Archive for the 'Photography Stories' Category

Up the Green Trail to see blue Rocky Mountains

Published on 2010/08/23 in Photoblog, Photography Stories and Travel. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

When was the last time you beheld the magnificence of nature?

Well, if it’s been a while for you, today I’d like to give you a taste of what that feels like, and it starts with an invitation. A friend had invited me to explore a hiking trail deep within Colorado’s interior, and I gladly accepted. The trail was steeper than the Mt. Galbraith hike, and it took us about a half hour to reach the vantage point which was, perhaps not surprisingly, incredibly beautiful.

Come with me though the Elvish woods, past the stream, up to the top of the continent to see what we can see…

An Elvish Feeling…

Very Green Path through a big patch of Birch Trees

On the way up, we passed by a patch of lovely white birch trees, and the feel in the air was almost elvish. Looking back now, I wonder what kinds of people lived there hundreds of years ago. A narrow trail snaked through this patch; but judging from its wear, it probably wasn’t more than a few decades old.

Small stream running over colorful pebbles (silky water) Further along, we practically stumbled over a small stream running right across the trail! It was perfectly picturesque, and just off the trail even a very tiny waterfall. I decided to stop and take some time to photograph this area since it was so photogenic. I experimented, taking photos with longer exposure to create a more silky effect in the water. The photo to the right has an exposure time of 1/6th of a second, and it’s a good example of this silky water effect.

The Magnificent Blue Peaks of the Rockies

Blue Snow-covered Rocky Mountain peaks

Although it was hard to leave this little stream, I pulled myself away and continued along the path. When I reached the vantage point, I was shocked at just how much I could see. An entire green valley was spread out below me, and to my left I could see the magnificent blue snow-covered Rocky Mountain peaks in the distance and a lake below. Directly in front of me were more peaks, and these were covered in even more snow and seemed to be nearly kissing the sky.

Huge clouds passing over mountain peaks of the Rockies

As I was gazing on, huge clouds began to flow over some of the nearby peaks, and I began to realize on a deeper level than ever before why this mountain range has such a profound affect Colorado’s weather, as well as the surrounding states. (And I later found out that I wasn’t far from the Continental Divide.)

However, the clouds were heading toward us, and we decided it would be best to start heading down before it started raining. We were practically and running snapping pictures as we went. And as it turned out, it started raining just one minute before we got into the car.

Thankfully though, our cameras were fine. :)

— — —
Photos from this trip are in the Green Trail to the Blue Rocky Mountains album. All photos in the Byteful Gallery can be used as desktop wallpapers and are released under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license.


Recommended Reading:

  1. A Rainbow and Purple Rain over Mt. Galbraith Trail
  2. The 3 Unforgettable Sights at Red Rocks Park
  3. Why the Colorado Capitol Dome is Worth Visiting
  4. Denver Doesn’t Know What Century It’s In!
  5. Denver’s City Park Jazz & The Haunted Fountain
  6. The Ancient Secret of Denver’s Cathedral Basilica


Magellan's Travel



A Rainbow and Purple Rain over Mt. Galbraith Trail

Published on 2010/08/16 in Photoblog, Photography Stories and Travel. 1 Comment Tags: , .

Has the sky ever smiled at you? One summer day last year, the sky smiled at me.

You’ve probably never heard of Mount Galbraith before, but it’s a fantastic place to hike and appreciate the natural world, which is too often overlooked these days. Mount Galbraith Park is just a half hour drive west of Denver (here it is on gMaps), and when I visited one of its trails I was lucky enough to go on a day when a rainbow appeared in the sky.

I took the Mt. Galbraith loop trail, and at first the trail was pretty rough (not to mention confusing on the way back). But after about a half hour, I arrived at a lookout point, and I realized that all my efforts had completely paid off. From where I stood, the sky itself seemed to smile down on me by presenting me with a stunning rainbow.

The Smile of the Sky

Rainbow fragment above rocky hills (superzoom)

Even though it wasn’t a complete rainbow, it was still incredibly beautiful, and photos certainly don’t do justice to how it looked. I stopped and took lots of photos of the rainbow. Wide ones, vertical ones, but still, none of them can compare to actually seeing it.

Continuing down the trial, I soon saw a huge white letter M marked on the side of a hill. That’s because a well-known Colorado University, the Colorado School of Mines, was nearby. Then I looked to the West and noticed the sun was beginning to set. Looking over the entire valley was calming, and the sunset turned some of the blue clouds orange, creating a really beautiful contrast. (You can find that photo in the A Rainbow above Mt. Galbraith Trail album.)

Was this purple rain?

But even more beautiful sights awaited me farther down the trial. Looking north this time, far off clouds were gently raining down on the plains in the distance, creating deep purple shapes below the clouds. This color mixed with the violet colors of the sunset, creating a uniquely beautiful sight. As far as I can remember, that’s the first time I’d ever seen such a thing. And now that I’m writing this, I experience an odd synchronicity for me as well, because a few days before I began writing this article, I got Prince’s Greatest Hits which, of course, includes the famous song “Purple Rain”.

Distant clouds raining before the purple sunset light

I started heading back and by the time I was coming down, the city lights were already beginning to glow in the valley below; though that wouldn’t be the last time I hiked in Colorado…

Would I make it back in time?

View of the City lights from mountain Next time, we’ll journey beyond an immaculate patch of birch trees, past a hidden stream, and look down on a valley below the blue Rocky Mountains, all while storm clouds head towards me. Would I make it back down in time before it rained? Would my camera get wet?

You’ll have to tune in next week to find out!

— — —
Photos from this trip are in the A Rainbow above Mt. Galbraith Trail – Colorado album. All photos in the Byteful Gallery can be used as desktop wallpapers and are released under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license.


Recommended Reading:

  1. Up the Green Trail to see blue Rocky Mountains
  2. Return to the Rainbow Rocks
  3. The 3 Unforgettable Sights at Red Rocks Park
  4. Denver’s City Park Jazz & The Haunted Fountain
  5. Why the Colorado Capitol Dome is Worth Visiting
  6. Denver Doesn’t Know What Century It’s In!
  7. The Ancient Secret of Denver’s Cathedral Basilica


Magellan's Travel