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Mount Sopris: Northern Sentinel of the Elk Mountains

Saturday & Sunday, August 29-30, 2015

Even though it’s less than fifty feet shy of registering as one of Colorado’s 13,000 foot peaks, Mount Sopris (12,953) dominates the skyline over Carbondale and the lower Roaring Fork Valley and stands as the northern sentinel of the Elk Mountains. The surrounding Roaring Fork and Crystal River drainages give Mount Sopris vertical prominence that few other mountains in Colorado can match, rising over 6,000 feet in just a few miles. Mount Sopris is also notable for having two summits that are one-half mile apart and equal in elevation.

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Wetterhorn Peak

Saturday & Sunday, August 22-23, 2015

Over the years I have spent a lot of time in and around the Uncompahgre Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains, and every time I do I usually see the massive Uncompahgre Peak looming above all the other mountains along with it’s shorter but more rugged neighbor, Wetterhorn Peak. I have wanted to climb Wetterhorn Peak for a long time, but the class 3 route to it’s summit combined with exposure had stopped me from trying until I gained more experience. For years I have looked at photos and videos of the final climb to the summit and thought that there was no way I’d be able to do that, so I kept putting it off. After a few years of hiking easier fourteeners, it was finally time for me to attempt my first class 3 route and I knew it would have to be on Wetterhorn.

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Fall Colors in the Elk Mountains

Fall Colors 2012
Friday – Sunday, September 21-23, 2012

This weekend I spent my time photographing more fall colors in the Elk Mountains near Crested Butte. I left work early on Friday and made my way to Kebler Pass where I quickly setup camp. I spent the rest of the evening taking photos of the amazing fall colors before the daylight finally faded.

Taylor Lake to Hancock Lake

Friday – Sunday, August 17-19, 2012

I went to work on Friday with all my camping gear loaded in my Jeep, but no plans on where to go. I just knew I wanted to get up in the mountains for two nights, but not to the San Juan’s again. When I finally left work, I decided to make my way towards Aspen since I haven’t been that way for a while. As I was driving to Aspen I tried to think of any lakes that I could camp by to hopefully catch a good sunrise, and the only one I could think of was Taylor Lake, so that’s where I headed.

Old Highway Sunset

Monday, August 13, 2012

This evening I headed west on the old Highway 6 to the Colorado – Utah state line to see about photographing the sunset. It seems there was some smoke in the air from wildfires burning in Idaho which helped add some interesting color to the setting sun.

Tag: smoke

Mount Sopris: Northern Sentinel of the Elk Mountains

Wetterhorn Peak

Fall Colors in the Elk Mountains

Taylor Lake to Hancock Lake

Old Highway Sunset