Yesterday On Rampart Range Rd

I ventured out yesterday morning at so-dark-thirty and headed to GOG and RRR. It was not really stunning conditions again but better than last Saturday. A coyote crossed the road in front of me but I did not get a shot since I was driving. I almost went up Rattlesnake Ridge but there were one too many photogs. Derek S. was up there after I left the lot. Here is a shot I took from RRR. The moon was too far north to get it in the frame from where I was shooting.

Clouds in the morning, always a good thing! This current storm should leave some nice opportunities too!

John,

I like this perspective a little better than the last one we shot on RRR. Did you manage get any shots a little earlier with morning light? Or were you down in the Garden for sunrise?

The Garden needed more snow on the rocks to really pop. But the sunrise was nice. Here are a couple from sunrise:
http://www.landandseaphoto.smugmug.com/photos/236314586-XL.jpg

http://www.landandseaphoto.smugmug.com/photos/236321064-XL.jpg

- Derek

Those clouds would be sweet lit pre-sunrise. Looks like maybe tomorrow morning could be good.

Derek, this was shot at 8:35 so the morning light was long gone. It would have really looked nice lit up! I was tooling around in the Garden looking for something really spectacular but ... uh, yeah the wolf got away from me No I did not get any morning light on the peakthis time around. I did do a retake of a shot I tried to pull off last year but I will need to do a blend on it this time. I will post it when get done with it. Kalin, Mel, I will probably be up there again tommorrow morning early. JK

Ok ya all, not being all that familiar with RRR, where do ya all go up there?? Google maps would be awesome for a placemarker :) I've never really shot there before

John, enter GOG main entrance and head towards Balanced Rock near the south entrance. Tthere is a dirt road that bears right marked with a sign that says Rampart Range Road. If you make it up there look for a red 05 Pathfinder.
JK

The other route we are using is to enter from Woodland Park. Take the road that goes behind the McDs. Follow this paved road for 4 miles or so until you reach a Y. Take the right branch at the fork and it will run into Rampart Range Road. Turn Right.

Rampart Range Road continues north towards Deckers/Sedalia.

The shots that have been posted in the last few days have been closer to the Garden of the Gods end.

It might look a little different after yesterday's storm. I live between Rampart Range Road and Sedalia and we got somewhere between 2 and 3 feet of powder snow yesterday. The wind started blowing and drifting the snow so it's hard to tell exactly how much accumulation there was, but it was a good storm.

Well I was up there again this morning and GOG is still pretty dry even though we got hit pretty good in Monument. Should have gone further upp RRR I guess. The clouds all stayed north; taunting and teasing me!

Ok thanks a lot guys, heck never even seen a dirt road in GOG before lol I'll have to get down there!

John, you can also get there from Mt. Herman Rd in Monument. Also dirt and a bit rough in places but most cars make it up o.k. You can also get there from Jarre Canyon Rd out of Sedalia.

I haven't been to it recently, but i suspect the Sedalia end of RRR is going to require snowmobiles for access until spring...winter is here.