24 Hours in Estes Park
Several months ago, my companion and I boarded a plane bound for Denver, with a subsequent excursion to the picturesque town of Estes Park to attend the nuptials of a dear friend of hers. The wedding was held at the enchanting Della Terra Mountain Château, perched amidst the towering peaks of the Rockies and conveniently located near the entrance to the magnificent Rocky Mountain National Park.
Although my stay was largely occupied by professional obligations, on the final Saturday of our visit, we managed to carve out sufficient time to explore the park. As we embarked on our journey back to Seattle, with the last flight of the day as our destination, we were blessed with a bountiful window of leisure to roam the park's roads and appreciate its stunning vistas. This was my maiden visit to RMNP, and the drive into the park was simply breathtaking, transporting me to a realm of grandeur, with the magnificent mountain peaks and endless expanses of wilderness enveloping me in an aura of serenity. The seclusion of the park on that day only added to its captivating beauty, as the only sounds that echoed in the vast stillness were the whispers of the wind and the gentle rustling of the trees. Annie and I are already scheming to make a return trip in May, when we will be in Colorado for another concert at Red Rocks.
For the duration of the trip, I relied solely on my trusty Fujifilm X100v to document our adventures, shooting everything handheld and processing the images with Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop, along with the Nik Collection and Lumenzia.
A Journey To The Heart
September came and went in a blink of an eye. It was over before it began, it felt like.
During that month, I lived on the road, residing in my trusty truck, "Brandi". My girlfriend Annie and I had meticulously planned our trip for several months with the primary objective of reaching Denver, Colorado to witness a performance by "The Head and The Heart" at the prestigious Red Rocks Amphitheater. The tickets were a gift from Annie, either for my birthday or Christmas, however, we couldn't quite recall which.
As September approached, it was time to embark on our journey. Our only set stops were to visit my parents in Idaho for a couple of days and then finally reaching Denver. The rest of our trip was spontaneous, discovering new places and experiences along the way. Our itinerary consisted of scenic hikes, relaxing by tranquil lakes, and exploring uncharted territories. Our route took us through Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and Oregon.
This visual diary below is a recollection of our trip. All the pictures were captured using my Nikon Z7 and Fujifilm X100v cameras, and processed with Adobe Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, Nik Plugins , and Lumenzia.
Black Canyon of The Gunnison
The Black Canyon is an impressive National Park that lies on the west slope of Colorado. The canyon on average only receives 33 minutes of direct sunlight daily. Hence the name Black Canyon….
Black Canyon Rd. The canyon can be accessed from the Montrose side or the Crawford side.
The Black Canyon is an impressive National Park that lies on the west slope of Colorado. The canyon on average only receives 33 minutes of direct sunlight daily. Hence the name Black Canyon. The drive into the park is very unassuming. As you drive up you really cant see anything, everything just appears flat. That is until you park and walk up to the edge of the cliff.
From the edge of the canyon. Not for those who are afraid of heights.
When you reach the canyons edge it is truly something else. It is an absolutely incredible drop down to the Gunnison River below. At the deepest the canyon is 2,722 feet deep. That is from the Warner Point part of the canyon. Seeing the walls up close is thing of beauty. The walls are different everywhere you look.
East wall of the canyon.
From the depths of the canyon.
There are a couple trails into the canyon. The trails into the canyon are less of a trail and more of a scramble mixed some light rock climbing. Beware, if it starts to rain you need to get out out of there. It’s dangerous enough to climb up and down while its dry. On the West Slope of Colorado this is one of the must see places. If you ever find yourself nearby make sure to stop in and spend a few hours exploring the canyon.
A summer of Colorado.
It's been about two years since I up and moved to Colorado on a whim for the summer. I was working a job I really did not enjoy. Stuck in the same routine every single day. I was growing tired of that. Out of the blue I had a direct message on Instagram from someone I haven't seen since 2012 when I was working at Silver Mountain. It was from a family I had met while working there. The father worked as a general manger of Luxury Ranches that catered to the outdoor lifestyle. After meeting me he had offered me a job in Montana. A year later one in Moab, Utah. Then once again the summer of 2016. They were short handed and needed the help, and I needed to get away. Long story short I immediately took the job and left.
I loaded up my Yukon and off I went down to Crawford, Colorado.
One of my favorite things about being in Colorado was the roads were always so much fun. They also took you somewhere fun. Like Needle Rock Road, it was the road you took into the Luxury Guest Ranch I worked at.
Others took you deep in the forest and surrounded you with aspens.
Another one of my favorites that was just a short distance from the ranch took you into Black Canyon of The Gunnison National Park. Which is by far one of the most impressive places I have ever been. The massive rock walls that just drop straight down into the Gunnison River below. In my time there I was able to hike down into canyon for a day. I only took a few photos while down in the canyon since I was taking a guest down into it for the day.
In my time there I truly fell in love with the state. The mountains, the trees, the people, the lifestyles. There was so much to enjoy and I only was able to get a small taste of it. The fly fishing stood out here. I went as often as I possibly could. When I was able to have two days off I would pack up my SUV and head north to the Grand Mesa. The Mesa is a truly gorgeous place. I still have so much there on the Mesa alone that I want to see.
I made friends and connections there that will last a lifetime. Sadly I really only had photos of just a few people. I spent most of time photographing the landscapes and the details of it. I regret not taking more photos of the people around me.
As my time in Colorado dwindled, the seasons began to change and winter began to arrive earlier than expected. Something I would never complain about. Seeing the landscapes around slowly begin to have blanket of snow made me even more excited for the coming winter in the North West.
I'll be back for you Colorado. It's been too long.