Posted by Joyce Harman on July 8, 2008 at 12:28 AM
Hello
i will be staying in Glenwood springs this weekend, would love to know where to go for wildflowers. I will have early mornings for short trips (have to work at 9 am), then a whole day on Monday to explore. I am from the humid east coast (VA) where we call 4,000 footers mountains
Will also take a float down the river, any hints for carrying photo gear? Or is it not a problem on the rafts?
Don't know about wildflowers in that area, but if you have all day Monday my choice would be to hike up to Hanging Lake. It's a steep hike (a little over a mile) but it's a great little spot with a waterfall and an emerald pool. Also, you might see some wildflowers on the way up the trail because you actually follow the stream as it's flowing downhill. My suggestion would be to leave early because it is a popular hike. It also may leave you time later because it's really not an all day hike.
Just follow the signs on I-70 in Glenwood Canyon as you're heading west out of Glenwood. I think, but not sure it may be exit 221.
Hope you have a good time. If you want to see a photo of Hanging Lake it's on the home page of my website...the second photo that comes up.
Another nearby trip worth exploring is a drive up to independence pass. May be quite early for the majority of flowers above treeline, but its a very scenic drive
Hanging Lake is a great recommendation for this time of year. Take exit 125 in Glenwood Canyon and park at the rest area. You'll see the paved trail heading east. Walk about 1/4 mile on the paved trail to the "real" trail head that goes uphill. I'd recommend starting the hike before sunrise to beat the crowds and also to shoot the falls before the sun hits them. You'll have the place to yourself for about an hour if you're lucky. You won't see many flowers on the way up but if timing is right, you'll see some bushes flowering right at the start of the wood boardwalk. If you go up there, also continue up from Hanging Lake to Spouting Rock.
A couple of other recommendations for the area would be to shoot Mt. Sopris at sunset. If you drive down to Carbondale and head south through town, you might find fields of dandelions (sp?) just outside of town. Rifle Falls State Park should really be flowing this time of year also but you won't find many flowers there - another pre-sunrise location or late afternoon after the sun goes over the edge of the ridge.
I'm not sure if it will be too early or not, but you might be able to find some flowers around Maroon Lake, below the Maroon Bells (best at sunrise). It's about an hour drive. If you have 4wd, you could take the road down through Marble, past Lizard Lake, and to Crystal Mill (best at sunset). That whole area is very scenic. But for something closer to Glenwood, Hanging Lake is the way to go, as long as you don't mind a short, but very steep hike at altitude.
For rafting, you'll need something like a Pelican case to protect your gear. If the raft trip is during the middle of the day, you may just want to go w/out your camera, as you probably won't get much in the harsh light anyway. If you want pics of people, the company will usually sell a picture of everyone going down the rapids, which is cheaper than getting a Pelican case.
Maroon Bells lower areas should be in good form on Monday. Independence Pass might still be a bit early; the only major flower patches I saw were the Marsh Marigold at the summit, along the still half-frozen lake. Hanging Lake is a great photo op, but as noted, not many flowers.
Don't take the camera rafting without some protection. If you were thinking of using it on the raft, I'd recommend an underwater case of some sort.
If you were just looking to carry it along to use on a mid-day stop, you might want to inquire about renting a dry bag from the rafting company (or go out and buy one - they're not that expensive...). The problem with a dry bag is that it only protects the camera from getting wet; if the camera goes over the edge, it won't float, and if it strikes a rock it's not well protected. A Pelican case or a Lowepro Dryzone backpack are your best bets for transport over the wet and wild.
For some flowers, if you go to Maroon Bells, take the hike around the lake past the waterfalls. There on the right side of the trail you'll find blue/white and white Columbines. As you continue on, where the trail crosses the creek and starts back on the other side, you'll see some red and yellow (miniature) Columbines (well, I think they're Columbines ... sure look like them). Mostly those were the only flowers I saw while there this last weekend. There are some small flowers out and about but not with the short amount of time you have to take pics. While there, you might even want to take a few pics of the Maroon Bells reflecting off the lake (if the weather cooperates) ... and maybe the surrounding hills (well, mountains) reflection you'll see at the end of Maroon Lake near the waterfalls.
For some flowers, if you go to Maroon Bells, take the hike around the lake past the waterfalls. There on the right side of the trail you'll find blue/white and white Columbines. As you continue on, where the trail crosses the creek and starts back on the other side, you'll see some red and yellow (miniature) Columbines (well, I think they're Columbines ... sure look like them). Mostly those were the only flowers I saw while there this last weekend. There are some small flowers out and about but not with the short amount of time you have to take pics. While there, you might even want to take a few pics of the Maroon Bells reflecting off the lake (if the weather cooperates) ... and maybe the surrounding hills (well, mountains) reflection you'll see at the end of Maroon Lake near the waterfalls.
While everyone here is telling you to to Aspen and Hanging Lake, I say skip em both! And get to Colorado National Monument which isn't all that far from Glenwood. It's in Grand Junction straight out I-70...this place is totally remarkable and is like a mini Bryce. If you leave at 4qam get there at first light, I can well guarantee you will have more keeper shots than going to either of the other places....here is some info on the park http://www.nps.gov/colm The terrain out on the western slope is also VERY different and not what ya think of whgen ya think Colorado..a lotta Mesa's and plateau's ....and stunning beauty!
I know where John's coming from and can understand the appeal of Colorado N.M. if you've seen lots of the Colorado mountains and want something different. But if you're from a place where 4,000 footers are mountains, you should not go to Colorado N.M. It's a two hour - and not very scenic - drive to get to the scenic overlooks, it can be tough to photograph unless you have a lot of time to really explore the area, it will likely be very hot if you spend any amount of time there other than sunrise, and the area pales in comparison to some of the places in Utah. The Maroon Bells, on the other hand, are probably the most spectacular and photogenic mountains in Colorado, even if they are over-visited and over-photographed. If you don't like all the crowds, you can hike up to Crater Lake for a closer view of the mountains. Rifle Falls and Hanging Lake are also good options, but for the really nice mountain scenery, you have to head south.
Discussion
11 repliesi will be staying in Glenwood springs this weekend, would love to know where to go for wildflowers. I will have early mornings for short trips (have to work at 9 am), then a whole day on Monday to explore. I am from the humid east coast (VA) where we call 4,000 footers mountains
Will also take a float down the river, any hints for carrying photo gear? Or is it not a problem on the rafts?
I would be ever grateful for any info.
many thanks
Joyce
Don't know about wildflowers in that area, but if you have all day Monday my choice would be to hike up to Hanging Lake. It's a steep hike (a little over a mile) but it's a great little spot with a waterfall and an emerald pool. Also, you might see some wildflowers on the way up the trail because you actually follow the stream as it's flowing downhill. My suggestion would be to leave early because it is a popular hike. It also may leave you time later because it's really not an all day hike.
Just follow the signs on I-70 in Glenwood Canyon as you're heading west out of Glenwood. I think, but not sure it may be exit 221.
Hope you have a good time. If you want to see a photo of Hanging Lake it's on the home page of my website...the second photo that comes up.
www.geolightphoto.com
A couple of other recommendations for the area would be to shoot Mt. Sopris at sunset. If you drive down to Carbondale and head south through town, you might find fields of dandelions (sp?) just outside of town. Rifle Falls State Park should really be flowing this time of year also but you won't find many flowers there - another pre-sunrise location or late afternoon after the sun goes over the edge of the ridge.
For rafting, you'll need something like a Pelican case to protect your gear. If the raft trip is during the middle of the day, you may just want to go w/out your camera, as you probably won't get much in the harsh light anyway. If you want pics of people, the company will usually sell a picture of everyone going down the rapids, which is cheaper than getting a Pelican case.
If you were just looking to carry it along to use on a mid-day stop, you might want to inquire about renting a dry bag from the rafting company (or go out and buy one - they're not that expensive...). The problem with a dry bag is that it only protects the camera from getting wet; if the camera goes over the edge, it won't float, and if it strikes a rock it's not well protected. A Pelican case or a Lowepro Dryzone backpack are your best bets for transport over the wet and wild.
Joyce