The Crater - RMNP

I've been hiking in RMNP for over twenty years and I never hiked to The Crater before. What a mistake. A short, steep one mile hike yielded some incredible views and this morning the clouds and color were some of the best I've seen in RMNP.
I'd like to know what folks think of the color in the second one. There was a strong magenta cast when I shot this and I tried to tone it down a bit.
40D, Tokina 12-24

Thanks,
Paul

Looking to the north from where I shot the first image. 2nd image shot earlier than the first.

Really nice colors, and great views, too.
I've never heard of "The Crater" in RMNP. Of Course, I'm not all that familiar with the hiking trails. Where is this located in the park?

Beautiful images and colors. Love the clouds in the first image.

I like the first photo very much. The comp in the second one does not work for me, although the light and colors are great. Thanks for sharing.

I think they're both excellent. I always wondered what The Crater looked like.

Wow what an amazing sunrise/sunset (?). The best sunrises/sunsets have that amazing magenta glow, which poses a conundrum for us photographers... do we leave that magenta cast in there (which could be mistaken for a color balance error) or remove it for a more "natural" but fake color balance? I usually tone it down a little too, and I think you've done a good job here.

Fantastic shots, Paul! Both of them. The broad views really make the first one sing, and the colors in the 2nd are gorgeous.

Like Jack said, it's a tough call when this happens. I have shots that look totally "unrealistic" due to these types of conditions, where you basically have one big cloud-deck reflector casting a very warm, saturated glow across the scene. I'll tone it down if I can do so without making it look overly processed, which can be tough for some shots. I think for anyone who sees enough sunrises/sunsets, your image will look natural - they can relate to it; for others, you may get some comments about the color.

Todd took the words right out of my post. Excellent images.

Thanks for the comments, all. Since Morris asked, the trailhead to The Crater is located at Milner Pass, almost across the road from the lake.

Wow, these are great! I've never shot from the Crater before and today I was out with a client in the trees shooting waterfalls. Wish I could have seen this!!!! I love both of these, but especially the first!

The colors in both are amazing. I'm diggin' #1. I've never seen images from this location.

Looks like an amazing sunrise, and certainly a hike worth making.

I really like #2.

Wow, these are great! Looks like you guys had some great conditions over the weekend!

#2 is the bomb, dude!

Great shots! #1 is perfect, i like 2 as well but the colorcast is a bit strong for me there.

Beautiful light, esp. in #2. Well worth the effort! I too have never been up there. Seems like the trail was always closed for the sheep, or something. I don't see any color cast, given the strong light overhead. It was certainly a magenta moment!