I'm heading to Westcliffe this weekend, and would be interested in anyones tips on shooting there, especially whether sunrise or sunset is better, and good locations...
Thanks!
Sunrise will generally be better. Possible locations are Crestone Needle from South Colony Lakes (rough jeep road or else a long hike), Hermit Pass, or along the highway that goes south from Westcliffe.
Yeah sunset is generally a lost cause unless you get some afternoon storms. I havent been out there in a bit, but i imagine the higher elevations have a fair amount of snow yet. Westcliffe area can be very rewarding, but it takes a while to familiarize yourself with it since there are no "iconic" locations, you just have to be flexible and let conditions dictate where you go--this is no easy task if you don't know the place inside and out--just ask Todd! I just go for the burgers steaks and Guinness at Poag's.
Posted by D J Kuklinski on June 19, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Yup, I have to concur with Grant and Stan: sunrise. I used to know the area inside and out; nowadays I find myself getting all turned around.
Posted by Bob Falcone on June 19, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Thanks guys!
Since it's a couple of hours drive, I may gamble on sunset and then stay overnight for the sunrise.
I did see some nice fields of wildflowers when I was up there 2 weeks ago, but they were also surrounded by lots of barbed wire...
Posted by Mel Ladewig on June 19, 2009 at 11:58 AM
As mentioned, Sunset is tough from Wetcliffe, but this time of year you might get some interesting light if you can go north of Westcliffe and shoot to the south a couple hours before sunset through sunset. The range runs North-South by Westcliffe, but it starts to curve towards more of a Northwest direction as you head North towards Hillside and Cotopaxi. Add to that the sun sets more in the Northwest than West and you might catch some mountains with nice side lighting with clouds above. But don't go too far North because the range looses altitude and the rugged slopes as it curves towards Salida.
The azimuth at 5:30 PM will be 284 and it will be at 300 at sunset. If you are in Hillside, you should be able to get some shots with side lit mountains if you point your camera south towards Spread Eagle Peak or even Southwest towards Electric Peak or De Anza Peak.
The other option is to drive south from Westcliffe to view sunset on the Spanish Peaks or go over La Veta Pass to view sunset on the Blanca group from Blanca town or the 160/150 junction to Sand Dunes.
To cut between Westcliffe and Blanca (town) you can use Pass Creek Road near Gardiner to bypass La Veta Pass and cut many miles from your drive. Its a stunning valley and a smooth stretch of well maintained dirt road.
Good advice from Mel, and more specifically, the range has a very pronounced NW to SE trajectory, which means if you drive north and shoot back SW towards the range, the northern faces of the peaks will light up nicely. My go-to place for that type of thing, along with usually excellent flowers, is Verdemont Road, something like 5 miles N of town.
Todd...
The actual sunset wasn't as dramatic as what you saw...a HUGE, low altitude cloud covered the area just as the sun dipped below the horizon. In the distance I could see some of the higher altitude clouds that were lit by the sun and they looked great...
But, all was not lost. As much as I wanted to follow Mels suggestions to go south and then east (which I will do soon), I followed your suggestion and went to Verdemont Road. The angle is definitely good, and there is a windmill that frames up nicely with the mountains. I ended up on Pines Road, and found this nice view, about an hour before sunset.
Discussion
10 repliesThanks!
Since it's a couple of hours drive, I may gamble on sunset and then stay overnight for the sunrise.
I did see some nice fields of wildflowers when I was up there 2 weeks ago, but they were also surrounded by lots of barbed wire...
The azimuth at 5:30 PM will be 284 and it will be at 300 at sunset. If you are in Hillside, you should be able to get some shots with side lit mountains if you point your camera south towards Spread Eagle Peak or even Southwest towards Electric Peak or De Anza Peak.
The other option is to drive south from Westcliffe to view sunset on the Spanish Peaks or go over La Veta Pass to view sunset on the Blanca group from Blanca town or the 160/150 junction to Sand Dunes.
To cut between Westcliffe and Blanca (town) you can use Pass Creek Road near Gardiner to bypass La Veta Pass and cut many miles from your drive. Its a stunning valley and a smooth stretch of well maintained dirt road.
Mel-
The actual sunset wasn't as dramatic as what you saw...a HUGE, low altitude cloud covered the area just as the sun dipped below the horizon. In the distance I could see some of the higher altitude clouds that were lit by the sun and they looked great...
But, all was not lost. As much as I wanted to follow Mels suggestions to go south and then east (which I will do soon), I followed your suggestion and went to Verdemont Road. The angle is definitely good, and there is a windmill that frames up nicely with the mountains. I ended up on Pines Road, and found this nice view, about an hour before sunset.