Yeah, I'd definitely haul the big rig up there with scenes like this. The Snowys are on my (long) list of places to get to in the next couple of years.
Posted by Kalin Wilson on July 24, 2008 at 9:45 PM
I agree, this looks like a worthy location. My Dad has wanted to get me out there, this ups the ante. Thanks!
Posted by Scott Bacon on July 25, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Beauty!
I'm headed up next weekend. The columbines in the pic look great. In general, how are the conditions looking? Has it been raining enough to keep from drying out?
John, that's my best shot. If I post anything else, everyone will know what a lousy photographer I really am. Blind squirrel, nut, etc...
Scott, it wasn't anywhere near drying out from what I could see. Plenty of moisture to support lots of glacier lillies, columbines, moss campion, and mosquitoes. We had a couple of light rain showers on Sunday (day this pic was taken), and Laramie had a big rainstorm on Monday. There's still enough melting snow here and there that you have to avoid mud on the trails in some places, and scramble across the snow in others.
Posted by Brett Deacon on July 25, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Nice shot Rich! I was at the Snowies last Saturday and will be heading back tomorrow, and possibly this afternoon as well to the same spot on the Lakes Trail where Rich’s posted image was taken. The conditions are great right now and will probably be peaking in terms of wildflowers in about 1-2 weeks. Anytime in the next 3 weeks would be a great time to visit. There are some really nice isolated pockets of columbines along the Lakes Trail and in a week or so (at the most) a very large hillside opposite the Snowies on the Lakes Trail will be totally covered in them. The mosquitoes are as bad as I've ever seen but with a coat of spray I didn't get a single bite. I shot a handful of 4x5's last weekend but haven't had them processed yet. Here's a DSLR snapshot from a seasonal pond just off the Lakes Trail: http://www.brettdeacon.com/photo.php?id=336&gallery=Wyoming2008.
I second Rich's assessment about things not being at all dried out yet. As of last weekend there were still piles of snow I had to hike over on the Lakes Trail and the most prevalent flowers were glacier lilies and marsh marigolds which are usually the first to emerge up there. The Sugarloaf and Brooklyn Lake areas probably have even more remaining snow that the area near Lake Marie and the Lakes Trail. If any of you are heading up there in the next few weeks and luck out with some overcast light during the day, I highly recommend checking out the French Creek Canyon trail located right across the street from the Lake Marie parking lot. About a mile down the trail is an incredibly lush area with multiple streams and tons of flowers. Here’s a snapshot from last summer to give you an idea: http://www.brettdeacon.com/photo.php?id=167&gallery=Wyoming2007. You can easily spend an entire afternoon in this area. The pine beetles are moving closer to this spot and it probably won’t look like this much longer, so this summer is a great time to visit. If I can help anyone with locations or travel details, please let me know!
Discussion
10 repliesMel-
John
I'm headed up next weekend. The columbines in the pic look great. In general, how are the conditions looking? Has it been raining enough to keep from drying out?
John, that's my best shot. If I post anything else, everyone will know what a lousy photographer I really am. Blind squirrel, nut, etc...
Scott, it wasn't anywhere near drying out from what I could see. Plenty of moisture to support lots of glacier lillies, columbines, moss campion, and mosquitoes. We had a couple of light rain showers on Sunday (day this pic was taken), and Laramie had a big rainstorm on Monday. There's still enough melting snow here and there that you have to avoid mud on the trails in some places, and scramble across the snow in others.
I second Rich's assessment about things not being at all dried out yet. As of last weekend there were still piles of snow I had to hike over on the Lakes Trail and the most prevalent flowers were glacier lilies and marsh marigolds which are usually the first to emerge up there. The Sugarloaf and Brooklyn Lake areas probably have even more remaining snow that the area near Lake Marie and the Lakes Trail. If any of you are heading up there in the next few weeks and luck out with some overcast light during the day, I highly recommend checking out the French Creek Canyon trail located right across the street from the Lake Marie parking lot. About a mile down the trail is an incredibly lush area with multiple streams and tons of flowers. Here’s a snapshot from last summer to give you an idea: http://www.brettdeacon.com/photo.php?id=167&gallery=Wyoming2007. You can easily spend an entire afternoon in this area. The pine beetles are moving closer to this spot and it probably won’t look like this much longer, so this summer is a great time to visit. If I can help anyone with locations or travel details, please let me know!