A landscape photographer's tour

Keith's travels in Colorado - April-May 2006

In 2004 Keith first took his then fairly new Canon 1Ds on a driving tour round the Rockies in the USA.

This photo-diary covers a second driving trip around Colorado in April/May 2006.

There are lots of excellent photo books by people who've had a bit more time to look round than I have, such as this one by John Fielder... (lots of places I didn't get to)

This collection of photos and comments has been re-written to make it easier to follow than the original (big) web page.

On my return to the UK, I wrote a more technical article about the photographic aspects as a follow up to my original "Keith's first all digital visit to the Rockies"

There are other photo travel diaries covering trips to:
Washington and Oregon in September/October 2007 and California/Oregon in April/May 2007

Note for visitors from Colorado - I had a great time, thanks! I do really like the place :-)

	Daily pages 27th April London-Denver 28th April South park 29th April Leadville 30th April Aspen 1st May Aspen 2nd May Steamboat Springs 3rd May Steamboat Springs 4th May Steamboat Springs 5th May Delta 6th May Gunnison 7th May Gunnison 8th May Gunnison 9th May Fairplay 10th May Pikes Peak and back to Denver
What's the weather like? National Weather Service radar	Webcams What are the roads like?

South Park

Well, after a good night's sleep (loads of waiting at airports helps). It's a trip round Denver and along US285 to Fairplay. Not even too much trouble remembering which side of the road to drive on...

Unfortunately it's raining in Denver and sleet/snow while heading on to Fairplay. Not bad enough to make travel difficult, but certainly enough to hide the big mountains that the maps say are here...

dull day in the mountains

A dull day in the mountains does not make for the best source material for black and white pictures

News to some of you in the UK - there is a real South Park :-)

This sign from a scenic (in good weather) overlook at Kinosha Pass

Some roads were just not worth going any further on...

far enough

I must remember to ask for 4WD next time...

A fine breakfast (OK, early lunch) at the Brown Burro in Fairplay

Lunch at the Brown Burro

Just as I was sticking a pin into Leicester, on the world map behind, I heard another English accent. Paula from Cirencester, who now lives here (with Jeff) and raises and trains sled dogs. Seems she funded the trip a while ago by selling a Ford Cortina...

I'm staying at the rather nice Hand Hotel in Fairplay

hand hotel, Fairplay, Colorado

Where do you go when the weather is a bit dismal...

Why, over to the Fairplay Hotel, where people are being locked up for a fund-raising drive for a local clinic. Never being one to avoid free food, I went over to see what was happening.

Live music and drinks at 4:30pm :-)

drums

The local taxman in festive mood

Do those lights look at all unusual?

novel use of shotgun cartridges

Yes, they are shotgun cartridges -

And here are three ladies I had a chat with at the bar :-)

at the fund raising event

Sandy, Debbie and Kim ...

Note to visitors to the area - Beer is much more effective at altitude (this is around 10,000 feet), so remember to drink lots of water :-)

Some of the South Park characters were supposedly based on real people here -- I can say no more :-)

Tomorrow it's off to ... Leadville

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