don’t know how smart it was to plow my way through the prickly shrubs & scrub oak since a) I scratched my legs all to heck and b) Roxborough is apparently known for its healthy population of rattlesnakes. Yikes.

May and June is a wonderful time to visit Roxborough. The vibrant green landscape matched up with the red rocks is a winning combination. There were some great wildflowers blooming when I was at the park last weekend (below). But Roxborough is open all year round, and I’ve always wanted to head down there in winter, after a heavy, wet snow, to photograph the fresh snow covering the red rocks… I haven’t made that trip yet. Maybe this winter.

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

mills lake hike

On Wednesday, June 16th, I took the opportunity to head up to Rocky Mountain National Park for a mid-week hike. Before hiking the 2.7 miles up to Mills Lake, I decided to stop off at Sprague Lake for sunrise. Stopping at Sprague was part of my continuing quest to get a reflection shot there. But it turns out I was destined to be disappointed yet again. I got some nice alpenglow on the peaks of the Continental Divide, but the wind was up quite a bit and so the water was very choppy, rather than being the smooth canvas you need to get a reflection. Bummer.

Anyway, someone told me I need to watch the weather map and hit Sprague when there’s a high pressure system parked right over area, so I guess I’ll be glued to the Weather Channel the rest of the summer.

From Sprague, I went farther up Bear Lake Road to the Glacier Gorge Trailhead (9,180 ft). Without question, this trailhead is one of the most popular spots in RMNP to begin a hike— and, as I think about it, this must be the eighth or ninth hike I’ve started from this spot. Since it’s such a popular spot, the parking lot is sure to be full by midmorning or even sooner, especially on weekends. I love getting back to the parking lot after a six hour hike and, the second I step up to the Mini, someone pulls over and asks if I’m leaving. Geez, buddy, just give me a minute, okay? Maybe if you’d have got here at 5am, like me, you’d have got a parking space. Grrr...

Deep breath, Rich. Deep breath.

A bit of actual advice: If the Glacier Gorge lot is full, you can keep going farther up the road and try the Bear Lake lot. From the Bear Lake Trailhead (9,450 ft), you can take a short spur trail (½ mile) & hike back down to pick up the main Loch Vale Trail.

As you make your way up the Loch Vale Trail to Alberta Falls, you’ll pass through a wee aspen grove & also have fun crossing over a few wooden footbridges.

Alberta Falls (9,400 ft) is only 0.8 mile from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead, so it’s a popular destination for those looking for a short, easy hike. I got my shot here on my way up, even though the waterfall was still in shadow, because there was no one around to see me make a fool of myself if I fell in the water. On my hike out, there must have been two dozen people here, enjoying the view of the falls.

After passing Alberta Falls, the trail continues climbing up through the forest, with a couple of places where there are some rock shelves with great scenic views north & east. Continuing south, the trail becomes rocky & open as it runs beside Glacier Nobs, then it reenters the forest a short distance before you come to the junction between Loch Vale Trail and Glacier Gorge Trail.
Hang a left at the trail junction and the Glacier Gorge Trail will take you up to the northeast shore of Mills Lake. Once you reach the lake, you’re rewarded with a breathtaking view to the south, up to the impressive headwall of Glacier Gorge, including the flat summit cap of 14,259-foot Longs Peak. (The trail follows the eastern shore of the lake and then continues for 2.7 miles to Black Lake.)

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I was exploring along the shore of the lake and, in a sheltered little “inlet,” I came across the reflection you see below. Stumbling upon a decent reflection at Mills was an unexpected, yet very welcome, surprise. It’s funny how things play out sometimes: I mean, I had hopes of (finally) getting a reflection at Sprague, but was disappointed… and I had no thought at all of getting a reflection at Mills, yet that’s where I found one. Go figure.

Mills Lake (9,940 ft) is named for Enos Mills, the “Father of Rocky Mountain National Park.” Mills campaigned tirelessly for years to promote the idea of establishing a national park in the area. Then on September 4, 1915, all of his hard work paid off when Mills attended the dedication ceremony opening the new Rocky Mountain National Park. Yeah! Thanks, Mr. Mills!!! One very cool thing about Enos Mills is that he summited my favorite mountain, Longs Peak, thirty times by himself (in every month of the year) and chalked up over 300 additional ascents as a guide. Wow.

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

gem lake hike

I hiked up to Gem Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park this past Monday morning (Memorial Day). This small pond, hemmed in on three sides by steep granite cliffs, lies at an elevation of 8,820 feet above sea level and is a 1.7 mile hike from the Lumpy Ridge Trailhead north of Estes Park. Unlike most mountain lakes in RMNP, this small pond isn’t stream-fed, but instead is just a shallow (only five feet at its deepest point), rocky bowl that collects rain water & snow melt.

I wanted to be at Gem Lake for sunrise, so I did most of the hike up in the dark. This is a popular, well-maintained trail so I didn’t have any real trouble following it by the light of my headlamp, although navigating through one sandy area took a bit of guess work. Later, on my way back down to the trailhead, I could see by the light of day that at that spot there are several ‘unofficial’ paths that branch off to explore some boulders which offer bird’s eye views of Estes Park.

Anyway, on the hike up, I made it to the lake in plenty of time for sunrise. While researching this hike, I hadn’t found very many good photos of the pond and I have to admit that one of the reasons I decided to head up there was to challenge myself to come back with some better shots. From my research, it looked like there would be a nice view across the lake of Longs Peak… if you could somehow climb up to a vantage point somewhere on the granite cliff that rises above Gem’s northern shoreline. From somewhere up on that cliff, I was sure you’d be able to see Longs Peak out beyond the “notch” in the cliffs on Gem’s southern side (this “notch” is where the trail arrives at the lake). So I followed the trail as it went along the sandy western shoreline and then, at a point just beyond the lake, I looked around on the cliff face to my right & found a likely route up the steep outcrop. I climbed up and made my way back south to a vantage point high above the lake. And, sure enough, there’s a pretty cool view across the lake from up there.

Truth be told, unless you’re willing to scramble up the cliffs to a high vantage point like I found, Gem Lake really isn’t anything to write home about. The real reason for most people to do this hike will be the unbelievably spectacular views of Estes Park, Longs Peak, & the Continental Divide found along the trail. But, like I said, my reason for doing this hike was to challenge myself to bring back a few cool shots from Gem, so once I was finally perched above the lake just before sunrise, I was excited to find the moon setting over Longs Peak and see it reflected in the still water. I think this might be my favorite shot from the hike.

Over the next two hours, I scrambled around the granite outcrops a bit, getting shots from three different vantage points above the lake. Other than trying not to drop all my camera gear down the cliff, this was a peaceful time & I enjoyed the solitude as the sun rose and lit the scene. During that entire period, I only saw two other people at the lake and both of them were just hiking on through, headed for other destinations.

On the hike out, I scrambled up a tilting rock face just below the lake (on the west side of the trail) and got the shot you see below of Estes Park, Twin Sisters, & Longs Peak. Hiking up in the dark, I missed the breathtaking views the trail offers, but I sure took pleasure in them on the hike out. There’s one point on the trail where the entire panoramic sweep of mountain peaks from Meeker & Longs all the way west to Notchtop Mountain is there in front of you. I can’t recommend this trail enough, just for these views.

And, yes, of course, I had to get a shot with Paul Bunyan’s Boot!

One final note: You don’t have to pass through an entrance station to get to the Lumpy Ridge Trailhead... or the Cow Creek Trailhead, from my Bridal Veil Falls hike last month... so you can do these hikes for free!

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

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