Landscape Photography and Lessons Learned in the Colorado High Country
When I set off to Colorado last month with the goal of climbing mountains and road tripping the southwest corner of the state, I knew I had to bring my camera to try to capture some of the landscapes there. What originally began as a fall break trip idea with another friend eventually grew to a larger group adventure with hot springs, national parks, and 14,000-foot mountain summits on the itinerary. As our agenda intensified, my focus on the photography aspect of the trip diminished, mainly due to the rigorous backpacking that would become the main focus of the trip. Despite the new plans we had made, I still was able to take some photos of the less extreme locations and have a great time along the way.
Durango
Our Colorado expedition began near the town of Durango. Departing from Southern Utah, we made our way to the small town of Ignacio, CO where my mom grew up. We got to stay with my grandparents and see some family while there, along with a day hike to warm up for our 14er. We also got a chance to get acclimated to the torrential downpour coming brought in by the tropical storms from near Baja California. The rain was so heavy that the Vallecito area was evacuated due to flooding only days after we hiked there. While near Vallecito, we were able to take some quick photos at a dried section of the reservoir, featuring some fall colors.
Uncompahgre and the high country
After our time in Durango, we moved north toward our mountain. On the way to the town of Silverton, we tried to find some hot springs to soak in, but with no luck. At one of the pull-offs where we looked for a spring, I got to take some photos of the mountains near the river, where we were lucky enough to get a little bit of sunlight after being poured on for 3 days. Following this, made our way to our campsite at the base of the hike. As we bridged into the mountaineering section of the trip, photography took a backseat as making it up the mountain. With backpacking, every pound counts, and I didn’t have room or weight to spare for my camera setup weighing in at 2 pounds. Waking up the next morning, we had miraculously clear weather. Though there was some light snow on the ground, we had sun and low wind the whole first day. The climb to the 14,316ft summit was strenuous, and only about half of our group made it to the top due to altitude sickness. Nonetheless, this was one of the most fulfilling hikes I’ve ever done with some breathtaking views. After summiting, we trekked to our campsite and slept. Waking up to snow on our tents in the morning was a surprise, and we called off the second peak, but we still felt accomplished after making it back to our cars.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
That night, we continued on to explore Ouray, and we camped near town before heading to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Black Canyon was a park that I had wanted to visit for a while, and despite how tired our crew was, it was a worthwhile stop. Seeing the Painted Wall was a highlight of our brief trip through the park. Though we went at midday and photo conditions weren’t ideal, I’m still glad I got to see it and take some photos.
After we saw Black Canyon of the Gunnison, we finally began our drive back to Utah. Though I wasn’t able to accomplish as much photography as I would have liked, I still am happy with the photos that I got and the adventures we had. I learned some valuable lessons about the commitment required for landscape photography in the high country, and I also was inspired to do some more photography focused trips in the future. Overall, I would consider my Colorado fall break a success, and I can’t wait to go back next summer once it warms up again. Be sure to check out some of my other stories below!
