Maroon Bells

A few minutes southwest of Aspen, Colorado is the most-photographed place in the state: Maroon Bells, and Maroon Lake.  Next week, as the autumn colors approach their peak, photographers will line the north shore of the lake, possibly with their tripod legs overlapping one another, as they seek to capture the iconic image.

I was there early, and for only the third time in the last twelve years, yesterday morning.  I had the time and the car pass (we took an out-of-town guest there on Saturday afternoon), and wanted to try my hand at HDR photography.  Here are the results using Fotor, and online HDR program.  I later downloaded Luminance which produces results that are truer in color.

American Lake, near Aspen, Colorado

American Lake is in the Castle Creek valley, southwest of Aspen, Colorado.  It's in the Snowmass-Maroon Bells Wilderness Area.  Like nearby Cathedral Lake, it's a popular hike for both the scenery and proximity to the famous ski town. 

I had hiked there once before, but the skies were cloudy, and I wasn't terribly pleased with my photos.  We had perfect weather for the hike and for photography yesterday, and here's what I brought back.

the upper half of the trail passes through pine groves

the gray jays, known as camp-robbers, are used to seeking food from hikers

visitors are struck by the beautiful color of the lake