Posting a little wishful thinking—trees blanketed in fresh snow, hoping it helps manifest some much-needed powder back to Colorado. It’s been bone dry lately, so here’s to winter finally showing up!
ILCE-6300E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS lens70mmf/9.01/500s100 ISO0.0 EV
Thank you Jacob! It was pretty cold here but had snowmobiled in, set up a tent with propane heat so it was actually pretty cozy. Big snowstorm overnight but sunny the next morning. One of the most magical places I’ve ever camped!
jm10_former wrote:
Very nice Scott! Must have been pretty cold though:-)
Danpbphoto wrote:
Just beautiful photography Scott!
Snow, light and a camera sensor can get some really whacky results but you nailed it here!
How did you access this area? Was it as cold as it looks?
Dan
Hi Dan, thank you! Yes it was cold this day, but I find those are often the best conditions for capturing frosted trees! We accessed the area with snowmobiles and set up a base camp to ski. We used an Arctic Oven brand tent that has a propane heater and walls that eliminate condensation. It's quite cozy and makes for a great way to winter camp! It snowed heavily all night and when we woke up the sun came out and this was the scene all around. We ate a quick breakfast and then set out on skis for a ski tour. I captured this image while we attained the nearby ridge. It was quite a magical day! Stayed two nights up there and skied some amazing powder! Here's another image of my friend skinning up to the top and one of our base camp. Appreciate your comment my friend!
ILCE-6300E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS lens55mmf/10.01/800s125 ISO0.0 EV
ILCE-6300E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS lens17mmf/8.025s200 ISO0.0 EV
What an adventure to partake of Scott! My kind of "ruffin' it"!
Spent a New Years Eve camping in a regular tent and my father using the hot stones around the campfire to warm the bottoms of our sleeping bags. No snow but it was well below freezing. A kid, maybe 12-13yrs old.
Just pristine surroundings! The silence must have been golden!
Wow!
Pictures are INDEED worth a 1000 words!!!!!!
Dan Thanks for the context.
Danpbphoto wrote:
What an adventure to partake of Scott! My kind of "ruffin' it"!
Spent a New Years Eve camping in a regular tent and my father using the hot stones around the campfire to warm the bottoms of our sleeping bags. No snow but it was well below freezing. A kid, maybe 12-13yrs old.
Just pristine surroundings! The silence must have been golden!
Wow!
Pictures are INDEED worth a 1000 words!!!!!!
Dan Thanks for the context.
Thanks so much, Dan — really appreciate you sharing that memory! Sounds like a special New Year’s Eve and a great way to learn what ruffin’ it really means. There’s something about cold nights, simple setups, and quiet places that really stick with you. The silence up where we were at was incredible, especially after the fresh snow overnight. Moments like that definitely make the effort worthwhile.
Just sharing a bit of a life experience that I appreciated about my father. He was an outdoorsman.
Just a "deja vu moment" Scott. Your image solicited that moment.
Again well done!
Dan
Those are beautiful images and I can see why #1 is a favorite.
Regarding your winter camping....back in the early 70's for two consecutive Februaries I joined a group of college students and professors who recreated and followed the winter hiking path that the Zebulon Pike Expedition followed over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains down into the southern San Luis Valley. These were my first (and last) winter camping trips under primitive conditions. We didn't have the great tech gear today's winter campers have (ours were canvas tents) and I remember it wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be. I finally decided that camping in July was a bit more fun and that six nights of 0 to -20 temps in February was enough. Some of the hardened ones did it for about ten years but I promised myself I'd not do it again. So I admire your willingness (and preparation) to be there for these images. Thanks for sharing them.
Al Trujillo wrote:
Those are beautiful images and I can see why #1 is a favorite.
Regarding your winter camping....back in the early 70's for two consecutive Februaries I joined a group of college students and professors who recreated and followed the winter hiking path that the Zebulon Pike Expedition followed over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains down into the southern San Luis Valley. These were my first (and last) winter camping trips under primitive conditions. We didn't have the great tech gear today's winter campers have (ours were canvas tents) and I remember it wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be. I finally decided that camping in July was a bit more fun and that six nights of 0 to -20 temps in February was enough. Some of the hardened ones did it for about ten years but I promised myself I'd not do it again. So I admire your willingness (and preparation) to be there for these images. Thanks for sharing them....Show more →
Thank you Al! Also thanks for that story—following the Sangre de Cristo route in winter is no small feat, especially with canvas tents and 0 to -20 temps. I don’t blame you for deciding July camping is the better option! Even with modern gear, winter camping can be humbling. In general, I don't really like winter camping after doing it for many years, mainly because I find it to be mostly "suffering management"! But with this setup we had here you can stay quite warm, dry and comfortable - the downside is, the equipment is not very light and takes time and effort to haul in and set up. I truly appreciate the kind words and you taking the time to share that experience.
