Unbelievable and all-weather hike up the mountain beats out hamburgers and hot dogs for 4th of July. So last weekend my friend Justin, his Mom and I hiked up 12,162 feet (3,707m) St. Vrain Mountain along Rock Creek Trail. Total elevation gain of 2,500 feet about 3 hours there and back.
This peak is part of Rocky Mountain National Park, but the best access is by way of highway 7 at Allenspark. No usual national park’s crowds and no entrance fee as well as good camping grounds if you choose to stay overnight or encounter serious weather.
About the weather. Although climbing something above 10,000 feet is always unpredictable it’s usually clear or a “clear no go”. This particular day we have seen it all. Coupled with frequently changing environment this trip quickly turned into adventure.
Scenery was magnificent. Fast flowing creek carving it’s own canyon enveloped in grasses and plants and overcast day provided pleasure for our senses and the camera sensor. It’s was difficult to take a bad picture.
Shortly we were walking into fast moving clouds which provided somewhat surreal environment cutting us off from the rest of the terrain. Focused only on small area not being able to see distracting blue sky or big forest below, gave us unique paisajes.
Then it started to get cold, few seconds before it became wet. Each of those clouds were not so harmless. Being quite gray they all carried either hail or rain. One by one they would run thought us giving us small breaks, in between which, we would hear not loud but very proximity close thunder sounds.
Finally we have reached the summit climb. Roughly half covered with snow rest rocks. We began the final push. Weather took a turn for worse with zero obstacles wind had picked up considerably. I kept pushing wearing shorts and a t-shirt. My long sleeve was wrapped around the camera. Although extremities were getting chilled I wasn’t as wet or cold because I didn’t get soaked that bad.
Luckily I got a small opening near the top that allowed me to take a picture of thirteeners to my left. Mt. Meeker, Pagoda and Chiefs Head were hiding their big brother Longs Peak.
After eating small snack (a cookie) at the top. I headed back down and soon after weather cleared up completely. Sun was shining. I’m not posting a picture of that. It would spoil the whole story up to this point. Especially, shot where we are sliding down the snow.
One last thing. All shots were taken with 5d and 17-40mm 4.0 lens. I was planning to sell it to fund a purchase of 35mm L prime lens. But after it gave me these photos, I am reconsidering. The colors and angles at high apertures are hard to beat. Although I couldn’t help myself to do slight sharpen and LAB color contrast, being Photoshop junkie that I am. The effects applied were subtle mainly done for the purpose to make smaller size images pop more. I’ll show originals to anyone who wants to see what this lens can do.
St. Vrain, snow and thunder.
Unbelievable and all-weather hike up the mountain beats out hamburgers and hot dogs for 4th of July. So last weekend my friend Justin, his Mom and I hiked up 12,162 feet (3,707m) St. Vrain Mountain along Rock Creek Trail. Total elevation gain of 2,500 feet about 3 hours there and back.
This peak is part of Rocky Mountain National Park, but the best access is by way of highway 7 at Allenspark. No usual national park’s crowds and no entrance fee as well as good camping grounds if you choose to stay overnight or encounter serious weather.
About the weather. Although climbing something above 10,000 feet is always unpredictable it’s usually clear or a “clear no go”. This particular day we have seen it all. Coupled with frequently changing environment this trip quickly turned into adventure.
Scenery was magnificent. Fast flowing creek carving it’s own canyon enveloped in grasses and plants and overcast day provided pleasure for our senses and the camera sensor. It’s was difficult to take a bad picture.
Shortly we were walking into fast moving clouds which provided somewhat surreal environment cutting us off from the rest of the terrain. Focused only on small area not being able to see distracting blue sky or big forest below, gave us unique paisajes.
Then it started to get cold, few seconds before it became wet. Each of those clouds were not so harmless. Being quite gray they all carried either hail or rain. One by one they would run thought us giving us small breaks, in between which, we would hear not loud but very proximity close thunder sounds.
Finally we have reached the summit climb. Roughly half covered with snow rest rocks. We began the final push. Weather took a turn for worse with zero obstacles wind had picked up considerably. I kept pushing wearing shorts and a t-shirt. My long sleeve was wrapped around the camera. Although extremities were getting chilled I wasn’t as wet or cold because I didn’t get soaked that bad.
Luckily I got a small opening near the top that allowed me to take a picture of thirteeners to my left. Mt. Meeker, Pagoda and Chiefs Head were hiding their big brother Longs Peak.
After eating small snack (a cookie) at the top. I headed back down and soon after weather cleared up completely. Sun was shining. I’m not posting a picture of that. It would spoil the whole story up to this point. Especially, shot where we are sliding down the snow.
One last thing. All shots were taken with 5d and 17-40mm 4.0 lens. I was planning to sell it to fund a purchase of 35mm L prime lens. But after it gave me these photos, I am reconsidering. The colors and angles at high apertures are hard to beat. Although I couldn’t help myself to do slight sharpen and LAB color contrast, being Photoshop junkie that I am. The effects applied were subtle mainly done for the purpose to make smaller size images pop more. I’ll show originals to anyone who wants to see what this lens can do.