Most of my childhood (and adulthood for that matter) vacations were spent near the ocean. I suppose I took that frequent exposure to the seaside for granted. I loved being water-adjacent and enjoyed all the aquatic activities the ocean’s presence allowed, but I didn’t appreciate the natural wonder of it in any larger sense.
You often hear of people who are extremely moved and humbled when they experience the ocean for the first time. The vast expanse of water that seemingly extends endlessly beyond the horizon tends to impart a sense of scale that makes your role in the grand scheme of things seem less daunting. After our recent trip to Colorado, and in particular Rocky Mountain National Park, I think I have a better understanding of that feeling.
Experiencing mountains of that size and beauty up close is an efficient way to put things into perspective. Your problems and worries can’t help but feel insignificant in comparison to something carved out by glaciers over a millennia.
Even though we only spent one day of our weeklong Colorado getaway inside the Park, I think we easily could have spent most of the week there. Our timed entrance pass had us getting into the park around 10am and we got our hiking legs warmed up with some starter trails at the Alluvial Fan and Hidden Valley.
The Alluvial Fan is a gorgeous water feature that allowed the boys to do some minor boulder scrambling as Shani and I watched on at the bottom of the “falls.” The Hidden Valley Nature Trail provided me access to some unique in-season wildflowers, a spot for us to eat our packed lunch, and a clumsy tumble where I almost hit my head on a rock while I was traversing a creek bed.
The highlight of our visit though without doubt was the Emerald Lake Trail in the Bear Lake portion of park. The trail sends you upwards past a series of four separate lakes where you find yourself saying, “That’s the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen!” only to correct yourself at the very next stop. At almost 10,000 feet of elevation, we got to experience amazing views of Tyndall Gorge and its snowcapped mountains, in what I have to say is my first time seeing snow on the ground in June.
From a photography standpoint, I did the best I could, but I don’t think I brought out the true expanse and depth of the landscapes which generally aren’t my strong suit. I made the decision before we left on our trip to travel light from a gear standpoint, working with just one all-purpose lens (a 28-70 f/2.8 RF I rented from LensRentals.com.) Because of the amount of hiking we did I was pretty happy with the weight reduction from my regular 24-70 f/2.8 EF and adapter setup (almost 1 full pound!) on the R6, but I can’t help but think the extra 4mm on the wide end of the focal range would have been beneficial for the subject matter. Regardless, traveling sans tripod I think I did well enough.
However, there is one significant downside to shooting landscapes. As someone who rarely shoots stopped down in the double digital aperture range, I discovered very quickly in the editing process that my sensor was in dire need of cleaning. Spots. Spots everywhere.
Rocky Mountain National Park was truly special. The abundance of spiraling firs, colorful wildflowers, and places to stop and take in your surroundings along the trail were something I’ve never experienced before. I literally paused several times just to take it all in. You become so jaded in your daily life, unfortunately there’s very little that leaves you in awe in a positive sense. Rocky Mountain National Park delivered on that front, and to have experienced it with Shani and all of the boys was extra special. 10 out of 10, would recommend.
PHOTO GALLERY – ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
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