Latest photos from Rocky Mountain National Park

The Mummy Range glows at sunrise on the first day of December following one of the first winter snow falls. There is something about the winter that creates such an interesting pastel hued light on many mornings, usually on very cold mornings.  

A Stellars Jay perches on a limber pine near Dream Lake. These highly intelligent birds will sometimes mimic other birds such as raptors to send other birds into hiding so that they can clear out a feeding area. 

This day was stunning with fresh snow on Longs Peak and fog rising up out of Bear Lake on a perfectly calm morning. It was so still that the reflection in the lake was almost perfect. Such days are truly to be savored and enjoyed. 

It has been stunningly beautiful lately and I've been busy out in the park with my camera, but I've fallen behind in posting photos here. This is my busiest time of year with making new photos, making sales, and this year I'm also teaching a workshop. Once everything slows down I'll come back and add lots of new beautiful autumn photos. 

This morning we had a brief minute of colorful light on the eastern horizon which could be seen over Little Horseshoe Park. It was a great start to the day. 

Notchtop Mountain reflects in a small tree line lake at sunrise on a spectacular autumn morning. 

The elk rut is underway. This big bull elk was hanging around outside my house along with his harem of female elk. You can hear their bugles in the air all around Rocky Mountain National Park at this time of year. 

The calm waters of Mills Lake reflect the towering peaks above on a beautiful early September day. I was up there filming a video which will be released on Monday September 8th. 

I spent the day up in the Never Summer Mountains visiting a few places that I haven't been. The weather wasn't ideal for photography, but it gave me a chance to scout out some new locations. Here's a view of a few of Rocky's peaks that few people get a chance to see. The more I explore Rocky Mountain National Park the more amazed I am by all the different perspectives there are to enjoy. I may have to return to photograph this spot with some clouds and warm light.

My wife and I made a hike in Wild Basin. The clouds were low and threatening, but it felt so wonderful to be up near tree line experiencing the drama of the park. As you can see the autumn colors are making their way down the mountain.  

It's a glorious start to the day on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Longs Peak looks down on the late summer scene as the sunrise paints the world with beautiful pastels. 

Low clouds hover over the tundra while spots of sunlight break through on a stormy day in Rocky Mountain National Park. As you can see, the tundra is changing into its autumn colors. 

This morning we were treated to a really colorful sunrise. Once again this is due to the smoke in the air from wildfires far to our north. I think the current round of smoke is coming from Montana. Fortunately, it has been pretty cool and rainy lately and so although we have smoke in the air, our fire danger has dropped dramatically over the last week. For this we are all very very thankful. 

We've finally had some cool and even rainy weather move in to the area. This has even produced some days with low-lying clouds and fog. On this morning I was up at Gem Lake as the clouds moved in and out giving this area a very mysterious feel. Let's hope that the wet weather continues for a while to keep away the growing wildfires. 

I've not done very well at remembering to post here lately. For those of you who watch this page regularly, I do apologize. Here is a photo from a recent evening spent up above tree line. The sunset was really colorful due to the smoke in the air, most of it currently coming from places outside of Colorado. As you can see, the tundra is definitely wearing its autumn colors. 

This time of year is so beautiful in the backcountry of Rocky Mountain National Park. Most of the snow has gone and the tundra is beginning to take on its autumn colors. This means that it won't be too long until winter returns to the high country. So now is definitely the time to get out and enjoy it while you can. I'm certainly busy trying to put on some miles and visit some of my favorite backcountry locations. 

We had some days filled with wildfire smoke, making photography difficult, but these gorgeous ponderosa pines still looked wonderful despite the smoke. I just love the way each tree has a different shade of trunk in this light and how a couple of trees are just so different from all of the others, breaking the mold and bringing an extra touch of beauty into the forest. 

In some remote parts of Rocky Mountain National Park there are still flowers and lush green grass while higher up the mountain signs of autumn can be seen. This is really the very end of the summer season up high in the park, a time that is not to be missed. 

At this time of year the last of the high country flowers begin to bloom. In some remote locations they can be incredible at this time of year. Yet their beauty is fleeting. Any day now, the first frost will hit these high areas and within a day they will be gone. Sometimes that first frost arrives in the night at the end of July and sometimes it's as late as mid-August. Because it can end at any moment, I savor every moment that I get to enjoy them. 

There are still a lot of wildflowers blooming all over Rocky Mountain National Park. This has actually been a surprisingly good year for wildflowers. I hope you've been able to get out and enjoy them.

Melting snow and meadows of wildflowers are a common find during the month of July in Rocky Mountain National Park's backcountry. Between 9,000 and 11,000' above sea level things are typically very green and full of life at this special time of year. 

Although I've spent over 10 years exploring and photographing this park, I continue to be amazed by its beauty. During the summer season I'm able to get back into little corners that don't see many visitors and these often hold some of the most stunning views. As I was hiking back following a remote sunrise I came around the corner and was delighted by this gorgeous perspective. 

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time all over the park, heading into areas where almost no one ever visits. There are so many beautiful valleys and little lakes all over. At this time of year many areas of the park like this are lush green as the last of the snow melts.

This morning a light rain was falling as the sun rose creating a few minutes of warm and colorful light here in Rocky Mountain National Park. This is looking out towards Twin Sisters Peaks from the lower portion of Trail Ridge Road.

Wildflower filled meadows, rushing streams, and jagged mountain peaks. This is what I think of when I imagine July in Rocky Mountain National Park. This is peak summer season in the high country. It sure doesn't last long, so be sure to get out there and enjoy it while you can. 

This is one of the most idyllic times of year in Rocky Mountain National Park and there's no place I'd rather be than way out in the backcountry of Rocky. It's all so fresh and inviting at this time of year. 

The high mountains are quickly losing their snow as we head into the height of summer in Rocky. Yet that melting snow makes for rushing streams that fill the air with their marvelous music and mist. 

At this time of year elk can be found up in the tundra along Trail Ridge Road. They stay very busy eating the tundra grasses and don't think of much else right now. At this time of year, their antlers grow at an amazing rate, sometimes growing as much as 1" per day. 

Alpine sunflowers and alpine phlox bloom in the high country of Rocky Mountain National Park. This magical period is always so amazing but so short-lived. If you get a chance, drive up Trail Ridge Road and then hike out on one of the trails along the road to enjoy the wildflowers.

On this morning I was on a mountain about six miles back from the trailhead. The sun rose over the Great Plains and was soon swallowed by clouds just above the horizon. It was beautiful, dramatic, and short-lived. 

We've had some really warm weather lately and the snow is melting fast. The good news is that wildflowers are blooming up high carpeting the tundra and announcing that summer has arrived. 

Late in the evening, following a thunderstorm on Trail Ridge Road, the sky filled with these amazing mammatus clouds which created a surreal landscape.

High in the backcountry there is still quite a bit of snow and even frozen lakes as you see here. I love the way the warm light on the mountain costrasts with the dark stormy skies and the icy foreground. I made this photo while out filming a video in Rocky Mountain National Park. It should come out on my YouTube channel on Friday June 20th. 

I spent sunrise this morning up at Chasm Lake at the base of Longs Peak. It was a gorgeous morning up there. Most of the lake was frozen, but this area you see in the photo had opened up. Be aware that there is still a steep snowfield that has to be crossed to get here and the consequences for slipping are serious. It should melt out in the next two weeks or so, making it accessible to everyone. 

Mount Baker is one of my favorite mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park. I love to see it from the Kawuneeche Valley like in this photo or from up on top of the nearby mountains. It is always so impressive. This morning a small band of rain falls on the peak and is lit by the rising sun. 

I was up in the alpine tundra for sunrise this morning and it was looking gorgeous. The snow is melting, the first flowers are blooming, and elk were grazing nearby. Does anyone know where I can find the pause button, so we can enjoy this special time of year for a little longer?

The weather was cold and rainy most of the day, but when I arrived at Odessa Lake, the sun was occasionally breaking through and illuminating the surrounding peaks making for a beautiful scene up at this recently melted lake. The trail up to the lake is not recommended right now as there is still a lot of snow as well as some fallen trees, but that snow should melt in the next couple of weeks.