Regensburger Photography

Tag: nature photography

  • King Lake

    The long hike to King Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness is worth the effort.  Near the end, you are rewarded with great views, rushing water, and abundant wildflowers.  Getting there requires a 6.5 mile hike from the Hessie Trailhead near Nederland, CO.  The trail begins steeply as it climbs over a rocky slope before reaching a trail divide after 1.5 miles.  Veer left (the right branch goes toward Jasper Lake). The trail crosses the creek and climbs past a beautiful waterfall.  You reach a trail divide again at mile marker 2.5.  Keep straight.  Then the trail enters the forest and climbs only gradually for the next three miles.  Not many views are found during this portion of the hike. Finally, the trail joins up with the creek again at around mile 5.5.  The next mile is steep as it switch backs up to a meeting with the Betty and Bob Lakes trail.  Just past the junction you have to cross the creek to reach King Lake.  In high water, the creek can be crossed easier to the right and then skirting back to the trail through some large boulders.  Finally, after a long hike, you reach the pretty shores of King Lake.  

  • Black Lake

    Black Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park is a long but rewarding hike in the Glacier Gorge area of the park.  The hike features a couple of beautiful lakes (including its namesake) and several waterfalls, including the elegant Ribbon Falls.  Ribbon Falls is a thin slip of a waterfall that descends a wide section of granite just below Black Lake.  Along the way, hikers are treated to several other cascades along Glacier Creek.  

    Trail Description

    The hike to Black Lake starts at the Glacier Gorge trailhead.  The trail climbs steadily to Alberta Falls, about a mile up the trail.  The falls thunders over the rocks.  Although it’s only a 25 foot drop, the falls is quite a sight.  This is the end of the road for many a hiker.  But the fun is just beginning.  Another small waterfall can be found just a few switchbacks up the trail.  The falls is tucked into a little hidden alcove.  Continuing up the trail, you reach a trail junction at mile 1.7 and bear right.  The left branch heads to the boulder field atop Long’s Peak.  Here, the trail cuts across a flat section of trail and approaches the canyon where lakes are located.  At mile 2.2, the trail divides again–the left branch heads toward Mills and Black Lakes, the right toward the Loch.  The trail climbs a series of steps and crosses the creek just before reaching Mills Lake.  Mills Lake is a calm respite and provides a good spot to grab a snack near the half-way point of the hike.  Try and spot a trout in its calm, shallow waters.

    The trail then goes along the left side of the lake and parallels the creek for the next mile.  This section of trail ascends gradually and makes its way through an area of tree blowdown.   At mile 4, the trail begins to ascend more steeply.  The thunderous sound of Ribbon Falls greets you at mile 4.5.  This is a hard waterfall to photograph given its unique structure.  Going wide here will help.  You can walk off trail and reach the bottom of Ribbon Falls.  The next sight is the outlet of Black Lake.  The mountains in the background frame the falls beautifully.  Amending the steps above the outlet, you finally reach Black Lake.  

     

  • Capitol Reef

    I made a short trip to Capitol Reef National Park this past weekend.  The cottonwoods were just leafing out so it was a great time to be there.  I explored some new places and went to an old standby.  Overall, it was a fun trip but I wish the weather had been better so I could have explored Escalante National Monument.  Coyote Gulch will have to wait.    

    Sheets Canyon

    This is a short hike to a pretty slot canyon on the east side of the park.  Sheets Canyon is located off the Notom Road.  The trailhead is located just before the pavement ends, about 12 miles down the road.  The hike wanders through the Sheets Canyon wash for about a mile before the walls narrow.  There are some very interesting rock formation in the canyon.  The narrows stretches for about 1/2 mile and then the canyon widens.  The walls are quite high in this area so it is still an interesting through this part of the canyon.  There are a few chokcsotnes you have to scramble over in the narrows section but nothing too difficult.  

    Cohab Canyon

    The trail to Cohab Canyon is located near the Fruita barn just before the main campground in Capitol Reef.  It climbs steeply up a series of switchbacks before leveling off at the entrance to Cohab Canyon.  Just before the entrance there are some interesting rock formations and trees that make great photography subjects.  The canyon itself, has pink or orange walls, and is quite pretty.  The walls are pockmarked with holes, alcoves, and other cool features. In about 1/2 mile, the trail veers to the left and ascends to a view of Fruita and the campground below.  The one way total is just under 2 miles.     

    Navajo Knobs Trail

    The Navajo Knobs trail leads to a panoramic overlook after a hard 4.7 mile hike.  Luckily, the views are pretty spectacular most of the way so making the top isn’t a requirement to get a great view.  The trail starts about a mile from the visitor’s center along the main park road.  It climbs steeply and intersects with the Hickman Bridge trail in about half a mile.  Veer right at the junction and continue to climb up to a great view of Pectol’s Pyramid across the valley.  At mile 2.5, the trail comes to a view of the Fremont River and you are looking back across at the visitor’s center.  From here, the trail descends for about 3/4 of a mile which of course leaves a steep ascent back up a long ramp.   At this point, the views are amazing.  One last side canyon has to be routed around before reaching the top.  This is a steep and long hike but the effort is worth it.  Views can be had in any direction from here.   

    Sulfur Creek

    Sulfur Creek features a neat waterfall after a short 1 mile hike.  Take the trail to the right of the visitor’s center and veer around to the back of it.  When you come to the creek, head toward a power line straight across the creek.  You can also head left down stream but the walk is much longer and wetter this way.  After climbing a short rise you will come to a lime kiln on the right and then the trail cuts back down to Sulfur Creek.  The waterfall is about .75 of a mile from the visitor’s center.  It isn’t particularly large but the scene is pretty with the read rock of Sulfur Canyon framing the shot.  

  • Valley of the Fire State Park

    Valley of the Fire State Park in northern Nevada is a photographer’s dream.  It contains countless rock formations of eroded sandstone such as arches, rock fins, and multi-colored rock.  The park consists of four main areas: the Main Park Drive, the Loop Road, the Silica Dome Road, and Highway 169.

    Loop Drive

    The loop drive contains a number of small rock formations and arches that make for some very cool photography.  While the area has a handful of iconic formations such as Arch Rock, Piano Rock, and Windstone Arch, a creative photographer can come up with countless images due to the interesting geology of the area.  The are hundreds of little pockets carved into the rocks here and reflected light into them makes for orange-colored rock.

    Arch Rock

    Arch Rock is a small arch located at the top of a rock as the name implies.  It is found just past Arch Rock campground.  It is best photographed an hour or so before sunset so the arch has some light on it.

    Piano Rock

    Piano Rock is a rock shaped like a grand piano and is found on the left side of the road just as the road makes a turn toward Arch Rock campground.

    Windstone Arch

    Winston Arch is a little arch or rock leg found inside a small alcove.  It is best photographed in mid morning when reflected light makes the interior glow orange.  There is a small turnout about 200 yards from the junction with Highway 169.  Park here and go around the back of the first large rock formation. The alcove is straight ahead in a second set of small rock formations.  This whole area is very photogenic so don’t just focus on Windstone Arch.

    Main Park Drive

    Petroglyph Trail

    This 3/4 mile long trail contains several large panels of petroglyphs carved into the rock face on the left side of the canyon as you descend.  It is an easy walk through a sandy canyon.  Mid afternoon works best for photos.

    Rainbow Vista/Fire Canyon

    This trail leads to two overlooks: one of Fire Canyon and its brown-colored chunks of volcanic rock and Rainbow Vista, an amazing, colorful plateau with a commanding view of the park.  If you take the main trail straight form the parking lot and then veer right upon arriving at a steep rock face, you will arrive at Fire Canyon overlook in about 1 mile.  A small arch can be found near the end of the trail.  As you walk back toward the parking lot, stop at the area of pink and yellow sandstone where the trail veered steeply to the right.  If you ascend 100 feet or so above this area, you will find views opening up.  Proceed to the left and then out onto to the rocks.  This is Rainbow Vista. Here is where you will find amazing small arches and an incredible view of Silica Dome.  This may be the most photogenic spot in the park.

    Parking Lot #2

    Pink Canyon

    Pink Canyon is a short slot canyon just off the main park road.  It lies directly between parking lot #2 and #3.  There is one parking spot on either side of the road at the canyon entrance that seems to be an informal parking area for the canyon.  If these spaces are full, it is about a .6 mile hike back to one of the parking areas up a steep hill so be prepared.  The hike itself is quite short through the slot canyon.  The sculpted walls make for some interesting photography.  Be prepared to use HDR or a graduated neutral density filter to keep the sky from blowing out.  Don’t forget to scramble up one of the rock faces and do a little exploring.  This is possible where the canyon makes a sharp left turn.  The area up top contains some beautiful rock fins.

    Swoosh Rock

    Swoosh Rock is named for the streak of red rock that adorns the base of the formation, and looks like the symbol of a famous shoe company.  The rock itself is mainly pink and yellow sandstone.  This rock is located just across from the mouth of Pink Canyon.  As you cross the road from the canyon, veer to the right and stay close to the road. You will find it in about 100-200 feet.

    Rock Fins

    If you head out on a route at about 2 o’clock form parking lot #2, you will come to some incredible rock fins.  There is no trail so you have to pick your way across the sandstone.  Be careful as the area is criss-crossed by large canyons so route-finding skills are required.  This is not an area to blindly wander in the dark for sure.  My favorite spot was an area of sandstone that looked like it had been melted like candy and then curled under.  The rock fins make for great leading lines in a photograph as well.

    Parking Lot #3

    Crazy Hill

    Crazy Hill is a name that does;t do the formation justice.  Painter’s Palette might be a better name as it looks as though a painter spilled several paint buckets on the rock and let the colors run down the side of the rock.  It is found by walking straight out of the parking lot #3 a couple hundred yards.  You follow the mouth of a small canyon and continue heading straight down the hill.  You will see a couple of small arches along the way in the sides of the rock.

    Fire Wave

    The Fire Wave is the park’s iconic formation. The name comes from its resemblance to the more famous Wave formation in North Coyote Buttes, AZ.  A better name for it might be Ribbon Candy Rock as it consists of stripes of red and white rock swirled into a bizarre ribbon-like shape.   A new trail leading out to Fire Wave has been built by the park in recent years that leads from parking lot #3.  It is about 1/2 mile to the Fire Wave.  This trail is popular so park here well before sunset if you want a parking spot.  Like all popular photo stops these days, be prepared for large crowds during the golden hour.

    White Domes Loop

    Silica Dome

    Getting There

    Take Exit 75 on I-15 heading north from Las Vegas onto Highway 169 heading east.  The entrance to the park will be about 13 miles ahead.  The first thing of note will be the Loop Drive and the campgrounds.  If you are coming from the north, you can also access the park from exit 93, as Highway 169 loops back to I-15.  This way takes a little longer as the road goes through two small towns.

    Camping and Accommodations

    The two campgrounds are first come/first serve.  Get there by 10 am to ensure a spot.  The park campgrounds usually fill during the temperate moths of fall and spring.

     

     

  • Herman Gulch in Fall

    Herman Gulch in fall is a great hike.  It is short and rewards the hiker with great views and some brilliant fall color.  I even saw the last vestiges of summer wildflowers.  To see columbine blooming in September was quite a shock.  Some high clouds were also racing past high above giving some definition to the scene.

    The hike ascends through willows which had turned yellow.  The ground cover was also brilliant orange and red in spots.  There were even a few aspen that had started to turn.  It looks like it will be an early fall but one with good color this year in the high country of Colorado.

    Herman Gulch is located at mile marker 218 off of I-70 near the Loveland ski area.  It is 3.3 miles to the lake but only a couple of miles to hike through most of the meadow areas.

  • Fern Lake

    I hiked up to Fern Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park this weekend.  I saw some beautiful waterfalls along the way and enjoyed fishing in the lake. The underbrush and ferns had started to turn so I saw some fall color as well. Unfortunately, I also dropped a neutral density filter into Fern Falls and watched it drop over a small cliff.  Luckily, I found a game trail down to the bottom and retrieved my filter from where it had lodged the rocks.  Thankfully, I had dropped the filter in its case so it was no worse for wear.  Whew!  Breakthrough filters are not cheap.

    Fern Lake Trail

    The trail starts at the end of the Moraine Park Road in Rocky Mountain National Park.  Parking is scarce so get there early.  The trail climbs gradually for the first two miles before it reaches the pool along the Big Thompson River.  This is the first of a couple of nice waterfalls.  Then the fun begins.  The trial climbs steeply above the Pool for the next mile before reaching beautiful Fern Falls.  This is one of the best falls in the park.  I can’t wait to go back next spring when it is fuller.  If it’s possible, the trail gets even steeper on its way to Fern Lake.  After about a mile, it finally level off and leads to a trail divide.  Take the short spur to Fern Lake and you will be rewarded with a beautiful spot for a picnic or fishing adventure.

     

  • Lost Man Lake

    I backpacked to Lost Man Lake in the Hunter-Frying Wilderness this past weekend near Independence Pass.  The weather was overcast for most of the trip, but the sun came out for two minutes at sunset.  I was pleasantly surprised to see some wildflowers still blooming in the area.  I also got some cool pictures of the area in the moonlight.  If I only had a fishing rod with me I could’ve caught some of the trout swimming in the lake.

    Trail Description to Lost Man Lake

    Lost Man Lake is reached by hiking 2.5 on a well-marked trail.  The trail begins near the summit of Independence Pass at 11,200 feet.  Views are constant as you while the trail.  The trail ascends gradually for about the first 1.25 as it follows a stream through willow.  As you climb out of the willow, the trail then steeply ascends towards the pass.  The trail passes Independence Lake just before reaching the summit.  The lake is a pretty spot to grab lunch or just take in the view.  The trail then makes a short but steep climb to the top of the pass.  The pass lies just past the two mile mark on the trail.  After taking in a panoramic view of the mountains around you, descend a series of steep switchbacks to Lost Man Lake just on the other side of the pass.  There are a few camp spots near the far end of the lake and camping is plentiful as the trail descends into the valley below the lake.  Some hikes do a shuttle hike connecting back with the highway after 7 more miles of hiking. Or hikers can return the same way they came.

    Directions

    Take Independence Pass road (Hwy 82) from Twin Lakes, CO to the summit of Independence Pass (about 1/2 an hour).  Then drive about 1 mile west of the summit and park at the large lot on the right side of the road at the bend in the road.

  • Shrine Ridge Wildflowers

    Shrine Ridge

    I backpacked to the summit of Shrine Ridge near Vail, CO.  The wildflowers were bountiful again this year although not quite as good as last year.  Lupine and red paintbrush were the predominant varieties with some alpine sunflowers and others mixed in.  I camped near the top so I could do some night photography in the moonlight and catch sunrise on the ridge.  A thunderstorm hung around until after midnight so I had to wait a while before the moon came out.  I was rewarded with some fantastic photo ops when the moon finally emerged.  Although I could not see all the flowers, the meadow was filled with flowers.  Once the sun came up, I was amazed with the color and variety of flowers.

    Trail directions

    Shine Ridge is located at the summit of Vail Pass, 10 miles east of Vail.  Take the exit for the rest area at the summit and drive on the dirt road to the right for about 2.5 miles.  Park at the trail head (get there early because the lot fills quickly).  The trail begins by wandering through willow in a boggy area.  It climbs past a small pond and then climbs steeply past some meadows of paintbrush.  As you climb, you will cross a small creek.  Stay on the main trail at the 1 mile marker where it meets a spur trail leading from a mountain inn.  After about 1.25 miles, the trail flattens out briefly as you reach the base of the ridge.  Snow cornices linger here well into summer.  The trail veers right and climbs again steeply up to the ridge.  At the summit, veer right and explore the wildflower-filled meadow.  Views of the Holy Cross Wilderness open up to the west.

  • Death Valley and Alabama Hills

    I spent spring break this year in California focusing mainly on Death Valley and the Alabama Hills.  I also took a detour due to weather to Mt. Figueroa in southern California near Santa Barbara to check out the wildflower bloom.

    Mt. Figueroa

    With the biggest El Nino on record having formed in the Pacific, it figured to be a great wildflower year in the desert southwest.  Unfortunately, the moisture stayed farther north unlike 2005 when an unprecedented wildflower bloom occurred in the desert.  It was not an exceptional year across California for wildflowers, but Mt. Figueroa did not disappoint.  In partocular, the bush lupine were exploding with color.  I also found one field exploding with poppies and small lupine.  The wind and cool temperatures kept the poppies closed, however, during my visit.  It was quite a steep hike down but worth the effort,

    Alabama Hills

    The Alabama Hills is located at the base of the Mt. Whitney Portal near Lone Pine, CA.  Mainly known as a place where many westerns were filmed, the hills are now a prime spot for nature photography due to the presence of several small arches throughout the rocky outcroppings. I had long planned to get the classic shot of Mt Whitney being lit by the rising sun through one of the arches. I was beginning to wonder if the weather would cooperate, however, as clouds obscured the peaks upon my arrival.  Luckily, skies cleared overnight and I was treated to beautiful alpine glow on the Sierras at sunrise the next morning.

    Three arches, Lathe, Heart, and Mobius are located off a loop trail, accessed from one of the main parking lots.  Lathe was my favorite.  It is a small scale version of Mesa Arch in Canyonlands.  After leaving the arch loop trail, I had trouble locating the other ones in the area, however.  I had bought a guide book but all the directions were in GPS coordinates.  No physical directions were given.  Next time I will come prepared with a GPS to find the other arches.

    Death Valley

    I spent two days in Death Valley.  I took the one-way drive down Titus Canyon.  I enjoyed the drive despite the bumpy dirt road (definitely requires high clearance).  Near the summit, I hiked a steep trail to an overlook of the area. I then shot a few photos in the narrows of the canyon.

    I spent the rest of my time around the Artist Drive and Zabriskie Point.  I even got in a few shots along the Devil’s Golf Course.  I got sunset just in time at Zabriskie Point and then went up there again for sunrise.

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  • Frozen Frost

    We had a nice foggy morning yesterday which quickly cleared.  Frost was frozen to everything!  I quickly hopped in a car and headed to Boulder to do some photography.  I stopped at Sawmill Ponds on the eastern side of Boulder.  The area has a number of trails around small ponds.  Of particular interest was the abundance of dead grass and weeds with seed pods still on.  This made for great closeup photography.  Frozen frost provides some amazing subjects. The frost crystals were huge. Of course I had to work fast.  The conditions only lasted a couple of hours before the sun started to melt everything.

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