Didn't have to use the shooting hatch up top. For the most part, I didn't find much in the way of large mammals until the last day. Here's a few shot. First is an E shot, waiting out the rain while waiting for the big horns that never showed. Second is the alpenglow. Third is a hummingbird I saw at a coffee shop.

More can be found at my flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chimphappyhour/

There certainly were a lot of E's about in RMNP, a regular convention almost.:D

yeah, we were there about a month ago.
seeing the hummingbird reminded me that we actually saw hummingbirds w/ their wings "off", as opposed to the normal state of flapping 60 times a minute or whatever. i'd never seen a hummingbird w/ stationary wings before. these we sitting on a bird feeder. and, yes, they were live, they eventually flew off, after getting their fill.
these particular birds were at the restaurant w/ all the keys, outside Estes Park, i can't remember the name of the place. specializes in soup and salad, and it was great.

1. How did you get you E to look so huge on the inside?

and

2. Your toes? Looks like they are happy to not be inside shoes? :D

impressive photography. what camera/lens on the scenic shots?


and by the way, a hummingbird flaps it wings in a figure 8 on average of 50 times a *second* and capable to 200 times a second. at around 60 times a second us humans just see a big tracer.

Nice work. What are you shooting with?

thanks for the link to your site great photos
I never made it to RMNP
Really like the alluvials.

1. How did you get you E to look so huge on the inside?

and

2. Your toes? Looks like they are happy to not be inside shoes? :D

1. The E really is that spacious, of course.:D Well, to help relay that sense of space and to explain the gear I use...... I shoot with a Nikon D80. I use two primary lenses, the Tokina 12-24 and the Nikon 70-300VR. Those two cover the majority of my shooting range. I have a fast 50 to cover the middle, but if I'm ever wishing for more, it is usually more length.

The Tokina was used to do the E interior and most landscapes, it was set to its widest setting of 12mm. On Long's, I carried only the D80 with 12-24 attached in the interest of weight. It still doesn't capture the size and sense of space I get whenever I'm up there.

The Nikon 70-300VR is used on the wildlife and some of the scenics. If the occassion allows, I'll use my Manfrotto 3221 tripod with 486 ballhead, no matter which lens. (And no, the tripod didn't go up the mountains the E didn't go up.) In the E shot, the dash was my support with a tshirt under the camera.

The really nice thing about flickr is that you can find out quite a bit of info on each shot by checking the properties. Also, working in a library with catalogers, I also try to tag as much info as I can but I'm not a cataloger.

2. I try not to wear shoes when I can help it.:D I prefer my Chacos, even in winter. Work is about the only time I wear shoes now. I haven't climbed much as of late. When I did, I was working in the 5.12-5.13 range and wore my climbing shoes drastically downsized (regular shoe size=43.5-44, climbing shoes=40). I did that for about ten years, so my feet are deformed due to that.

Three more shots. The first is an elk from my last day. Drove to the west side of the park to look at the trees and ran across a group of males laying in a meadow. The last shot is a stone house that I pass on I70 in Kansas on my way too and from Colorado. I like the images in conjures up, indeed the whole area conjures up, of the old west. To me, this is where it really begins.

The middle shot is what I went over to see. The west side of RMNP is under siege of the pine beetle. There isn't a thing they can do about it. All those trees you see that are brown/red should be green. They estimate that at least 60% of the trees are lost. The best scenario they can hope for is that no one carelessly starts a forest fire. Imagine the Griswold Christmas Tree on a much grander scale. I had to go over and get a bunch of shots before that side becomes a barren wasteland. Those who have been to the south side of Yellowstone will know what I'm talking about.

AWESOME is all I can say Chimp..........how far is this from KC?

AWESOME is all I can say Chimp..........how far is this from KC?

Thanks ORANGEE. Depends on a few different things, but you should be able to make it up to Estes Park in about 10 to 11 hours. The worst part is getting through traffic around Denver. (You're almost there, you can see the mountains, but you're stuck in traffic! Bummer!)

One thing I do a little different is drive north out of Denver on I25 up to Loveland and take US34 into Estes. It takes a little longer, but I think the drive up Big Thompson Canyon is very much worth it. You pass through interesting red rock formations then you come to the Dam Store next to the Dam Tower with the dam view. The Dam collective sits at the mouth of the Big Thompson Canyon, the road looks like it just drives into the side of a large mass of rock.

A lot of people here in the KC area hate the drive across Kansas, but I'm the one sicko who likes it. The open prairie expanse just rolls out in front of you, this is where you get a chance to see the old west peeking out at you. Plus, when you do finally get out to the mountains, you appreciate them that much more.

I suspect that I'll get back out there next year. Some friends that I took out a couple of years ago have a daughter that'll be old enough to go out and hike then. I'll take them around on some of the easier hikes. That and I think my wife is a bit jealous that I went out this year without her, so she'll want to go then. That'll be good, because it'll be a more relaxed trip than what I usually do. This past trip was a little bit aggressive.

If I'm out there, anyone is welcome to join. I used to live out that way so I know quite a bit about the park. One caveat, I tend to stay on KC time in hopes of hitting the lots and roads early. (very necessary)