Walking in Sunshine

Sun, wind, gravity, and the unlerlying terrain create unusual shapes in the snow.

This scene was not far from the Marble Road, near the Bogan Flats campground.

More from the Crystal River

Another snowstorm, another snowshoe outing.  The pillowy shapes formed by the snow on the rocks and river banks make the scene look like a fancy dessert.Snowshapes on the river keep drawing me back for more.

Colorado National Monument

A cold morning outing was well worth it for the images I brought back.

 

The trails are snow-packed and icy, but hiking around the base of the Monument isn't difficult.  Winter is a great time to visit many of Colorado's desert destinations.  Not only are they uncrowded (often empty), you'll see them in a very unique way.  The contrast between the rock and snow makes the vistas more striking than the same views in summer.

Nightscape

The January full moon, otherwise known as the Drive Without Headlights Moon, is high and bright, and it's abundant light reflects off the snow to create some fantastic landscapes. I think the shutter was open for about twenty seconds in this one.

 

Once in a while you need to leave the warm comfort of home and head out into the winter night to enjoy views like the one above. 

Snowshoeing on the Crystal River

Winter offers a completely different set of opportunities and challenges - both to exploration and photography.

Snowshoes are my favorite way to explore the backcountry in winter.  It takes about twice the energy to cover a mile as it would hiking in summer, but the rewards are great scenery and an incredible experience.

I recommend carrying spare camera batteries in a pocket that's close to your body.  The cold weather saps the juice from your camera batteries rather quickly.  Other than that, the only other challenge I've found to winter photography is fogging - of the lens, the viewfinder, and my eyeglasses.  My DSLR behaves like a champ in much colder temperatures than my 35mm could handle. 

If you're planning a ski vacation to Colorado, consider taking a day or two to explore the backcountry by snowshoes or cross-country skis.  You probably don't get our here too often in winter, so take advantage of a bad weather day to try a new outdoor activity.