Colorado Fall Colours 2012 (San Juan Mountains)

[Randal_Schulhauser]

Colorado Fall Colours 2012

I’m headed into the Dolores, Telluride, Silverton, Durango quadrant of the San Juan’s the end of September/beginning of October. Having only been to the area once before (check out => http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=20996 ), I’m looking for recommendations as to where the primo fall colour photo ops can be found.

It’s already been suggested for me to check out the Wilson Mesa area near Woods Lake with Wilson Mtn and Wilson Peak as backdrops.

Other thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

RANDAL

[Jim]

It was peaking in the Leadville-Buena Vista-Aspen area of the Sawatch this weekend, and I suspect you may be too late for the color in the San Juans by the end of the month. I initially thought that was a good time frame for my 14er/ color trip, but moved it up once I looked at old 14er trip reports.

[Trishness]

Randall,

You might want to make a stop at Mancos State Park, Mesa Verde N'tl Park and take the scenic drive around McPhee reservoir (from Dolores I believe you take 184). Hope you find some great color up there!

Trish

[big_load]

Have fun! I just got back from two weeks in CO, mostly in the Sangre de Cristos and Sawatch. Any of the alpine lakes in the Sangres is worth the trip.

[Jim]

I think you won't have much aspen color higher up, but there is a new low pressure that is going to pass over UT and CO early this coming week, and it may drop a fair amount of early season snow, especially over the San Juans. In that case, you might get some nice contrast between remaining color and snow. Snow would probably be >10,000'.

[Randal_Schulhauser]

Thanks for the tips - fingers crossed to see if nature cooperates with our timing!

I’ve had a couple of photo compositions hunted out to see if I can find the locations =>

http://www.pbase.com/sedonamemories/image/87377458 (Maroon Lake/Maroon Bells by Derek von Briesen

http://www.pbase.com/sedonamemories/image/139539899 (unknown location by Derek von Briesen) – really trying to find this location – any clues?

http://mycolorado.org/landscapes/san_ju ... large.html (Dallas Divide in the Sneffels Range by Darren Kilgore)

http://mycolorado.org/landscapes/san_ju ... large.html (Dallas Divide in the Sneffels Range redux by Darren Kilgore)

http://www.shanemcdermottphotography.co ... 2&lb=1&s=A (highway and farm near telluride by Shane McDermott’s Wild Earth Illuminations) – also trying to find this location – any clues?


Counting down the days before heading to the high country...

[hippiepunkpirate]

http://www.pbase.com/sedonamemories/image/139539899 (unknown location by Derek von Briesen) – really trying to find this location – any clues?

Sneffels Range from the north...I even found a source for the exact location http://www.flickr.com/photos/teschwab/300473783/

[Randal_Schulhauser]

Thanks for the detective work HPP!

Now any clues for location #2? =>

http://www.shanemcdermottphotography.co ... 2&lb=1&s=A (highway and farm near telluride by Shane McDermott’s Wild Earth Illuminations)

[hippiepunkpirate]

Thanks for the detective work HPP!

Now any clues for location #2? =>

http://www.shanemcdermottphotography.co ... 2&lb=1&s=A (highway and farm near telluride by Shane McDermott’s Wild Earth Illuminations)

No prob. Never been to the Telluride area but area studying the TOPO vs. the photo, I am guessing its in this area: 37.933243 -107.879686 Plop the google "street view" at that point and turn the orientation north and I think the range looks similar to Shane McDermott's photo. Could be wrong, but looks like it to me.

[Randal_Schulhauser]

Interesting tool using Google Maps street view – thanks for the tip Jake! I cruised around those coordinates and couldn’t pick up any of the landmarks shown in the McDermott photo, but I’ll keep checking.

BTW – picked up “A Photographer’s Guide to Colorado’s Fall Colours – the Best Locations & How to Photograph Them”, an eBook by Jason J. Hatfield. http://www.mountainskyphotography.com/ebook.html


I contacted Jason prior to ordering an he sent me this note;

Randal

14 of the locations are in the San Juans, they feature areas primary around Ridgway and Telluride with the locations around Ridgway being my favorite for fall colors. Let me know if I can help with anything else and have fun on your trip.

Jason J. Hatfield

[Randal_Schulhauser]

No prob. Never been to the Telluride area but area studying the TOPO vs. the photo, I am guessing its in this area: 37.933243 -107.879686 Plop the google "street view" at that point and turn the orientation north and I think the range looks similar to Shane McDermott's photo. Could be wrong, but looks like it to me.

Jake;

I've been "tooling" around with Google Street View - doesn't seem to cover some of the side streets. However, moving to satellite view, co-ordinates 37.952726,-107.877846 along airport road seems to have all the photo landmarks => http://www.shanemcdermottphotography.co ... 2&lb=1&s=A

What do you think?

I've emailed Shane McDermott to see if he can offer any tips...

RANDAL

[hippiepunkpirate]

@Randal Schulhauser
I'm on my android phone right now so I'm having a tough time navigating the MapDEX. However, I would be very surprised if that was not the spot. Assuming the view is facing north, you can see the two buildings on the west side of the road, with the aspen grove on the other side. Nice work! Hope you hear back from Shane. I corresponded briefly with him last year on a different website, and he was very generous with his advice to me. Unless he holds that location as sacred as some photographers do (unlikely with that road running through), I would imagine he will be generous with you as well. Good luck on your trip, I can't wait to see what tou come back with.

[Randal_Schulhauser]

@Randal Schulhauser
I'm on my android phone right now so I'm having a tough time navigating the MapDEX. However, I would be very surprised if that was not the spot. Assuming the view is facing north, you can see the two buildings on the west side of the road, with the aspen grove on the other side. Nice work! Hope you hear back from Shane. I corresponded briefly with him last year on a different website, and he was very generous with his advice to me. Unless he holds that location as sacred as some photographers do (unlikely with that road running through), I would imagine he will be generous with you as well. Good luck on your trip, I can't wait to see what tou come back with.

Shane confirmed that he captured the image "along the road to Telluride airport". Think we've got the spot...