A landscape photographer's tour
South Park / Fairplay

Keith's travels in Colorado - April-May 2006

South Park

In 2004 I took my then fairly new Canon 1Ds camera on a driving tour round the Rockies in the USA. This photo-diary covers my second driving trip around Colorado in April/May 2006. This collection of photography 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"

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...

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...

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

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

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 :-)

Do those lights look at all unusual?

Yes, they are shotgun cartridges -

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

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