I've been meaning to shoot some images from the Beartooth Highway, on the Wyoming / Montana border, for years. A spontaneous trip to Glacier National Park during the summer of 2020 proved the perfect opportunity to do so. I camped half an hour or so from where I took this photo on my way to Glacier, but missed sunrise at this particular location, so I camped much closer on my return journey. The Beartooth Highway is definitely one of my favorite drives in the US, and with scenes like this doing a fair job of presenting much of what the area looks like, it is easy to understand why. Available in the following sizes (Panorama B): 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 60x24, 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 105x42, 105x42 Triptych (3 x 35x42), 120x48, 120x48 Triptych (3 x 40x48), 135x54 Triptych (3 x 45x54), 150x60 Triptych (3 x 50x60).
Sunrise from the Beartooth Highway
I've been meaning to shoot some images from the Beartooth Highway, on the Wyoming / Montana border, for years. A spontaneous trip to Glacier National Park during the summer of 2020 proved the perfect opportunity to do so. I camped half an hour or so from where I took this photo on my way to Glacier, but missed sunrise at this particular location, so I camped much closer on my return journey and made it here with time to spare. The Beartooth Highway is definitely one of my favorite drives in the US, and with scenes like this doing a fair job of presenting much of what the area looks like, it is easy to understand why. Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 120x40, 120x40 Triptych Triptych (3 x 40x40), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48), 162x54 Triptych (3 x 54x54), 180x60 Triptych (3 x 60x60).
Going to the Sun Road is a – if not the – highlight of Glacier National Park. There are many pullouts along the 2-lane road that afford incredible views of the surrounding area, such as this one of Paradise Valley. I took this photo shortly after sunrise, with the sun coming behind me, and just beginning to paint the tops of the mountains a super-saturated shade of orange. Available in the following sizes (Panorama B): 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 60x24, 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 105x42, 105x42 Triptych (3 x 35x42), 120x48, 120x48 Triptych (3 x 40x48), 135x54 Triptych (3 x 45x54), 150x60 Triptych (3 x 50x60).
Alright, alright … this was actually taken at moonset, not moonrise, but “Moonset at Glacier” just doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Anyway, I took this photo from the shores of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park shortly after sunrise. I turned the exposure down quite a bit in order to maintain the detail in the moon. Upon looking at this photo a bit more closely, you might see a small hut and some type of electronics tower on the peak to the left. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30.
One of the most photographed parts of Montana's amazing Glacier National Park is the multi-colored river rocks. Just do an image search for something like “Glacier National Park river rocks” and you'll see what I mean. Or, check out the rest of my Montana photos to see some of my other related photos. Anyway, I'd visited Glacier many times before my 2020 trip, but somehow had never taken any photos of these beautiful rocks. I decided it was time to fix that problem when I visited Lake McDonald at sunrise, and put a polarizing filter on my camera. A polarizing filter allows one to increase or decrease reflections on the surface of water, and I used my polarizer to reduce reflections as much as possible for this photo. Looking at the bottom of the photo, it isn't even apparent that there's water covering the rocks. But as one's eye moves further up the photo, the reflection increases, until it is near 100% reflective by the time the mountains are reached. I love this fading effect. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30, 24x36, 30x45, 40x60, 48x72.
I went on a semi-spontaneous Glacier National Park trip in the summer of 2020. I'd been to Glacier several times before my 2020 trip, but there were several parts of the park I'd not yet visited, and had hoped to do so on this trip. Alas, it was not to be. The Blackfoot Nation, which shares a border with Glacier's east side, closed down access due to COVID concerns. I completely understand this reaction and hold no grudges. Unfortunately, it meant I was limited to visiting the western part of the park, and needed to find a camp spot that would allow me to access this part of the park early in the morning (for sunrise), hopefully while avoiding a drive of an hour or more. Fortunately, Kootenai National Forest shares a border with Glacier's west side, so I found a dispersed camp spot in Kootenai, and this was the view I had during the admittedly short times I was camping there. There's just great stuff all around this part of Montana. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48.
I went on a semi-spontaneous Glacier National Park trip in the summer of 2020. I'm from northern Colorado, so I had to drive through Wyoming, and took some great roads, including one of my favorites, the Beartooth Highway, which goes from Yellowstone National Park's northeastern entrance to Red Lodge, Montana. I was in no particular rush to carry on when I made it to Red Lodge, and did some research of places to hike and camp in the area. I decided to go to Alpine, Montana, a tiny community on the shore of East Rosebud Lake in the same mountain range as the Beartooth Highway. There's a lot of good hiking in the area, and while it is remains something of a secret spot that involves a few miles of dirt road to access, it remains fairly undeveloped. I ended up camping along the side of a Forest Service road, and this was the view I had from my van. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48.
During the summer of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I went up to Medicine Bow National Forest in southern Wyoming, only a few hours from my home in Northern Colorado. Snowy Range Road travels to the west from Laramie, and passes through this National Forest that, in addition to being great for fishing and camping, also has a small area with dozens of easily-accessible alpine lakes. Lake Marie, shown here, and photographed at sunrise, is one of the most accessible – it was a 5 minute walk from the parking lot for me to access this location. This photo, like the location and the camping trip itself, was and is a great escape from the stresses of everyday life in 2020. Available in the following sizes (Panorama B): 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 60x24, 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 105x42, 105x42 Triptych (3 x 35x42), 120x48, 120x48 Triptych (3 x 40x48), 135x54 Triptych (3 x 45x54), 150x60 Triptych (3 x 50x60).
During the summer of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I went up to Medicine Bow National Forest in southern Wyoming, only a few hours from my home in Northern Colorado. Snowy Range Road travels to the west from Laramie, and passes through this National Forest that, in addition to being great for fishing and camping, also has a small area with dozens of easily-accessible alpine lakes. Lake Marie, shown here, and photographed at sunrise, is one of the most accessible – it was a 5 minute walk from the parking lot for me to access this location. This photo, like the location and the camping trip itself, was and is a great escape from the stresses of everyday life in 2020. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48, 80x54, 90x60.
Trail Ridge Road, in northern Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, is a beautiful, 2-lane paved road that crosses the Continental Divide, and reaches a peak elevation of 12,183 feet – a ways above treeline. The views from Trail Ridge Road extend in every direction, and allow one to take in the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. I took this photo in the summer of 2020, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a beautiful orange hue on all the mountain tops in the area. Just a bit left of center in this photo lies Longs Peak, the highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, at an elevation of 14,259 feet. Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 120x40, 120x40 Triptych Triptych (3 x 40x40), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48), 162x54 Triptych (3 x 54x54), 180x60 Triptych (3 x 60x60).
Perhaps the busiest trails in Colorado's spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park are those around Bear Lake. My favorite of these trails gives one access to a series of higher and higher elevation mountain lakes – first Nymph, then Dream, and finally Emerald Lake. On a summer 2020 camping trip to RMNP, I tried to photograph these lakes at sunset, but the lighting wasn't great, so I set my alarm for 4AM the following day in order to reach Dream Lake (the prettiest of the three, in my opinion) before the sun came up. I took photos from a few angles and with different foregrounds, and most of them were landscape format, as opposed to portrait. Mountain reflection shots tend to work better as landscapes or panoramas than as portraits, but, having found a location that allowed me to keep both the top and reflection of Hallet Peak (left, elevation 12,713) in frame, as well as some trees in the foreground, I got this portrait-format photo that may work better to hang on certain walls. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle A): 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 20x24, 24x30, 30x40, 40x50, 48x60, 60x75.
Perhaps the busiest trails in Colorado's spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park are those around Bear Lake. My favorite of these trails gives one access to a series of higher and higher elevation mountain lakes – first Nymph, then Dream, and finally Emerald Lake. On a summer 2020 camping trip to RMNP, I tried to photograph these lakes at sunset, but the lighting wasn't great, so I set my alarm for 4AM the following day in order to reach Dream Lake (the prettiest of the three, in my opinion) before the sun came up. I shot this scene from multiple locations, with different foregrounds and formats, but this simple composition may very well be my favorite. Who needs a foreground when the colors and simplicity of the reflection are this perfect?! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48.
Perhaps the busiest trails in Colorado's spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park are those around Bear Lake. My favorite of these trails gives one access to a series of higher and higher elevation mountain lakes – first Nymph, then Dream, and finally Emerald Lake. On a summer 2020 camping trip to RMNP, I tried to photograph these lakes at sunset, but the lighting wasn't great, so I set my alarm for 4AM the following day in order to reach Dream Lake (the prettiest of the three, in my opinion) before the sun came up. I'd scouted some shooting locations the night before, and found this location that allowed me to place some trees in the foreground, but keep the top of Hallet peak (left), as well as it's reflection in the mirror-smooth lake below, both in frame. This photo was taken mere minutes before the sun rose. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48, 80x54, 90x60.
Perhaps the busiest trails in Colorado's spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park are those around Bear Lake. My favorite of these trails gives one access to a series of higher and higher elevation mountain lakes – first Nymph, then Dream, and finally Emerald Lake. On a summer 2020 trip to RMNP, I'd gone up this trail to photograph these lakes at sunset, but nearly cloudless skies caused me to give up on any sunset photos. On my walk back to the parking lot, I noticed a vista of the highest mountain in the Park – Longs Peak (14,258 feet) – and with the horizontal light of a nearly set sun, I couldn't resist snapping a few shots. This panorama turned out especially well. Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 120x40, 120x40 Triptych Triptych (3 x 40x40), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48), 162x54 Triptych (3 x 54x54), 180x60 Triptych (3 x 60x60).
I took this photo on one of the least driven roads I've ever had the pleasure of exploring. Capitol Reef National Park, in south central Utah, is already in the middle of nowhere, but most visitors to Capitol Reef only see the portion of it that is accessible by paved road. I stumbled upon a dirt road that allows one access to the extremely isolated southern portion of the park during a Nevada / Utah trip in 2020, and I'm happy to report it is spectacular. But don't tell anyone, I don't want the secret getting out! Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 120x40, 120x40 Triptych Triptych (3 x 40x40), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48), 162x54 Triptych (3 x 54x54), 180x60 Triptych (3 x 60x60).
I took this photo on one of the least driven roads I've ever had the pleasure of exploring. Capitol Reef National Park, in south central Utah, is already in the middle of nowhere, but most visitors to Capitol Reef only see the portion of it that is accessible by paved road. I stumbled upon a dirt road that allows one access to the extremely isolated southern portion of the park during a Nevada / Utah trip in 2020, and I'm happy to report it is spectacular. But don't tell anyone, I don't want the secret getting out! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30, 24x36, 30x45, 40x60.
I've taken a lot of scenic drives, but to this day, Utah 12 remains in my top two (the other is Canada's Icefields Parkway). Beginning near Bryce Canyon National Park and continuing 123 miles before finishing near Capitol Reef National Park, it goes through some of the least densely populated parts of the country, and offers about a billion side trips, parks (National, State etc.) and views. I've driven Utah 12 probably five or so times, and it seems that each time, I find somewhere new to explore. Such was the case when I drove it in mid 2020, and stumbled upon a side road called the Burr Trail, which connects Boulder, Utah, to the southern portion of Capitol Reef National Park. It was on this road that I got this photo. I don't want to spoil it any more. It's a beautiful drive. Available in the following sizes (Panorama B): 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 60x24, 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 105x42, 105x42 Triptych (3 x 35x42), 120x48, 120x48 Triptych (3 x 40x48), 135x54 Triptych (3 x 45x54), 150x60 Triptych (3 x 50x60).
Burr Trail through Capitol Reef
I've taken a lot of scenic drives, but to this day, Utah 12 remains in my top two (the other is Canada's Icefields Parkway). Beginning near Bryce Canyon National Park and continuing 123 miles before finishing near Capitol Reef National Park, it goes through some of the least densely populated parts of the country, and offers about a billion side trips, parks (National, State etc.) and views. I've driven Utah 12 probably five or so times, and it seems that each time, I find somewhere new to explore. Such was the case when I drove it in mid 2020, and stumbled upon a side road called the Burr Trail, which connects Boulder, Utah, to the southern portion of Capitol Reef National Park. It was on this road that I got this photo. I don't want to spoil it any more. It's a beautiful drive. Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 120x40, 120x40 Triptych Triptych (3 x 40x40), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48), 162x54 Triptych (3 x 54x54), 180x60 Triptych (3 x 60x60).
I took this photo on one of the least driven roads I've ever had the pleasure of exploring. Capitol Reef National Park, in south central Utah, is already in the middle of nowhere, but most visitors to Capitol Reef only see the portion of it that is accessible by paved road. I stumbled upon a dirt road that allows one access to the extremely isolated southern portion of the park during a Nevada / Utah trip in 2020, and I'm happy to report it is spectacular. But don't tell anyone, I don't want the secret getting out! Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 120x40, 120x40 Triptych Triptych (3 x 40x40), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48), 162x54 Triptych (3 x 54x54), 180x60 Triptych (3 x 60x60).
I've taken a lot of scenic drives, but to this day, Utah 12 remains in my top two (the other is Canada's Icefields Parkway). Beginning near Bryce Canyon National Park and continuing 123 miles before finishing near Capitol Reef National Park, it goes through some of the least densely populated parts of the country, and offers about a billion side trips, parks (National, State etc.) and views. I've driven Utah 12 probably five or so times, and it seems that each time, I find somewhere new to explore. Such was the case when I drove it in mid 2020, and stumbled upon a side road called the Burr Trail, which connects Boulder, Utah, to the southern portion of Capitol Reef National Park. It was on this road that I got this photo. I don't want to spoil it any more. It's a beautiful drive. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48, 80x54, 90x60.
