One of my favorite 4x4 roads is Weston Pass outside of Leadville Colorado. Coming from the Arkansas River Valley up to the top of the Mosquito Range is quite the visual experience especially when the colors are changing in fall. This view was mine late in the afternoon as I looked back towards the Collegiate Mountain Range with Big Union Creek winding down the valley.
Valle Vidal Corral
We came upon this western corral on our travels across the Sangre De Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico. The autumn colors were showing in the aspens and we explored the corral and the valley below. The southwestern flavor is fantastic in New Mexico and the western ranching history is so very interesting. Don’t pass on the opportunity, if you ever get a chance explore the Valle Vidal region of the Sangre De Cristos.
Windy Gap Pass New Mexico
Windy Gap Pass was the first pass we crossed on our 4x4 tour crossing the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico. This pass is on the way to the beautiful Valle Vidal which is the vast valley on the opposite side of Windy Gap. You can see the wonderful fall colors in the mountains in the distance that stand above the valley. Teig and I prefer traveling on the back dirt roads when touring the southwest.
St Louis Creek Cascade and Traildog
Teig and I came across this small cascade falls on St. Louis Creek in the Vasquez Wilderness inside the Fraser Experimental Forest. Teig found a spot on the rocks and i shot a long exposure to get the wonderful movement of the water. Just fun in our Colorado Rocky Mountains!
Cascade Falls on St. Louis Creek
What a joy hiking in the Fraser Experimental Forest west of Winter Park, Colorado. On this day we were exploring St. Louis Creek which is one of the streams flowing down a beautiful valley towards Fraser. Teig and I came across small cascading falls on the creek which caught my eye. Who doesn’t love the sound of falls on a Rocky Mountain Creek?
Aspen Stands Before Spring Awakening
Early spring in the Colorado Rockies show the “bare bones” of the aspens before they begin to leaf. Lost Park near the Lost Creek Wilderness is a great place to check out the multitude of aspen stands before the bloom.
Moonset on Square Top Mountain
We witnessed the moonset on our hike up to the summit of Square Top Mountain near Guanella Pass in the Rockies of Colorado. It is very rewarding to see the moon set on the Rocky Ridges above 13,000 feet. Definitely motivates the adventurous explorer to bag the peak.
Traildog Scouting for Trout at Crater Lakes
What do you do when you bushwhack over a Colorado mountain and end up at Crater Lakes? Well I take a load off and rest but Teig goes on a Trout scouting mission to find the rising fish in the beautiful mountain lake. Can’t blame him… it is fun to see the big ones feed on bugs at the surface.
Rolling in the Snow on Whale Peak
When we find snow fields while hiking in the high Colorado Rockies, it is required for Teig to play and roll around on them. He LOVES this! We found this one on Whale Peak near Georgia Pass. Stoic Mount Guyot is in the background.
Resting on Whale Peak
What do you do when you bag a Colorado peak. Rest, take in the views, have a drink and maybe a quick nap!
Swan River Valley from Whale Peak
After spending the morning hiking up to Whale Peak from Georgia Pass, we were afforded these classic high Colorado Rockies view. If you are not inspired to get out and explore after seeing this, then you must not have a pulse.
Mount Guyot in August
A look back to Mount Guyot on a hike to Whale Peak in the Front Range Mountains of Colorado. Guyot is one of my favorite peaks and his very distinguishable from its east and south faces. Definitely a Colorado Rockies Icon. This photo was taken on an Iphone 7 I had on me for that hike.
Let's head up!
Teig was resting on a snow field off the Nystrom Trail in the Vasquez Peak Wilderness of Colorado. This is one of the quintessential hiking trails near Winter Park and he needed to cool his paws off and roll in the snow for a bit. He was done cooling off and was eyeing our present route up the mountains.
Landscape Photographer on Mount Evans
This was the other photographer on Mount Evans that evening trying to capture the fantastic light after sunset. It was fun being the only 2 souls on the summit just as dark was descending over this Colorado fourteener.
Traildog on the Ridges near Whale Peak
Teig and I love hiking the Rocky Mountain highlands in the Front Range Mountains west of Denver. There are locations where you don’t run into a single other soul on a hike. This was one of those days when we hiked to Whale Peak in late summer.
Natural Container of Colorado Alpine Buttercups
Who needs a store bought container for your Colorado Alpine Buttercups? On the trail to Stanley Mountain I found this fantastic container of the flowers which nature provided. You just have to hike 4 miles to view them.
Teig Focused on the Trail from Glacier Peak
Looking towards Mount Guyot from Glacier Peak in the Front Range mountains of Colorado. So awesome to be hiking these alpine ridges with my Colorado Traildog Teig.
Colorado Alpine Sunflowers near Glacier Peak
We passed through a wonderful meadow of beautiful alpine sunflowers on our saunter up Glacier Peak in the Front Range Mountains of Colorado. Such vibrant yellows cheers the soul of any hiker!
French Pass in July
Above Breckenridge Colorado sits a beautiful mountain pass that is joy to hike to… French Pass. This pass sites between the mammoth peaks of Guyot and Bald Mountain. In July there is still snowfields at the pass which are cool playground for dogs and hikers. We are looking towards the french creek creek and the valley to the east of the pass.
Trail to Cathedral Spires
f you are visiting the southern Black Hills, Cathedral Spires is an area within Custer State Park that should definitely be on your itinerary. The trail is located within an area of Custer State Park known as the Needles. This photo is from the hike up to the spires.